So the NBA has joined the NFL in having a lockout of the players. Now most people seem to think that the NBA lockout will be longer than the NFL's and will probably lose some, if not most, of the next season. Well I don't think that has to be the case.
Yes, the NBA is in a whole different situation than the NFL, a much worse situation financially. The NFL lockout is because the owners and players cannot decide on how to split up all the profits they make. They are risking losing some games because the owners don't think they are making enough millions, although they are all definitely making money. The NBA lockout is because at least half of the teams (and more specifically their owners) are losing money. Teams like the Pacers and Kings and other small market teams are struggling to make money, while teams like the Lakers and Knicks are making plenty of money. And oh, by the way, the players are making a lot of money too, much more on average than NFL players. So most people think the NBA lockout will go a lot longer because the league as a whole is unhealthy. But I contend that it doesn't have to last that long.
Everybody involved in these negotiations knows how desperate some of these teams are right now. But they also know how much success the league was this last year. By all accounts, interest in the NBA has been increasing the last few years, and this last season was a great success. So I think everybody knows that they have a lot of momentum going for them that they don't want to risk losing by missing part of the season due to a lockout. So the first thing that needs to happen, is the league needs to come up with a type of revenue sharing that the NFL has had for a while now. There is some revenue sharing now, but it needs to be adjusted. All teams need to share profits with each other. If each team is healthy financially, it strengthens the league as a whole and allows growth because no team is struggling just to get by. If every team has the same chance financially to sign players, then it evens the playing field. Now I understand that owners of the most successful teams right now may not want that because that means they may not have as much success, but parity is great for the league as a whole.
So I know it is a long shot, but if everybody can work together for the greater good of the league, then I think it can get resolved quicker than most people think. And of course, there are some issues that still need resolved and agreed upon with the players association, but I think those are minor compared to the revenue sharing issue. I think everybody would be happier if people just say, "can't we all just get along?"
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
I Love the NBA Draft
I love the NBA Draft. It's that simple.
The Draft takes place tomorrow night at 7pm on ESPN. It marks the start of the new NBA year. The old season is over, time to start changing your roster around to get better for next season. Things that make this night so great? Several different reasons.
The first is the drafting of rookies themselves. Most of these guys you have seen play in college, and now you get to see where they go to start their professional careers. Also from a team standpoint, you get the anticipation of figuring out who is going to still be there when you get to pick, and what positions are you going to fill on your roster.
Another reason it is so fun is the trades and trade rumors. Every team is talking to every other team seeing if they can make a deal that benefits them both. In this year's draft, the talent in the draft is considered not that great. So look out for teams trying to trade their picks for a veteran that can help them right away. But also, it brings the question of who is going to trade up for that pick and how much are they willing to offer. In a really deep draft, you could trade your pick for a pretty good, established player. This year? Who knows.
And one other reason I really like the NBA draft, is that it is a lot quicker than the NFL draft. The NFL draft, the most popular of professional sports drafts, takes 3 days to do. In the first round each team gets 10 or 15 minutes I think. In the NBA, each team gets 5 min in the first round, and the whole thing is wrapped up in one night. It is quick and to the point. It is a new beginning for everybody. The 2011-2012 season starts tomorrow night. Get ready!
The Draft takes place tomorrow night at 7pm on ESPN. It marks the start of the new NBA year. The old season is over, time to start changing your roster around to get better for next season. Things that make this night so great? Several different reasons.
The first is the drafting of rookies themselves. Most of these guys you have seen play in college, and now you get to see where they go to start their professional careers. Also from a team standpoint, you get the anticipation of figuring out who is going to still be there when you get to pick, and what positions are you going to fill on your roster.
Another reason it is so fun is the trades and trade rumors. Every team is talking to every other team seeing if they can make a deal that benefits them both. In this year's draft, the talent in the draft is considered not that great. So look out for teams trying to trade their picks for a veteran that can help them right away. But also, it brings the question of who is going to trade up for that pick and how much are they willing to offer. In a really deep draft, you could trade your pick for a pretty good, established player. This year? Who knows.
And one other reason I really like the NBA draft, is that it is a lot quicker than the NFL draft. The NFL draft, the most popular of professional sports drafts, takes 3 days to do. In the first round each team gets 10 or 15 minutes I think. In the NBA, each team gets 5 min in the first round, and the whole thing is wrapped up in one night. It is quick and to the point. It is a new beginning for everybody. The 2011-2012 season starts tomorrow night. Get ready!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
NBA Finals Review
Well the NBA Finals, and season, is over. The Dallas Mavericks are NBA Champions for the first time. But all anybody seems to want to talk about are the losers, the Miami Heat. But let's take a closer look at the series.
The Mavs won in 6 games. They played well. They played smart. They were led by a man named Dirk Nowitzki who had a hunger like no other in this series. He has been labeled as coming up short in the playoffs for years. This was his redemption. Even though he was sick for game 4, he came out and willed his team to victory. Even though he could not get a shot to fall in the first half of game 6, he kept the mentality of "shooters keep shooting, eventually they will start to go in" and they did late in the game. The Mavs were filled with guys who just had not quite reached this mountain-top before. Jason Kidd has played 17 seasons, including reaching the finals twice, but just now got his first win. Shawn Marion and Peja Stojakovic and played on numerous good teams in their careers that just didn't get there. Dirk and Jason Terry had reached the finals 5 years earlier before losing to the Heat. Their coach, Rick Carlisle, had coached the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers to be great teams before they ran into problems that prevented them from true greatness. So I am very happy for the Mavs, they deserve it.
The Heat on the other hand, lost the series when they were the favorites going in. They didn't play particularly bad most of the time, but they didn't have the same results in the 4th quarters mostly that the Mavs did. All anybody wants to talk about is LeBron James not living up to what he should be doing late in the game. True, he could have done a lot better and been more aggressive, but I think it just wasn't his time yet. You have to fall to truly experience the joy that comes with overcoming your past failures. There is no doubt in my mind that the Heat will be back in the Finals again over the next several years. They will have more chances and will be able to learn from their mistakes in this year's Finals.
One thing that must be fixed for the Heat is LeBron's aggressiveness in the 4th quarters. Actually, I don't think it needs much fixing, just a little tweaking. In the previous rounds of this years playoffs, he was unstoppable in the 4th quarters. He was shooting and making 3's at a rate we had never seen from him before. But in the Finals, his shot wasn't falling and so he stopped shooting, choosing to defer to others who were shooting better. Except most of his teammates didn't want to shoot it because this was the time LeBron was supposed to take over so they kept passing it back. It led to some awful sequences on offense. LeBron needs to drive to the basket whenever his jump shot isn't falling. He needs to post people up and work his way closer to the hoop. He has not done that most of his career, relying on his jump shot which is fairly unreliable at times.
The Mavs will be contenders again next year, but I don't think they will get back to this point. Their aging team mixed with the difficulty of winning two years in a row will be too much for them I think. The Heat, on the other hand, need to improve their bench. If I were them, I would look to trade Chris Bosh for some better role players. I know he is good, but he is being under-utilized as the third option on the team. The problem though, is that with James and Dwyane Wade controlling the Heat, there is no room to increase Bosh's usage. Yes, they have the best 3rd option in the league, but I think it would be better for him and the team if they could trade him for maybe a bigger center and a few other role players. Their bench currently is made up of older players who were once pretty good, but now are just barely still playing. Sure they had their moments, but you need to improve over Juwan Howard and Erik Dampier. If they couldn't find a use for Dampier, their biggest body, to play in the finals against a bigger front court that the Mavs had, then it's time to let him go. Fill the bench with young guys who have something to prove. They need to go after guys like Jason Kapono and Jeff Foster in free agency.
So anyways, now it time for the NBA Draft, which is one of my highlights of the year. So stay tuned for more exciting NBA off-season things.
The Mavs won in 6 games. They played well. They played smart. They were led by a man named Dirk Nowitzki who had a hunger like no other in this series. He has been labeled as coming up short in the playoffs for years. This was his redemption. Even though he was sick for game 4, he came out and willed his team to victory. Even though he could not get a shot to fall in the first half of game 6, he kept the mentality of "shooters keep shooting, eventually they will start to go in" and they did late in the game. The Mavs were filled with guys who just had not quite reached this mountain-top before. Jason Kidd has played 17 seasons, including reaching the finals twice, but just now got his first win. Shawn Marion and Peja Stojakovic and played on numerous good teams in their careers that just didn't get there. Dirk and Jason Terry had reached the finals 5 years earlier before losing to the Heat. Their coach, Rick Carlisle, had coached the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers to be great teams before they ran into problems that prevented them from true greatness. So I am very happy for the Mavs, they deserve it.
The Heat on the other hand, lost the series when they were the favorites going in. They didn't play particularly bad most of the time, but they didn't have the same results in the 4th quarters mostly that the Mavs did. All anybody wants to talk about is LeBron James not living up to what he should be doing late in the game. True, he could have done a lot better and been more aggressive, but I think it just wasn't his time yet. You have to fall to truly experience the joy that comes with overcoming your past failures. There is no doubt in my mind that the Heat will be back in the Finals again over the next several years. They will have more chances and will be able to learn from their mistakes in this year's Finals.
One thing that must be fixed for the Heat is LeBron's aggressiveness in the 4th quarters. Actually, I don't think it needs much fixing, just a little tweaking. In the previous rounds of this years playoffs, he was unstoppable in the 4th quarters. He was shooting and making 3's at a rate we had never seen from him before. But in the Finals, his shot wasn't falling and so he stopped shooting, choosing to defer to others who were shooting better. Except most of his teammates didn't want to shoot it because this was the time LeBron was supposed to take over so they kept passing it back. It led to some awful sequences on offense. LeBron needs to drive to the basket whenever his jump shot isn't falling. He needs to post people up and work his way closer to the hoop. He has not done that most of his career, relying on his jump shot which is fairly unreliable at times.
The Mavs will be contenders again next year, but I don't think they will get back to this point. Their aging team mixed with the difficulty of winning two years in a row will be too much for them I think. The Heat, on the other hand, need to improve their bench. If I were them, I would look to trade Chris Bosh for some better role players. I know he is good, but he is being under-utilized as the third option on the team. The problem though, is that with James and Dwyane Wade controlling the Heat, there is no room to increase Bosh's usage. Yes, they have the best 3rd option in the league, but I think it would be better for him and the team if they could trade him for maybe a bigger center and a few other role players. Their bench currently is made up of older players who were once pretty good, but now are just barely still playing. Sure they had their moments, but you need to improve over Juwan Howard and Erik Dampier. If they couldn't find a use for Dampier, their biggest body, to play in the finals against a bigger front court that the Mavs had, then it's time to let him go. Fill the bench with young guys who have something to prove. They need to go after guys like Jason Kapono and Jeff Foster in free agency.
So anyways, now it time for the NBA Draft, which is one of my highlights of the year. So stay tuned for more exciting NBA off-season things.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Shaq Retires
Last week, the great Shaquille O'Neal retired from professional basketball after a 19-year career. He will go down as one of the greatest players ever, and possibly the most entertaining NBA player ever. That's the special thing about Shaq, he was not defined by his play on the court, even as good as it was.
After being drafted number 1 overall in 1992 by the Orlando Magic, he became a dominating force. O'Neal's individual accolades include the 1999–2000 MVP award, the 1992–93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, two scoring titles, 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000); the other players are Willis Reed and Michael Jordan. He ranks 5th all-time in points scored, 5th in field goals, 12th in rebounds, and 7th in blocks. But through all that, I don't think all of the accolades are what people will remember about him.
He was the ultimate entertainer. His size (7 ft 1 in, over 300 lbs, and size 23 shoes) and basketball talent allowed him to be the center of attention for most of his life. He always took those opportunities to express his opinions and to make people smile when he could. He was usually up for interviews, granting journalists and viewers entertainment through it all. He is a man of many nicknames (many of which he gave himself): Shaq, The Diesel, Shaq Fu, Superman, The Big Aristotle, The Big Cactus, The Big Shaqtus, The Big Shamrock, and The Big Conductor. He was a rapper and actor. He has also been involved in law enforcement for several years, having worked as a reserve officer in LA and Miami.
Although I am kind of sad to see him go as a player, I am excited to see what he will do next. With most retired athletes, we see less of them. I have a feeling, however, that retirement from basketball will only allow us all to be more entertained by Shaq from this point forward. So goodbye for now, but I can't wait to see what you have in store for us all in the future.
After being drafted number 1 overall in 1992 by the Orlando Magic, he became a dominating force. O'Neal's individual accolades include the 1999–2000 MVP award, the 1992–93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, two scoring titles, 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000); the other players are Willis Reed and Michael Jordan. He ranks 5th all-time in points scored, 5th in field goals, 12th in rebounds, and 7th in blocks. But through all that, I don't think all of the accolades are what people will remember about him.
He was the ultimate entertainer. His size (7 ft 1 in, over 300 lbs, and size 23 shoes) and basketball talent allowed him to be the center of attention for most of his life. He always took those opportunities to express his opinions and to make people smile when he could. He was usually up for interviews, granting journalists and viewers entertainment through it all. He is a man of many nicknames (many of which he gave himself): Shaq, The Diesel, Shaq Fu, Superman, The Big Aristotle, The Big Cactus, The Big Shaqtus, The Big Shamrock, and The Big Conductor. He was a rapper and actor. He has also been involved in law enforcement for several years, having worked as a reserve officer in LA and Miami.
Although I am kind of sad to see him go as a player, I am excited to see what he will do next. With most retired athletes, we see less of them. I have a feeling, however, that retirement from basketball will only allow us all to be more entertained by Shaq from this point forward. So goodbye for now, but I can't wait to see what you have in store for us all in the future.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The NBA Finals
I know it has been a while since I last had a post, I apologize. But on the bright side of things, tonight is the start of the 2011 NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.
I am very excited for this series. It's between two teams that I like. And these teams played each other in the 2006 Finals, with the Heat beating the Mavs in that one. However, each team only has 2 players that are hold-overs from that 2006 series. The Heat have Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem. The Mavs have Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. The Heat have been the big story all year since LeBron James and Chris Bosh decided to join Wade in Miami to create a super-star led team. The Mavs have been Dirk's team for years now, he has won an MVP before, but never won a title.
It's the big match-up between Dirk and LeBron for who needs to win their first championship more, and I for one, will be watching with great anticipation.
I am very excited for this series. It's between two teams that I like. And these teams played each other in the 2006 Finals, with the Heat beating the Mavs in that one. However, each team only has 2 players that are hold-overs from that 2006 series. The Heat have Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem. The Mavs have Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. The Heat have been the big story all year since LeBron James and Chris Bosh decided to join Wade in Miami to create a super-star led team. The Mavs have been Dirk's team for years now, he has won an MVP before, but never won a title.
It's the big match-up between Dirk and LeBron for who needs to win their first championship more, and I for one, will be watching with great anticipation.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Season Awards
Now that most of the regular season awards have been given out, I want to go through and take a closer look at them.
MVP
Winner: Derrick Rose
Who should have won: Derrick Rose
Rose became a superstar this year. He took the leap from one of the best young players in the game to one of the best players, period. He led the Bulls to the number 1 record in the league, kept his team afloat when they had a couple major injuries, and became a deadly closer at the end of games. There is an argument to be made for LeBron James to have won, he is still the best basketball player in the world, and he had better stats than Rose, but he had a couple things going against him. First, he has won the MVP the last 2 years. Voters get tired of voting for the same guy year after year. That is really the only explanation for Karl Malone ever winning an MVP award over Michael Jordan. Secondly, James switched teams and now plays with Dwyane Wade on the Miami Heat. Having two superstars on the same team means both are going to lose votes on awards like these because it's hard to say who was truly leading their team.
Defensive Player of the Year
Winner: Dwight Howard
Who should have won: Dwight Howard
Let's face it, Howard is a beast. He is the biggest and strongest player in the game today. He was ranked 2nd this year in rebounds with 14.1 per game (but led the league overall in defensive rebounds), and 4th in blocks with 2.4 per game. He also had a career best 1.4 steals per game. This is his 3rd straight year winning DPOY and I'm not sure when anybody else with take the award from him.
6th Man
Winner: Lamar Odom
Who should have won: Lamar Odom
I really have no problems with Odom winning the award. The Mavs' Jason Terry is about the only other guy I think that has an argument. Odom is good enough to be a starter on most teams, but he plays for the Lakers who are kind of loaded. The thing with Odom that perplexes me, besides him marrying the ugly Kardashian sister, is how this seems to be the biggest award of his career. He has the size and talent to have been a All-Star several times. When he was younger, he was thought to be a future star. He is listed as being 6'10", which allows him to play as a center, but he has the skills of a guard. He can play all 5 positions. But one of the most well known things about him is his love of candy. So maybe that has something to do with him not living up to the potential, who knows.
Most Improved Player
Winner: Kevin Love
Who should have won: Dorell Wright
I have a general theory on how the MIP should be restricted. A player should not be eligible for the MIP if they are still on their rookie contract. Players are supposed to improve a lot in their first few years in the league. I think this award should be given to a player that most people didn't foresee improving by much. So by those standards, Love should be ineligible. But the award has increasingly been given out to young players in the last few years. Wright, however set career highs this year in points, rebounds, assists, steals, games played, and minutes played. His points increased from 7.1 last year to 16.4 this year. Wright also became the first player in NBA history to have scored more points in his seventh season than all of his first six combined. And he led the league in 3-pointers made and attempted, setting Warriors franchise records for both. How did he not win?
Rookie of the Year
Winner: None yet
Who should have won: Blake Griffin
Griffin will easily win ROY this year. He became a must-see attraction with his highlights and amazing athletic ability. After sitting out all of last year with an injury, he was a rookie this year, and became the leader of the Clippers. He is awesome, and will be an All-Star for many years to come.
MVP
Winner: Derrick Rose
Who should have won: Derrick Rose
Rose became a superstar this year. He took the leap from one of the best young players in the game to one of the best players, period. He led the Bulls to the number 1 record in the league, kept his team afloat when they had a couple major injuries, and became a deadly closer at the end of games. There is an argument to be made for LeBron James to have won, he is still the best basketball player in the world, and he had better stats than Rose, but he had a couple things going against him. First, he has won the MVP the last 2 years. Voters get tired of voting for the same guy year after year. That is really the only explanation for Karl Malone ever winning an MVP award over Michael Jordan. Secondly, James switched teams and now plays with Dwyane Wade on the Miami Heat. Having two superstars on the same team means both are going to lose votes on awards like these because it's hard to say who was truly leading their team.
Defensive Player of the Year
Winner: Dwight Howard
Who should have won: Dwight Howard
Let's face it, Howard is a beast. He is the biggest and strongest player in the game today. He was ranked 2nd this year in rebounds with 14.1 per game (but led the league overall in defensive rebounds), and 4th in blocks with 2.4 per game. He also had a career best 1.4 steals per game. This is his 3rd straight year winning DPOY and I'm not sure when anybody else with take the award from him.
6th Man
Winner: Lamar Odom
Who should have won: Lamar Odom
I really have no problems with Odom winning the award. The Mavs' Jason Terry is about the only other guy I think that has an argument. Odom is good enough to be a starter on most teams, but he plays for the Lakers who are kind of loaded. The thing with Odom that perplexes me, besides him marrying the ugly Kardashian sister, is how this seems to be the biggest award of his career. He has the size and talent to have been a All-Star several times. When he was younger, he was thought to be a future star. He is listed as being 6'10", which allows him to play as a center, but he has the skills of a guard. He can play all 5 positions. But one of the most well known things about him is his love of candy. So maybe that has something to do with him not living up to the potential, who knows.
Most Improved Player
Winner: Kevin Love
Who should have won: Dorell Wright
I have a general theory on how the MIP should be restricted. A player should not be eligible for the MIP if they are still on their rookie contract. Players are supposed to improve a lot in their first few years in the league. I think this award should be given to a player that most people didn't foresee improving by much. So by those standards, Love should be ineligible. But the award has increasingly been given out to young players in the last few years. Wright, however set career highs this year in points, rebounds, assists, steals, games played, and minutes played. His points increased from 7.1 last year to 16.4 this year. Wright also became the first player in NBA history to have scored more points in his seventh season than all of his first six combined. And he led the league in 3-pointers made and attempted, setting Warriors franchise records for both. How did he not win?
Rookie of the Year
Winner: None yet
Who should have won: Blake Griffin
Griffin will easily win ROY this year. He became a must-see attraction with his highlights and amazing athletic ability. After sitting out all of last year with an injury, he was a rookie this year, and became the leader of the Clippers. He is awesome, and will be an All-Star for many years to come.
Monday, April 18, 2011
More Playoffs Please
Well after each series played their 1st game this past weekend, I think we are in for a great playoffs experience. Each game was closely contested. The Grizzlies, as an 8 seed, got their 1st playoff victory in franchise history yesterday. I'm excited at least and I hope you are too.
One interesting storyline going into this year's postseason is two former teammates finally getting off the top of the list of most career regular season games played without every playing in the playoffs by an active player. The Celtics' Troy Murphy and the Pacers' Mike Dunleavy finally made the playoffs after long careers, much spent together. Murphy led the list with 656 career games in 10 seasons before making it this year. Dunleavy just trailed Murphy, having played in 627 games in 9 seasons. Before this year, the two were teammates for all 8 years of Dunleavy's career. They were both drafted by the Warriors, then traded together to the Pacers during the 06-07 season. So who now takes their spot atop the list? The Pistons' Chris Wilcox, at 534 games.
One other quick link I came across that I found entertaining is an article by the Sports Pickle: What Your Favorite NBA Playoff Team Says About You.
One interesting storyline going into this year's postseason is two former teammates finally getting off the top of the list of most career regular season games played without every playing in the playoffs by an active player. The Celtics' Troy Murphy and the Pacers' Mike Dunleavy finally made the playoffs after long careers, much spent together. Murphy led the list with 656 career games in 10 seasons before making it this year. Dunleavy just trailed Murphy, having played in 627 games in 9 seasons. Before this year, the two were teammates for all 8 years of Dunleavy's career. They were both drafted by the Warriors, then traded together to the Pacers during the 06-07 season. So who now takes their spot atop the list? The Pistons' Chris Wilcox, at 534 games.
One other quick link I came across that I found entertaining is an article by the Sports Pickle: What Your Favorite NBA Playoff Team Says About You.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
NBA Playoffs Preview
Well it's finally here, the NBA Playoffs. What makes this so exciting? Every night, there is basketball of the highest quality. The quality of the games is what separates the NBA Playoffs from the NCAA Tournament. There are 16 teams all trying for that elusive title as NBA Champions. True, there aren't too many upsets, but for anybody who just likes the game itself, you can't beat this. Because each series is a best of 7 games, you cannot surprise your opponent to move on to the next round. To win, you actually have to adjust and force your will upon the other team. There are plenty of story-lines, and the best way to digest them all is to simply watch the games.
My predictions for the 1st Round.
Bulls vs Pacers
Although I think the Pacers can put up a good fight, the Bulls have Derrick Rose, and he seems unstoppable right now. These teams are in the same division so they are familiar with each other, which I think will hopefully make the games more intense and better. My pick: Bulls in 5 games.
Spurs vs Grizzlies
The injury to Manu Ginobili makes this a little less sure for the Spurs. San Antonio is a very experienced, veteran team, but I think they are one significant injury to one of their main 3 players from being an easy team to defeat. The Grizzlies are a hot, young team with little playoff experience. Overall, I think the Spurs experience will put them over the top. My pick: Spurs in 6 games.
Heat vs 76ers
This is what everybody has been waiting for: to see what the Heat can do in the playoffs. What very few people are talking about is how good the 76ers actually are. One of the most surprising teams of this year, the 76ers are a tough out for any team. But I think the Heat have mostly figured out how to work together and make this team run. Their talent and experience will be too much for the young 76ers. My pick: Heat in 4 games.
Lakers vs Hornets
The defending champion Lakers certainly have the experience and talent to make them contenders for the championship again this year. If healthy, they are one of the deepest teams in the league. The Hornets lost their 2nd best player (David West) to injury about a month ago, which severely weakens them. However, the Hornets do have Chris Paul, who I think will be able to win one game himself. But just one. My pick: Lakers in 5 games.
Celtics vs Knicks
One of the most anticipated series of the 1st round, these two teams do not lack star power. Both teams have been mediocre since making an in-season trade in February. The Celtics went to the finals last year and won it all 3 years ago. The Knicks haven't been in the playoffs in a while, and their stars have little playoff success. But I still think these teams match up well if Shaq is out with injuries for the Celtics. My pick: Celtics in 7 games.
Mavs vs Blazers
Most people are picking this for their 1st round upset. The Mavs have been struggling lately and the Blazers have been playing well since they traded for Gerald Wallace. The Mavs also have little playoff success in the past decade and the Blazers seem to match up well with them. Dirk Nowitzki can win at least 2 games by himself for the Mavs and I don't know if the Blazers have anybody like that. My pick: Mavs in 7 games.
Magic vs Hawks
Last year the Magic swept the Hawks in the 2nd round. This season the Hawks have won 3 of 4 games against the Magic. So which one of these will hold true? I think neither will happen again. The Magic are a very different team with their big trades from this year, and I think the Hawks are better than last year, although they are less talked about. However, I think Dwight Howard muscles his way past the Hawks. My pick: Magic in 6 games.
Thunder vs Nuggets
Two fun teams to watch. The Thunder were thought to be favorites coming into the season, but then fell out of popularity as they struggled at the start of the year. The Nuggets have been greatly improved since trading Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks in February. Both teams are young and athletic. But the Thunder are too talented to let this series get away. My pick: Thunder in 5 games.
So there you have it, I went with all favorites which I know is no fun, but that's OK. The real fun is watching all the games. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the great games going on.
My predictions for the 1st Round.
Bulls vs Pacers
Although I think the Pacers can put up a good fight, the Bulls have Derrick Rose, and he seems unstoppable right now. These teams are in the same division so they are familiar with each other, which I think will hopefully make the games more intense and better. My pick: Bulls in 5 games.
Spurs vs Grizzlies
The injury to Manu Ginobili makes this a little less sure for the Spurs. San Antonio is a very experienced, veteran team, but I think they are one significant injury to one of their main 3 players from being an easy team to defeat. The Grizzlies are a hot, young team with little playoff experience. Overall, I think the Spurs experience will put them over the top. My pick: Spurs in 6 games.
Heat vs 76ers
This is what everybody has been waiting for: to see what the Heat can do in the playoffs. What very few people are talking about is how good the 76ers actually are. One of the most surprising teams of this year, the 76ers are a tough out for any team. But I think the Heat have mostly figured out how to work together and make this team run. Their talent and experience will be too much for the young 76ers. My pick: Heat in 4 games.
Lakers vs Hornets
The defending champion Lakers certainly have the experience and talent to make them contenders for the championship again this year. If healthy, they are one of the deepest teams in the league. The Hornets lost their 2nd best player (David West) to injury about a month ago, which severely weakens them. However, the Hornets do have Chris Paul, who I think will be able to win one game himself. But just one. My pick: Lakers in 5 games.
Celtics vs Knicks
One of the most anticipated series of the 1st round, these two teams do not lack star power. Both teams have been mediocre since making an in-season trade in February. The Celtics went to the finals last year and won it all 3 years ago. The Knicks haven't been in the playoffs in a while, and their stars have little playoff success. But I still think these teams match up well if Shaq is out with injuries for the Celtics. My pick: Celtics in 7 games.
Mavs vs Blazers
Most people are picking this for their 1st round upset. The Mavs have been struggling lately and the Blazers have been playing well since they traded for Gerald Wallace. The Mavs also have little playoff success in the past decade and the Blazers seem to match up well with them. Dirk Nowitzki can win at least 2 games by himself for the Mavs and I don't know if the Blazers have anybody like that. My pick: Mavs in 7 games.
Magic vs Hawks
Last year the Magic swept the Hawks in the 2nd round. This season the Hawks have won 3 of 4 games against the Magic. So which one of these will hold true? I think neither will happen again. The Magic are a very different team with their big trades from this year, and I think the Hawks are better than last year, although they are less talked about. However, I think Dwight Howard muscles his way past the Hawks. My pick: Magic in 6 games.
Thunder vs Nuggets
Two fun teams to watch. The Thunder were thought to be favorites coming into the season, but then fell out of popularity as they struggled at the start of the year. The Nuggets have been greatly improved since trading Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks in February. Both teams are young and athletic. But the Thunder are too talented to let this series get away. My pick: Thunder in 5 games.
So there you have it, I went with all favorites which I know is no fun, but that's OK. The real fun is watching all the games. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the great games going on.
Monday, April 11, 2011
I've been copied...or something like that
While I am pretty sure he wasn't actually copying me, Sports Illustrated's Ian Thomsen recently wrote an articled titled Payroll breakdowns: Which teams get the most for their money? He basically did the same thing I did all season, except he only did it once this year. Clearly he came up with the same information I did: that the Chicago Bulls were the best value team this year, and that they are the only team with a cost-per-win of under $1 million. He writes in the first paragraph that this is an annual review, so apparently he has done it before, but I had never seen it before. Anyways, it's nice to know that I can do what professional NBA writers do.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Jerry Sloan for NBA Coach of the Year?
As we near the end of the NBA's regular season, it is time to start thinking of season awards. My vote for Coach of the Year: former Utah Jazz coach, Jerry Sloan. This award usually goes to a coach who helped his team to a winning record and a playoff berth. Jerry Sloan did neither. Instead, he abruptly retired in the middle of the season this last February. So why do I think he should get it this year? Here is why:
The guy is also kind of a bad-ass. In 1976, Sloan took the head coaching position at the University of Evansville, but then withdrew after just 5 days. That same season the Evansville basketball team as well as coaches were killed in a plane crash at Evansville Airport. Also, according to this story on Yahoo! Sloan saves his friends lives with his gun.
Jerry Sloan has been an NBA icon since the 1960's. Now that he is retired, the fact that he never won the COY award is embarrassing for the NBA. I guess when you have been that successful for so long, people just expect you to be good, so they are never as impressed as they would be by someone who has a surprising good season. So for the 2010-2011 NBA season, my vote (if I actually had one) goes to Jerry Sloan.
- NBA commissioner David Stern called Sloan "one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history."
- Sloan had a career regular-season win–loss record of 1,221–803, placing him third all-time in NBA wins. Sloan was only the fifth coach in NBA history to reach the 1,000 victory milestone, and he is the only coach in NBA history to record 1,000 wins with one club (the Utah Jazz).
- He also coached for one team longer than anyone in NBA history. The 2009–10 season was his 22nd season (and 21st full season) as coach of the Jazz.
- Sloan coached the Jazz to 15 consecutive playoff appearances from 1989–2003.
- He is one of only three coaches in NBA history with 15-plus consecutive seasons with a winning record (Pat Riley and Phil Jackson are the others).
- He led Utah to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, but lost to the Chicago Bulls both times.
- And through all of those great seasons and accomplishments, he never won the Coach of the Year award.
The guy is also kind of a bad-ass. In 1976, Sloan took the head coaching position at the University of Evansville, but then withdrew after just 5 days. That same season the Evansville basketball team as well as coaches were killed in a plane crash at Evansville Airport. Also, according to this story on Yahoo! Sloan saves his friends lives with his gun.
Jerry Sloan has been an NBA icon since the 1960's. Now that he is retired, the fact that he never won the COY award is embarrassing for the NBA. I guess when you have been that successful for so long, people just expect you to be good, so they are never as impressed as they would be by someone who has a surprising good season. So for the 2010-2011 NBA season, my vote (if I actually had one) goes to Jerry Sloan.
Friday, April 1, 2011
The Consistency of the Spurs
ESPN runs a daily NBA update called the Daily Dime. It is full of the latest stories, tidbits, and stats from the previous night's NBA action. In this morning's edition of the Daily Dime, I found something that I find to be simply incredible about the Spurs.
Also in the Daily Dime was this little story, shared by NBA rookie, All-Star, fan-favorite Blake Griffin on his Twitter page.
This just goes to show how good the Spurs and Tim Duncan have been over the past 14 years. It is a stat that boggles the mind.
Last night, the Celtics defeated the Spurs 107-97, extending San Antonio's losing streak to five games (in the first 4 losses, Tim Duncan was out with an injury). It's the first time since Duncan joined the team before the start of the 1997-98 season that the Spurs have lost five or more consecutive regular-season games. San Antonio had been the only team in the league without at least one five-game losing streak over those 14 seasons. In fact, every other NBA team has had no fewer than six separate five-game losing streaks over that span. Prior to Thursday night, the Spurs' last five-game losing streak came in April 1997, when they lost their last six games of the 1996-97 season, just prior to drafting Duncan.
The Spurs' just-concluded span of 1,112 games without losing five in a row was the second-longest such streak in NBA history. The record is held by the Celtics, who went 1,412 games without losing five straight games from 1950 to 1969.
Also in the Daily Dime was this little story, shared by NBA rookie, All-Star, fan-favorite Blake Griffin on his Twitter page.
Random lady in phoenix: "you're tall you should play basketball" Me: "Ehh I dunno" lady: "no really!" me: "ok I guess I'll give it a try"I think this is hilarious.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Quick Link
With March Madness rolling along, there isn't much NBA news. I also have been busy so I haven't gotten a new Best Value rankings out in a bit. But I came across this article by Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated talking about what NBA scouts look out for during the NCAA Tournament, and I thought it was interesting. I like to watch college basketball also so I can get a feel for who the players going into the draft are. I like to know the rookies before they become rookies. So here it is, it is a pretty quick read too.
NBA scouts put prospects' March performances into context.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
I Was Wrong
OK, I will admit it, sometimes I have been wrong about how good or bad NBA players would become. Nobody really knows on draft day who will pan out as a good player and who won't. Everybody tries to get the best players they can, but even the professionals are wrong a lot of the time. I specifically am talking about Tyler Hansbrough, the 2nd year forward for the Indiana Pacers.
Last Sunday, in New York to face the Knicks, he scored a career high 29 points. Last night, also against the Knicks but in Indianapolis, he topped that by setting a new career high of 30 points. He has scored at least 20 points in 5 straight games, the most by any Pacers player this year.
I'm not saying that he is the new star of the team, but what I am saying is that I, like most analysts, thought he would never be anything more than a role player off the bench. I thought his game would not translate to the pro game from college because he relied so much on his physicality at the University of North Carolina and he is smaller than most NBA power forwards. I figured he would have a career much like Jeff Foster, a descent player for 11 years with the Pacers. He does the dirty work down low getting rebounds and putbacks for his points, but doesn't create his own shot very often. Yes, I knew Hansbrough had more offense, but I did not think it was that much better than Foster. But Hansbrough has proved to everyone that his mid-range jump shot is above-average and when he gets the ball he is usually looking to score. He looks for contact down low so he can get to the free-throw line. In fact, he is 3rd on the team in free-throws attempted and free-throw percentage despite being 7th on the team in minutes played this year. He is also 3rd on the team in field-goal percentage, hitting about 46% of his shots. He is also 3rd on the team in offensive rebounds, which allows him to get a lot of put-backs, which is what I thought most of his game would consist of.
So yes, I am wrong about some players (I also thought Roy Hibbert was a bad pick for the Pacers, and that Emeka Okafor would be better than Dwight Howard), but so is everybody else. All I can do is continue to watch, and see what happens, but that will not keep me from trying to figure out the draft.
Last Sunday, in New York to face the Knicks, he scored a career high 29 points. Last night, also against the Knicks but in Indianapolis, he topped that by setting a new career high of 30 points. He has scored at least 20 points in 5 straight games, the most by any Pacers player this year.
I'm not saying that he is the new star of the team, but what I am saying is that I, like most analysts, thought he would never be anything more than a role player off the bench. I thought his game would not translate to the pro game from college because he relied so much on his physicality at the University of North Carolina and he is smaller than most NBA power forwards. I figured he would have a career much like Jeff Foster, a descent player for 11 years with the Pacers. He does the dirty work down low getting rebounds and putbacks for his points, but doesn't create his own shot very often. Yes, I knew Hansbrough had more offense, but I did not think it was that much better than Foster. But Hansbrough has proved to everyone that his mid-range jump shot is above-average and when he gets the ball he is usually looking to score. He looks for contact down low so he can get to the free-throw line. In fact, he is 3rd on the team in free-throws attempted and free-throw percentage despite being 7th on the team in minutes played this year. He is also 3rd on the team in field-goal percentage, hitting about 46% of his shots. He is also 3rd on the team in offensive rebounds, which allows him to get a lot of put-backs, which is what I thought most of his game would consist of.
So yes, I am wrong about some players (I also thought Roy Hibbert was a bad pick for the Pacers, and that Emeka Okafor would be better than Dwight Howard), but so is everybody else. All I can do is continue to watch, and see what happens, but that will not keep me from trying to figure out the draft.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Bracket Contest
Ok, I did create a Bracket group on Yahoo! Anyone can join, here is the info you need.
http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/register/joinprivategroup_assign_team?GID=121463&P=flagrantfoul
Click on that link. The group's name is Flagrant Foul. The ID# is 121463. And the password is flagrantfoul
So join if you want, I don't know if there is a limit to how many people can join, so sign up quickly. The first 4 games start on Tuesday the 14th.
I don't have any prizes to give away, so this is just for bragging rights.
http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/register/joinprivategroup_assign_team?GID=121463&P=flagrantfoul
Click on that link. The group's name is Flagrant Foul. The ID# is 121463. And the password is flagrantfoul
So join if you want, I don't know if there is a limit to how many people can join, so sign up quickly. The first 4 games start on Tuesday the 14th.
I don't have any prizes to give away, so this is just for bragging rights.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Best Value Teams pt. 12
Not a lot of change in this week's rankings, nobody moved more than 4 spots. So I don't have much to say about it this week. Just check it out for yourself.
Biggest improvement: Blazers, Knicks, Clippers (+3)
Biggest decline: Mavs (-4)
Rank-Team-Projected Wins-Cost per Win-(Last rankings)
1. Bulls - 59 - 931,278.25 (1)
2. Spurs - 67 - 1,036,701.97 (2)
3. Thunder - 53 - 1,084,509.40 (3)
4. Heat - 55 - 1,196,497.29 (4)
5. Nuggets - 48 - $1,372,310.27 (6)
6. Celtics - 60 - $1,381,787.47 (5)
7. Hornets - 47 - $1,456,070.34 (9)
8. Blazers - 47 - $1,492,461.49 (11)
9. Hawks - 47 - $1,507,985.13 (7)
10. Knicks - 44 - $1,513,115.68 (13)
11. Suns - 43 - $1,528,810.09 (10)
12. Mavs - 59 - $1,530,332.76 (8)
13. Grizzlies - 45 - $1,549,634.71 (12)
14. Lakers - 57 - $1,606,485.25 (14)
15. 76ers - 43 - $1,613,028.98 (15)
16. Clippers - 31 - $1,678,238.26 (19)
17. Magic - 51 - $1,747,835.22 (16)
18. Jazz - 42 - $1,760,940.07 (17)
19. Rockets - 41 - $1,770,429.37 (20)
20. Warriors - 37 - $1,816,014.32 (21)
21. Pacers - 34 - $1,893,188.85 (18)
22. Bobcats - 34 - $1,959,096.29 (22)
23. Bucks - 33 - $2,110,458.55 (24)
24. Nets - 27 - $2,188,463.70 (26)
25. Pistons - 29 - $2,273,028.31 (25)
26. Kings - 19 - $2,317,399.79 (23)
27. T-Wolves - 21 - $2,530,493.43 (27)
28. Wizards - 21 - $2,829,680.05 (28)
29. Raptors - 23 - $3,021,949.78 (29)
30. Cavs - 15 - $3,550,934.33 (30)
Biggest improvement: Blazers, Knicks, Clippers (+3)
Biggest decline: Mavs (-4)
Rank-Team-Projected Wins-Cost per Win-(Last rankings)
1. Bulls - 59 - 931,278.25 (1)
2. Spurs - 67 - 1,036,701.97 (2)
3. Thunder - 53 - 1,084,509.40 (3)
4. Heat - 55 - 1,196,497.29 (4)
5. Nuggets - 48 - $1,372,310.27 (6)
6. Celtics - 60 - $1,381,787.47 (5)
7. Hornets - 47 - $1,456,070.34 (9)
8. Blazers - 47 - $1,492,461.49 (11)
9. Hawks - 47 - $1,507,985.13 (7)
10. Knicks - 44 - $1,513,115.68 (13)
11. Suns - 43 - $1,528,810.09 (10)
12. Mavs - 59 - $1,530,332.76 (8)
13. Grizzlies - 45 - $1,549,634.71 (12)
14. Lakers - 57 - $1,606,485.25 (14)
15. 76ers - 43 - $1,613,028.98 (15)
16. Clippers - 31 - $1,678,238.26 (19)
17. Magic - 51 - $1,747,835.22 (16)
18. Jazz - 42 - $1,760,940.07 (17)
19. Rockets - 41 - $1,770,429.37 (20)
20. Warriors - 37 - $1,816,014.32 (21)
21. Pacers - 34 - $1,893,188.85 (18)
22. Bobcats - 34 - $1,959,096.29 (22)
23. Bucks - 33 - $2,110,458.55 (24)
24. Nets - 27 - $2,188,463.70 (26)
25. Pistons - 29 - $2,273,028.31 (25)
26. Kings - 19 - $2,317,399.79 (23)
27. T-Wolves - 21 - $2,530,493.43 (27)
28. Wizards - 21 - $2,829,680.05 (28)
29. Raptors - 23 - $3,021,949.78 (29)
30. Cavs - 15 - $3,550,934.33 (30)
Friday, March 11, 2011
March Madness
OK, let's go ahead and talk about the elephant in the room. College basketball has one thing that is clearly better than the NBA: March Madness. During this time of year, even I put the NBA on the back-burner so I can watch a lot of college ball. Let's break down the reasons for this.
One of the big reasons why March Madness has a hold on the country is because of the number of teams involved. If you are a Division 1 team, you are involved in it, even if it isn't the NCAA Tournament. Every conference tournament champion (or regular season champ if there is no conference tourney) gets to go to the "big dance" that is the NCAA tournament. This gives everybody at least an outside shot at making it. So at the beginning of March, every fan in America can believe they have a chance to make it. Eventually it gets widdled down to 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Lots of teams are on the "bubble" to make it in as an at-large bid, meaning they didn't win their conference but could still get selected. So being on the bubble and waiting nervously to see if your team made it during selection Sunday (this Sunday) adds to the excitement.
Another big reason for the craziness and excitement of March Madness is the one-and-done formula mixed with quick back-to-back games. Win or go home. 68 teams start the tourney, only 32 make it to Saturday or Sunday of the first week, and only 16 make it to the next week. So enormous pressure is on each and every team. One mistake can cost you your season. This also allows for "Cinderellas" or underdogs to advance past where most people think they should. If a team gets on a hot streak, they can go far and be the little school that shocks the world. Americans love to root for the underdog, so even if their particular team is out of the tourney already, they can cheer for upsets still to make things interesting.
One more quick reason for March Madness success is the timing of it all. It all fits into about a one-month window where there is very little other sports going on. The NBA is in the regular season, and baseball is in pre-season spring training. But football is in the offseason and nobody cares about hockey or soccer.
And finally, I think the most important reason why March Madness reigns supreme during this time of year is gambling. Everybody can fill out a bracket and nobody is ever perfect on it. Even if you don't bet money, you still fill out a bracket just for bragging rights. But many people have office pools, or similar bets with friends to see who can guess the best. Also, many websites have contests that give away prizes for the winners. And of course, actual gambling is huge as usual.
If I had more followers I would try to set up a group on yahoo or something so we could all put our brackets in and see who does the best, but I dont' think that will happen this year. But I still hope you fill out a bracket on your own, sit back, and enjoy the games. BOILER UP!!
One of the big reasons why March Madness has a hold on the country is because of the number of teams involved. If you are a Division 1 team, you are involved in it, even if it isn't the NCAA Tournament. Every conference tournament champion (or regular season champ if there is no conference tourney) gets to go to the "big dance" that is the NCAA tournament. This gives everybody at least an outside shot at making it. So at the beginning of March, every fan in America can believe they have a chance to make it. Eventually it gets widdled down to 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Lots of teams are on the "bubble" to make it in as an at-large bid, meaning they didn't win their conference but could still get selected. So being on the bubble and waiting nervously to see if your team made it during selection Sunday (this Sunday) adds to the excitement.
Another big reason for the craziness and excitement of March Madness is the one-and-done formula mixed with quick back-to-back games. Win or go home. 68 teams start the tourney, only 32 make it to Saturday or Sunday of the first week, and only 16 make it to the next week. So enormous pressure is on each and every team. One mistake can cost you your season. This also allows for "Cinderellas" or underdogs to advance past where most people think they should. If a team gets on a hot streak, they can go far and be the little school that shocks the world. Americans love to root for the underdog, so even if their particular team is out of the tourney already, they can cheer for upsets still to make things interesting.
One more quick reason for March Madness success is the timing of it all. It all fits into about a one-month window where there is very little other sports going on. The NBA is in the regular season, and baseball is in pre-season spring training. But football is in the offseason and nobody cares about hockey or soccer.
And finally, I think the most important reason why March Madness reigns supreme during this time of year is gambling. Everybody can fill out a bracket and nobody is ever perfect on it. Even if you don't bet money, you still fill out a bracket just for bragging rights. But many people have office pools, or similar bets with friends to see who can guess the best. Also, many websites have contests that give away prizes for the winners. And of course, actual gambling is huge as usual.
If I had more followers I would try to set up a group on yahoo or something so we could all put our brackets in and see who does the best, but I dont' think that will happen this year. But I still hope you fill out a bracket on your own, sit back, and enjoy the games. BOILER UP!!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Best Value Teams pt. 11
After the last couple weeks of trades and free agent signings, a lot has changed in the world of NBA team salaries. Only 5 teams did not have any change to their salaries: Lakers, Magic, 76ers, Pistons, and Pacers.
There were many small changes, but I think only four big changes that need to be identified. The Mavs just signed free agent Corey Brewer to a 3 year contract. This bumps their payroll up $2.5 mil, which makes them the 2nd highest payroll in the league, moving ahead of Orlando and only trailing the Lakers. The Carmelo trade makes up the last 3 big changes. As I said last week, the Nuggets saved around $25 mil from the trade, including luxury taxes. It saved them about $18 mil on their payroll for this season, while costing the Knicks $8.5 mil and the T-Wolves around $8.2 mil. So that one trade has changed the rankings significantly.
Only 6 teams, Bulls, Spurs, Kings, Wizards, Raptors, and Cavs, hold the same spot in the rankings as they did in the last one.
For only the 2nd time, and the 1st since early December, there is no team with a losing record ahead of a team with a winning record in the rankings. This proves that it is better to spend a little more money and win, than try to save money and lose.
Biggest improvement: Nuggets (+14)
Biggest decline: Knicks (-8), Warriors (-7)
Rank-Team-Projected Wins-Cost per Win-(Last rankings)
1. Bulls - 57 - 963,954.68 (1)
2. Spurs - 68 - $1,021,456.35 (2)
3. Thunder - 52 - $1,105,365.35 (4)
4. Heat - 57 - $1,154,541.93 (3)
5. Celtics - 62 - $1,337,213.68 (7)
6. Nuggets - 48 - $1,372,310.27 (20)
7. Hawks - 49 - $1,446,434.71 (6)
8. Mavs - 61 - $1,480,157.92 (10)
9. Hornets - 46 - $1,487,724.04 (8)
10. Suns - 44 - $1,494,064.41 (12)
11. Blazers - 46 - $1,524,906.30 (9)
12. Grizzlies - 44 - $1,584,853.68 (11)
13. Knicks - 42 - $1,585,168.81 (5)
14. Lakers - 57 - $1,606,485.25 (13)
15. 76ers - 42 - $1,651,434.43 (18)
16. Magic - 52 - $1,714,223.00 (17)
17. Jazz - 42 - $1,760,940.07 (15)
18. Pacers - 36 - $1,788,011.69 (19)
19. Clippers - 29 - $1,793,978.83 (16)
20. Rockets - 40 - $1,814,690.10 (22)
21. Warriors - 36 - $1,866,459.17 (14)
22. Bobcats - 35 - $1,903,122.11 (21)
23. Kings - 21 - $2,096,695.05 (23)
24. Bucks - 31 - $2,246,617.16 (25)
25. Pistons - 29 - $2,273,028.31 (24)
26. Nets - 24 - $2,462,021.67 (27)
27. T-Wolves - 19 - $2,796,861.16 (26)
28. Wizards - 20 - $2,971,164.05 (28)
29. Raptors - 22 - $3,157,311.14 (29)
30. Cavs - 16 - $3,329,000.94 (30)
There were many small changes, but I think only four big changes that need to be identified. The Mavs just signed free agent Corey Brewer to a 3 year contract. This bumps their payroll up $2.5 mil, which makes them the 2nd highest payroll in the league, moving ahead of Orlando and only trailing the Lakers. The Carmelo trade makes up the last 3 big changes. As I said last week, the Nuggets saved around $25 mil from the trade, including luxury taxes. It saved them about $18 mil on their payroll for this season, while costing the Knicks $8.5 mil and the T-Wolves around $8.2 mil. So that one trade has changed the rankings significantly.
Only 6 teams, Bulls, Spurs, Kings, Wizards, Raptors, and Cavs, hold the same spot in the rankings as they did in the last one.
For only the 2nd time, and the 1st since early December, there is no team with a losing record ahead of a team with a winning record in the rankings. This proves that it is better to spend a little more money and win, than try to save money and lose.
Biggest improvement: Nuggets (+14)
Biggest decline: Knicks (-8), Warriors (-7)
Rank-Team-Projected Wins-Cost per Win-(Last rankings)
1. Bulls - 57 - 963,954.68 (1)
2. Spurs - 68 - $1,021,456.35 (2)
3. Thunder - 52 - $1,105,365.35 (4)
4. Heat - 57 - $1,154,541.93 (3)
5. Celtics - 62 - $1,337,213.68 (7)
6. Nuggets - 48 - $1,372,310.27 (20)
7. Hawks - 49 - $1,446,434.71 (6)
8. Mavs - 61 - $1,480,157.92 (10)
9. Hornets - 46 - $1,487,724.04 (8)
10. Suns - 44 - $1,494,064.41 (12)
11. Blazers - 46 - $1,524,906.30 (9)
12. Grizzlies - 44 - $1,584,853.68 (11)
13. Knicks - 42 - $1,585,168.81 (5)
14. Lakers - 57 - $1,606,485.25 (13)
15. 76ers - 42 - $1,651,434.43 (18)
16. Magic - 52 - $1,714,223.00 (17)
17. Jazz - 42 - $1,760,940.07 (15)
18. Pacers - 36 - $1,788,011.69 (19)
19. Clippers - 29 - $1,793,978.83 (16)
20. Rockets - 40 - $1,814,690.10 (22)
21. Warriors - 36 - $1,866,459.17 (14)
22. Bobcats - 35 - $1,903,122.11 (21)
23. Kings - 21 - $2,096,695.05 (23)
24. Bucks - 31 - $2,246,617.16 (25)
25. Pistons - 29 - $2,273,028.31 (24)
26. Nets - 24 - $2,462,021.67 (27)
27. T-Wolves - 19 - $2,796,861.16 (26)
28. Wizards - 20 - $2,971,164.05 (28)
29. Raptors - 22 - $3,157,311.14 (29)
30. Cavs - 16 - $3,329,000.94 (30)
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Trade Deadline Deals
I just discovered that I can now get on this blog from work, so thats exciting.
More to the point, the NBA's trade deadline was this last Thursday at 3pm Est. This year, there were severl trades in the days leading up to the deadline (14 by my count) including a few major trades.
Let's look at the 3 big trades:
On Tuesday, this trade went down: the Denver Nuggets traded Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Balkman, and Shelden Williams to the New York Knicks for Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wison Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, a future 1st round draft pick, 2 future 2nd round draft picks, and cash, plus Kosta Koufos and a 2nd round pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves, who traded Corey Brewer to the Knicks for Anthony Randolph, Eddy Curry, and cash. So that trade involved 13 players (1 an All-Star this year) and 4 draft picks being moved. That is a huge trade. The key piece to this was Carmelo Anthony wanting to play in New York, so the Nuggets decided to trade him there instead of letting him go in free agency in the summer. By doing this trade, they also saved around $25 million this year in salaries and luxury taxes.
The next big trade happened Wednesday. This one wasn't so big in the number of players, but big in significance. The Nets felt they missed out on getting Carmelo, so they traded Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, 2 1st round picks, and cash to the Utah Jazz for All-Star point guard Deron Williams. Like the Nuggets, the Jazz were worried that Williams would leave in free agency when his contract is up in 2012, so they decided to trade him now and get something good in return. This trade is also significant for the Jazz in the sense that they have had one losing season in the last 23 years, and yet in the last month they have fired their head coach, Jerry Sloan (the head coach for all 23 of those years), and traded away their best player all while having a winnign record right now. If they can maintain a winning record for the rest of this season I would be surprised.
The next big trade isn't in the number of players, nor was their an All-Star player traded. It is big because the best team in the East, the Boston Celtics, traded their starting center. Boston traded Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic. Most people I have heard talk about this trade think the Celtics were the big losers in this one. Perkins gave them the size, toughness, and experience necessary for the playoffs. Green gives them versitility, more offense, and potential. I think Green will be an important part of the Celtics rebuilding plan once Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen retire in the next few years. However, I do think it hurts their chances to win it all this year. They have to hope that Shaq can stay healthy for the playoff run. But if the Celtics can sign a recently released free agent, such as Troy Murphy or Leon Powe, I think they will be set for this year and the future. On the Thunder's side, this trade makes since because they lacked everything I mentioned Perkins has. Plus, they have a young, up-and-coming power forward in Serge Ibaka (his full name is Sergeballu LaMu Sayonga Loom Walahas Jonas Hugo Ibaka and he is a 2nd year player from the Congo). So this allows him to get more playing time too.
Other trade deadline notes:
One of my favorite players, fellow Purdue alumni Carl Landry got traded to the New Orleans Hornets from the Kings. I like this trade for a couple reasons. The Hornets needed more size off their bench. This allows Landry to play for a better team. And now, two of my favorite Purdue athletes, Landry and Drew Brees, both play in New Orleans.
Total there were 50 players and 17 draft picks traded this past week.
For the rest of the trades and other transactions, visit hoopshype.com.
More to the point, the NBA's trade deadline was this last Thursday at 3pm Est. This year, there were severl trades in the days leading up to the deadline (14 by my count) including a few major trades.
Let's look at the 3 big trades:
On Tuesday, this trade went down: the Denver Nuggets traded Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Balkman, and Shelden Williams to the New York Knicks for Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wison Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, a future 1st round draft pick, 2 future 2nd round draft picks, and cash, plus Kosta Koufos and a 2nd round pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves, who traded Corey Brewer to the Knicks for Anthony Randolph, Eddy Curry, and cash. So that trade involved 13 players (1 an All-Star this year) and 4 draft picks being moved. That is a huge trade. The key piece to this was Carmelo Anthony wanting to play in New York, so the Nuggets decided to trade him there instead of letting him go in free agency in the summer. By doing this trade, they also saved around $25 million this year in salaries and luxury taxes.
The next big trade happened Wednesday. This one wasn't so big in the number of players, but big in significance. The Nets felt they missed out on getting Carmelo, so they traded Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, 2 1st round picks, and cash to the Utah Jazz for All-Star point guard Deron Williams. Like the Nuggets, the Jazz were worried that Williams would leave in free agency when his contract is up in 2012, so they decided to trade him now and get something good in return. This trade is also significant for the Jazz in the sense that they have had one losing season in the last 23 years, and yet in the last month they have fired their head coach, Jerry Sloan (the head coach for all 23 of those years), and traded away their best player all while having a winnign record right now. If they can maintain a winning record for the rest of this season I would be surprised.
The next big trade isn't in the number of players, nor was their an All-Star player traded. It is big because the best team in the East, the Boston Celtics, traded their starting center. Boston traded Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic. Most people I have heard talk about this trade think the Celtics were the big losers in this one. Perkins gave them the size, toughness, and experience necessary for the playoffs. Green gives them versitility, more offense, and potential. I think Green will be an important part of the Celtics rebuilding plan once Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen retire in the next few years. However, I do think it hurts their chances to win it all this year. They have to hope that Shaq can stay healthy for the playoff run. But if the Celtics can sign a recently released free agent, such as Troy Murphy or Leon Powe, I think they will be set for this year and the future. On the Thunder's side, this trade makes since because they lacked everything I mentioned Perkins has. Plus, they have a young, up-and-coming power forward in Serge Ibaka (his full name is Sergeballu LaMu Sayonga Loom Walahas Jonas Hugo Ibaka and he is a 2nd year player from the Congo). So this allows him to get more playing time too.
Other trade deadline notes:
One of my favorite players, fellow Purdue alumni Carl Landry got traded to the New Orleans Hornets from the Kings. I like this trade for a couple reasons. The Hornets needed more size off their bench. This allows Landry to play for a better team. And now, two of my favorite Purdue athletes, Landry and Drew Brees, both play in New Orleans.
Total there were 50 players and 17 draft picks traded this past week.
For the rest of the trades and other transactions, visit hoopshype.com.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Best Value Teams pt. 10
This week's best value teams ranking is done with all the teams stopped for All-Star weekend. As of last night, there was a major trade involving Carmelo Anthony going from the Nuggets to the Knicks. Trades like this do major changes to teams' salaries, and with the trade deadline this Thursday, I'm sure next weeks rankings will be much different.
Biggest improvement: Warriors (+4)
Biggest drop: Jazz, Nuggets (-4)
Rank - Team - Projected Wins - Cost per Win - (last ranking)
1. Bulls - 58 - $969,615.60 (1)
2. Spurs - 67 - $1,016,967.91 (2)
3. Heat - 60 - $1,09+,277.07 (4)
4. Thunder - 53 - $1,093,482.75 (3)
5. Knicks - 43 - $1,351,219.49 (8)
6. Hawks - 51 - $1,360,230.78 (6)
7. Celtics - 61 - $1,373,619.00 (7)
8. Hornets - 47 - $1,407,102.47 (5)
9. Blazers - 47 - $1,455,725.79 (12)
10. Mavs - 59 - $1,487,495.98 (9)
11. Grizzlies - 45 - $1,492,496.40 (10)
12. Suns - 41 - $1,596,392.17 (15)
13. Lakers - 55 - $1,664,902.89 (13)
14. Warriors - 39 - $1,681,309.18 (18)
15. Jazz - 45 - $1,684,119.00 (11)
16. Clippers - 31 - $1,698,993.65 (14)
17. Magic - 52 - $1,714,223.00 (17)
18. 76ers - 39 - $1,778,467.85 (19)
19. Pacers - 36 - $1,788,011.69 (20)
20. Nuggets - 46 - $1,823,096.52 (16)
21. Bobcats - 35 - $1,882,310.97 (21)
22. Rockets - 37 - $2,015,722.14 (22)
23. Kings 20 - $2,189,920.05 (23)
24. Pistons - 30 - $2,197,260.70 (25)
25. Bucks - 31 - $2,237,209.87 (24)
26. T-Wolves - 19 - $2,363,152.16 (27)
27. Nets - 24 - $2,439,162.79 (26)
28. Wizards - 23 - $2,611,600.48 (28)
29. Raptors - 22 - $3,077,185.82 (29)
30. Cavs - 15 - $3,438,187.13 (30)
Biggest improvement: Warriors (+4)
Biggest drop: Jazz, Nuggets (-4)
Rank - Team - Projected Wins - Cost per Win - (last ranking)
1. Bulls - 58 - $969,615.60 (1)
2. Spurs - 67 - $1,016,967.91 (2)
3. Heat - 60 - $1,09+,277.07 (4)
4. Thunder - 53 - $1,093,482.75 (3)
5. Knicks - 43 - $1,351,219.49 (8)
6. Hawks - 51 - $1,360,230.78 (6)
7. Celtics - 61 - $1,373,619.00 (7)
8. Hornets - 47 - $1,407,102.47 (5)
9. Blazers - 47 - $1,455,725.79 (12)
10. Mavs - 59 - $1,487,495.98 (9)
11. Grizzlies - 45 - $1,492,496.40 (10)
12. Suns - 41 - $1,596,392.17 (15)
13. Lakers - 55 - $1,664,902.89 (13)
14. Warriors - 39 - $1,681,309.18 (18)
15. Jazz - 45 - $1,684,119.00 (11)
16. Clippers - 31 - $1,698,993.65 (14)
17. Magic - 52 - $1,714,223.00 (17)
18. 76ers - 39 - $1,778,467.85 (19)
19. Pacers - 36 - $1,788,011.69 (20)
20. Nuggets - 46 - $1,823,096.52 (16)
21. Bobcats - 35 - $1,882,310.97 (21)
22. Rockets - 37 - $2,015,722.14 (22)
23. Kings 20 - $2,189,920.05 (23)
24. Pistons - 30 - $2,197,260.70 (25)
25. Bucks - 31 - $2,237,209.87 (24)
26. T-Wolves - 19 - $2,363,152.16 (27)
27. Nets - 24 - $2,439,162.79 (26)
28. Wizards - 23 - $2,611,600.48 (28)
29. Raptors - 22 - $3,077,185.82 (29)
30. Cavs - 15 - $3,438,187.13 (30)
Friday, February 18, 2011
NBA All-Star Weekend
Tonight marks the beginning of one of my favorite weekends of every year. It's NBA All-Star Weekend. Three nights of the top players competing against each other in various forms of competition. The schedule for the weekend is as follows (all times Eastern):
Friday
7 pm on ESPN
Celebrity All-Star Game
-- This is my least favorite part of the 3 day celebration, but it is still sometimes interesting. I don't know who all is playing in the game this year, but there is usually a collection of retired NBA players, WNBA players, musicians, and actors. Some are obviously better than others, but the quality of the game is usually pretty low.
9 pm on TNT
Rookie - Sophomore Game
-- This is the premier showcase of the young talent currently in the league. It is usually pretty entertaining as some of the lesser-known guys try to make a name for themselves. It pits 12 of the best rookies from this year against 12 of the best 2nd year players in the league. This year, notable players include Blake Griffin (who is competing in events all 3 nights), John Wall, and Stephen Curry.
Saturday
8 pm on TNT
All-Star Saturday Night
-- This night consists of a few different individual competitions. This includes the Slam Dunk Competition, The 3-Point Shootout, and the Skills Challenge. The Slam Dunk contest has not been great the last few years, but this year is must-watch TV because of the previously mentioned Blake Griffin. He is unbelievable. Just search Youtube for his highlights and enjoy. The 3-Point Shootout this year has the new all-time leading 3-point leader, Ray Allen (he recently passed Reggie Miller for that distinction). It also has last year's scoring leader Kevin Durant and Celtics forward Paul Pierce, among others. The Skills Challenge is probably my favorite part of the night. It pits some of the best point guards in the league against each other in an obstacle course filled with basketball tasks like dribbling, shooting, and passing. This year's contestants are Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, John Wall, and Russell Westbrook. It should be a good time.
Sunday
8 pm on TNT
2011 NBA All-Star Game
The best all-star game of any of the major sports. In this game you get to see the leagues best players playing together, having fun, showing off, and towards the end: playing to win. The starting lineups for this game is unbelievable. 10 starters, all who will one day be hall-of-famers. The East is starting Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, and Amare Stoudemire. The West is starting Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Tim Duncan (the greatest power forward of all time), Carmelo Anthony, and Kevin Durant. The backups are no slouches either. They include guys like Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, and Deron Williams, among several others. Please, I beg of you, if you want to like the NBA at all, check out this game. It is amazing.
For any and all of things related to All-Star Weekend, go to ESPN's page here: espn.go.com/nba/allstargame.
Friday
7 pm on ESPN
Celebrity All-Star Game
-- This is my least favorite part of the 3 day celebration, but it is still sometimes interesting. I don't know who all is playing in the game this year, but there is usually a collection of retired NBA players, WNBA players, musicians, and actors. Some are obviously better than others, but the quality of the game is usually pretty low.
9 pm on TNT
Rookie - Sophomore Game
-- This is the premier showcase of the young talent currently in the league. It is usually pretty entertaining as some of the lesser-known guys try to make a name for themselves. It pits 12 of the best rookies from this year against 12 of the best 2nd year players in the league. This year, notable players include Blake Griffin (who is competing in events all 3 nights), John Wall, and Stephen Curry.
Saturday
8 pm on TNT
All-Star Saturday Night
-- This night consists of a few different individual competitions. This includes the Slam Dunk Competition, The 3-Point Shootout, and the Skills Challenge. The Slam Dunk contest has not been great the last few years, but this year is must-watch TV because of the previously mentioned Blake Griffin. He is unbelievable. Just search Youtube for his highlights and enjoy. The 3-Point Shootout this year has the new all-time leading 3-point leader, Ray Allen (he recently passed Reggie Miller for that distinction). It also has last year's scoring leader Kevin Durant and Celtics forward Paul Pierce, among others. The Skills Challenge is probably my favorite part of the night. It pits some of the best point guards in the league against each other in an obstacle course filled with basketball tasks like dribbling, shooting, and passing. This year's contestants are Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, John Wall, and Russell Westbrook. It should be a good time.
Sunday
8 pm on TNT
2011 NBA All-Star Game
The best all-star game of any of the major sports. In this game you get to see the leagues best players playing together, having fun, showing off, and towards the end: playing to win. The starting lineups for this game is unbelievable. 10 starters, all who will one day be hall-of-famers. The East is starting Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, and Amare Stoudemire. The West is starting Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Tim Duncan (the greatest power forward of all time), Carmelo Anthony, and Kevin Durant. The backups are no slouches either. They include guys like Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, and Deron Williams, among several others. Please, I beg of you, if you want to like the NBA at all, check out this game. It is amazing.
For any and all of things related to All-Star Weekend, go to ESPN's page here: espn.go.com/nba/allstargame.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Add on to yesterday's Cavs post
A few things I came across that I wanted to share in relation to yesterday's post about the Cavs being very, very bad. The 1st is this website: http://www.didthecavswinlastnight.com/. It's simplicity makes it awesome.
The next is an article on SI.com (that's short for Sports Illustrated for those of you who don't know) by Michael Rosenberg. It talks about the biggest falls from being a great team to an awful team in one year in all the major sports. But the first paragraph is what got me:
One more note, that isn't really related to the Cavs awfulness, unless you are count every LeBron James highlight a jab to the team in Cleveland, is this play in the Heat-Pacers game last night. Simply amazing play by Dwayne Wade and James.
Anyways, have a wonderful day. The weather here in Indiana is a beautiful 60 degrees finally.
The next is an article on SI.com (that's short for Sports Illustrated for those of you who don't know) by Michael Rosenberg. It talks about the biggest falls from being a great team to an awful team in one year in all the major sports. But the first paragraph is what got me:
The Cleveland Cavaliers stink like old diapers dipped in sewage. They are so bad they lose their practices. (Average score: Starters negative-12, Backups negative-38.) They aren't just bad, they're toxic. When they watch Hoosiers, Hickory High loses.Read the rest of the article here.
One more note, that isn't really related to the Cavs awfulness, unless you are count every LeBron James highlight a jab to the team in Cleveland, is this play in the Heat-Pacers game last night. Simply amazing play by Dwayne Wade and James.
Anyways, have a wonderful day. The weather here in Indiana is a beautiful 60 degrees finally.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Are the Cavs the Worst NBA Team Ever?
Now that the Cavs finally ended their NBA record 26 game losing streak, the question must be answered: are they the worst NBA team ever?
Obviously we need to wait until the season is over to truly understand the awfulness that is the 2010-2011 Cleveland Cavaliers, however, we can certainly start to get an understanding of their ineptness now.
The team with the worst record of all time is the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers. They went an unbelievable 9-73 that year. That put them a cool 59 games behind division winner Celtics that year. They won only 2 road games and only 2 division games. Their longest losing streak was 20 games that season. They are generally considered the benchmark for the worst team ever.
But there are a couple more options to look at. The longest single-season losing streak before the Cavs broke it was 23 games. This record was held by 2 teams: the 1995-96 Vancouver Grizzlies and the 1997-98 Denver Nuggets. The Grizzlies wound up with a record that year of 15-67, finishing 44 games behind the division winning Spurs. They managed 5 road wins and 3 division wins all season. The Nuggets finished with a record of 11-71, finishing 51 games behind the Jazz in the division. They won 2 road games and 3 division games.
This years Cavs are currently 9-46, 28.5 games behind the Bulls in the division. They have won 3 road games and one division game. This puts them on pace for a record of 13-69, 44 games behind the Bulls, with 4 road wins and 2 division wins.
So deciding which of these teams are the worst I think you can easily count out the 95-96 Grizzlies. Their losing streak was matched by the Nuggets and the Nuggets finished worse overall. The Cavs 26 game losing streak is amazing, but they would have to lose their last 27 games this season to match the 76ers record. And their projected 13 wins would be better than the Nuggets record. 44 games behind in the division is better than 51 or 59. So I would say the Cavs are not the worst team ever. Yet. It could still happen. But for now I will say the 72-73 76ers are still the worst NBA team of all time.
Obviously we need to wait until the season is over to truly understand the awfulness that is the 2010-2011 Cleveland Cavaliers, however, we can certainly start to get an understanding of their ineptness now.
The team with the worst record of all time is the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers. They went an unbelievable 9-73 that year. That put them a cool 59 games behind division winner Celtics that year. They won only 2 road games and only 2 division games. Their longest losing streak was 20 games that season. They are generally considered the benchmark for the worst team ever.
But there are a couple more options to look at. The longest single-season losing streak before the Cavs broke it was 23 games. This record was held by 2 teams: the 1995-96 Vancouver Grizzlies and the 1997-98 Denver Nuggets. The Grizzlies wound up with a record that year of 15-67, finishing 44 games behind the division winning Spurs. They managed 5 road wins and 3 division wins all season. The Nuggets finished with a record of 11-71, finishing 51 games behind the Jazz in the division. They won 2 road games and 3 division games.
This years Cavs are currently 9-46, 28.5 games behind the Bulls in the division. They have won 3 road games and one division game. This puts them on pace for a record of 13-69, 44 games behind the Bulls, with 4 road wins and 2 division wins.
So deciding which of these teams are the worst I think you can easily count out the 95-96 Grizzlies. Their losing streak was matched by the Nuggets and the Nuggets finished worse overall. The Cavs 26 game losing streak is amazing, but they would have to lose their last 27 games this season to match the 76ers record. And their projected 13 wins would be better than the Nuggets record. 44 games behind in the division is better than 51 or 59. So I would say the Cavs are not the worst team ever. Yet. It could still happen. But for now I will say the 72-73 76ers are still the worst NBA team of all time.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Best Value Teams pt. 9
For the first time all season, the Spurs have been knocked out of the top spot. This week the Bulls moved up to first place by going on a 6 game win streak and the Spurs lost a couple games.
The Cavs have set an NBA record with their 24th straight loss. Apparently losing LeBron James is not good for your team after all.
Biggest improvement in rankings: Grizzlies (+4).
Biggest drop in rankings: Blazers, Lakers, and Nuggets (all -3).
Rank - Team - Projected Wins - Cost per Win - Last weeks rank
1. Bulls - 58 - $969,615.60 (2)
2. Spurs - 69 - $987,383.77 (1)
3. Thunder - 54 - $1,073,233.07 (3)
4. Heat - 59 - $1,107,739.39 (4)
5. Hornets - 51 - $1,296,741.49 (5)
6. Hawks - 53 - $1,308,901.32 (6)
7. Celtics - 62 - $1,351,463.85 (8)
8. Knicks - 42 - $1,383,391.38 (7)
9. Mavs - 57 - $1,539,688.82 (11)
10. Grizzlies - 43 - $1,561,914.84 (14)
11. Jazz - 48 - $1,578,861.56 (12)
12. Blazers - 43 - $1,591,142.14 (9)
13. Lakers - 56 - $1,635,172.48 (10)
14. Clippers - 32 - $1,645,900.09 (15)
15. Suns - 39 - $1,678,258.44 (17)
16. Nuggets - 48 - $1,747,134.17 (13)
17. Magic - 51 - $1,747,835.22 (16)
18. Warriors - 36 - $1,821,418.28 (20)
19. 76ers - 38 - $1,825,269.63 (19)
20. Pacers - 37 - $1,839,097.74 (22)
21. Bobcats - 35 - $1,882,310.97 (18)
22. Rockets - 37 - $2,015,722.14 (21)
23. Kings - 21 - $2,085,638.14 (24)
24. Bucks - 32 - $2,167,297.06 (23)
25. Pistons - 29 - $2,273,028.31 (25)
26. Nets - 24 - $2,439,162.79 (26)
27. T-Wolves - 18 - $2,494,438.39 (27)
28. Wizards - 22 - $2,730,309.59 (28)
29. Raptors - 23 - $2,943,395.13 (29)
30. Cavs - 13 - $3,967,139.00 (30)
The Cavs have set an NBA record with their 24th straight loss. Apparently losing LeBron James is not good for your team after all.
Biggest improvement in rankings: Grizzlies (+4).
Biggest drop in rankings: Blazers, Lakers, and Nuggets (all -3).
Rank - Team - Projected Wins - Cost per Win - Last weeks rank
1. Bulls - 58 - $969,615.60 (2)
2. Spurs - 69 - $987,383.77 (1)
3. Thunder - 54 - $1,073,233.07 (3)
4. Heat - 59 - $1,107,739.39 (4)
5. Hornets - 51 - $1,296,741.49 (5)
6. Hawks - 53 - $1,308,901.32 (6)
7. Celtics - 62 - $1,351,463.85 (8)
8. Knicks - 42 - $1,383,391.38 (7)
9. Mavs - 57 - $1,539,688.82 (11)
10. Grizzlies - 43 - $1,561,914.84 (14)
11. Jazz - 48 - $1,578,861.56 (12)
12. Blazers - 43 - $1,591,142.14 (9)
13. Lakers - 56 - $1,635,172.48 (10)
14. Clippers - 32 - $1,645,900.09 (15)
15. Suns - 39 - $1,678,258.44 (17)
16. Nuggets - 48 - $1,747,134.17 (13)
17. Magic - 51 - $1,747,835.22 (16)
18. Warriors - 36 - $1,821,418.28 (20)
19. 76ers - 38 - $1,825,269.63 (19)
20. Pacers - 37 - $1,839,097.74 (22)
21. Bobcats - 35 - $1,882,310.97 (18)
22. Rockets - 37 - $2,015,722.14 (21)
23. Kings - 21 - $2,085,638.14 (24)
24. Bucks - 32 - $2,167,297.06 (23)
25. Pistons - 29 - $2,273,028.31 (25)
26. Nets - 24 - $2,439,162.79 (26)
27. T-Wolves - 18 - $2,494,438.39 (27)
28. Wizards - 22 - $2,730,309.59 (28)
29. Raptors - 23 - $2,943,395.13 (29)
30. Cavs - 13 - $3,967,139.00 (30)
Monday, January 31, 2011
Forbes NBA Team Values
This ranking of the value of each NBA team by Forbes is very interesting.
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2011/32/basketball-valuations-11_rank.html
It shows that the most valuable NBA franchise this year is the New York Knicks. They are valued at $655 million. The least valuable franchise is the Milwaukee Bucks. They are valued at $258 million.
If you look at each team's individual information, there is a ton of interesting numbers that explain a lot. One of the most telling stats there is Revenue. The Knicks have the highest revenue in the league at $226 million. The New Jersey Nets, who are ranked 21st in overall value, have the lowest revenue at $89 million.
Another area of interest in this to me is Operating Income, which as far as I can tell is basically the profit made by each team in the last year. Once again, the Knicks are at the top with $64 million. What is really surprising about this is the team in last place: the Orlando Magic. Their operating income is -$23.1 million. This is surprising because the Magic are a title contending team this year and have been for the last few years. Usually the good teams are making money. There are 17 teams who lost money last year, 5 of those teams (Nets, Nuggets, Pacers, Bobcats, Magic) lost over $10 million. Having over half of the league's teams losing money each year is not good for the league. I think they should institute a system of Revenue Sharing by each team, similar to what the NFL has in place.
There is a lot of other interesting info in there, such as Gate Receipts (how much the team made from people attending the games and is a very telling stat), Average Ticket Price, and each team owner's Net Worth. I hope you take some free time to take a look at this info and consider yourself informed!
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2011/32/basketball-valuations-11_rank.html
It shows that the most valuable NBA franchise this year is the New York Knicks. They are valued at $655 million. The least valuable franchise is the Milwaukee Bucks. They are valued at $258 million.
If you look at each team's individual information, there is a ton of interesting numbers that explain a lot. One of the most telling stats there is Revenue. The Knicks have the highest revenue in the league at $226 million. The New Jersey Nets, who are ranked 21st in overall value, have the lowest revenue at $89 million.
Another area of interest in this to me is Operating Income, which as far as I can tell is basically the profit made by each team in the last year. Once again, the Knicks are at the top with $64 million. What is really surprising about this is the team in last place: the Orlando Magic. Their operating income is -$23.1 million. This is surprising because the Magic are a title contending team this year and have been for the last few years. Usually the good teams are making money. There are 17 teams who lost money last year, 5 of those teams (Nets, Nuggets, Pacers, Bobcats, Magic) lost over $10 million. Having over half of the league's teams losing money each year is not good for the league. I think they should institute a system of Revenue Sharing by each team, similar to what the NFL has in place.
There is a lot of other interesting info in there, such as Gate Receipts (how much the team made from people attending the games and is a very telling stat), Average Ticket Price, and each team owner's Net Worth. I hope you take some free time to take a look at this info and consider yourself informed!
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Best Value Teams pt. 8
The Bulls have become the 1st team besides the Spurs to have a Cost per Win under $1 million since Part 3 of this series. They have accomplished this by going 8-2 in their last 10 games. The Hornets have moved up a few spots by going on a 10 game win streak. The Clippers continue their meteoric rise in the rankings (up to 15th this week), however, their top scorer, Eric Gordon is out for a few weeks with an injury. So expect them to not stay as high as they are this week.
On the other hand, the Raptors (10 game losing streak) and Cavs (19 game losing streak) are struggling and have fallen to the bottom of the standings.
Biggest Improvement - Bobcats (+5)
Biggest Drop - Pacers (-6)
Rank - Team - Projected Wins - Cost per Win - (Last ranking)
1. Spurs - 70 - $973,278.29 (1)
2. Bulls - 57 - $986,626.40 (3)
3. Thunder - 53 - $1,093,482.75 (4)
4. Heat - 57 - $1,146,607.44 (2)
5. Hornets - 54 - $1,224,700.30 (8)
6. Hawks - 52 - $1,334,072.50 (7)
7. Knicks - 43 - $1,351,219.49 (5)
8. Celtics - 62 - $1,351,463.85 (6)
9. Blazers - 44 - $1,554,979.82 (11)
10. Lakers - 58 - $1,578,787.22 (12)
11. Mavs - 55 - $1,595,677.51 (10)
12. Jazz - 46 - $1,647,507.72 (53)
13. Nuggets - 50 - $1,677,248.80 (15)
14. Grizzlies - 40 - $1,679,058.45 (14)
15. Clippers - 31 - $1,698,993.65 (19)
16. Magic - 52 - $1,714,223.00 (13)
17. Suns - 38 - $1,722,423.13 (17)
18. Bobcats - 36 - $1,830,024.56 (23)
19. 76ers - 36 - $1,926,673.50 (20)
20. Warriors - 34 - $1,928,560.53 (18)
21. Rockets - 38 - $1,962,676.82 (21)
22. Pacers - 32 - $2,011,513.16 (16)
23. Bucks - 34 - $2,039,809.00 (24)
24. Kings - 20 - $2,189,920.05 (22)
25. Pistons - 30 - $2,197,260.70 (27)
26. Nets - 24 - $2,439,162.79 (28)
27. T-Wolves - 18 - $2,494,438.39 (25)
28. Wizards - 24 - $2,502,783.79 (30)
29. Raptors - 23 - $2,943,395.13 (26)
30. Cavs - 14 - $3,683,771.93 (30)
On the other hand, the Raptors (10 game losing streak) and Cavs (19 game losing streak) are struggling and have fallen to the bottom of the standings.
Biggest Improvement - Bobcats (+5)
Biggest Drop - Pacers (-6)
Rank - Team - Projected Wins - Cost per Win - (Last ranking)
1. Spurs - 70 - $973,278.29 (1)
2. Bulls - 57 - $986,626.40 (3)
3. Thunder - 53 - $1,093,482.75 (4)
4. Heat - 57 - $1,146,607.44 (2)
5. Hornets - 54 - $1,224,700.30 (8)
6. Hawks - 52 - $1,334,072.50 (7)
7. Knicks - 43 - $1,351,219.49 (5)
8. Celtics - 62 - $1,351,463.85 (6)
9. Blazers - 44 - $1,554,979.82 (11)
10. Lakers - 58 - $1,578,787.22 (12)
11. Mavs - 55 - $1,595,677.51 (10)
12. Jazz - 46 - $1,647,507.72 (53)
13. Nuggets - 50 - $1,677,248.80 (15)
14. Grizzlies - 40 - $1,679,058.45 (14)
15. Clippers - 31 - $1,698,993.65 (19)
16. Magic - 52 - $1,714,223.00 (13)
17. Suns - 38 - $1,722,423.13 (17)
18. Bobcats - 36 - $1,830,024.56 (23)
19. 76ers - 36 - $1,926,673.50 (20)
20. Warriors - 34 - $1,928,560.53 (18)
21. Rockets - 38 - $1,962,676.82 (21)
22. Pacers - 32 - $2,011,513.16 (16)
23. Bucks - 34 - $2,039,809.00 (24)
24. Kings - 20 - $2,189,920.05 (22)
25. Pistons - 30 - $2,197,260.70 (27)
26. Nets - 24 - $2,439,162.79 (28)
27. T-Wolves - 18 - $2,494,438.39 (25)
28. Wizards - 24 - $2,502,783.79 (30)
29. Raptors - 23 - $2,943,395.13 (26)
30. Cavs - 14 - $3,683,771.93 (30)
Monday, January 17, 2011
MLK Day
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This day honors the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his role in the civil rights movement. Many people have the day off, and the NBA takes today as an opportunity to celebrate MLK. The NBA has 13 games today, starting early in the afternoon and running til late at night.
It's no secret that the NBA is considered a sport usually dominated by African-Americans. While Jackie Robinson and baseball get most of the recognition for breaking the color barrier in 1947, the NBA hasn't been far behind. 1950 saw the beginning of integration for the NBA. The first black player drafted by an NBA team was Chuck Cooper, picked in the second round of the 1950 draft by the Boston Celtics. In the eighth round of the draft, Washington chose Earl Lloyd of West Virginia State. At about the same time, the New York Knicks signed Nat "Sweetwater'' Clifton from the Harlem Globetrotters. Lloyd made his debut on Oct. 31, 1950, becoming the first black to play in an NBA game. Cooper made his debut a day later. Clifton, the first to sign a contract, played his first game on Nov. 4, 1950.
There are currently 10 black NBA head coaches, while there are only 8 black head coaches in the other major professional sports combined.
And it isn't just about black players. The NBA is full of foreign players too. It is a great mix of people from all races and backgrounds.
So even if you don't particularly enjoy the NBA, at least you can appreciate that MLK would be proud to see the sports world today, especially the NBA.
It's no secret that the NBA is considered a sport usually dominated by African-Americans. While Jackie Robinson and baseball get most of the recognition for breaking the color barrier in 1947, the NBA hasn't been far behind. 1950 saw the beginning of integration for the NBA. The first black player drafted by an NBA team was Chuck Cooper, picked in the second round of the 1950 draft by the Boston Celtics. In the eighth round of the draft, Washington chose Earl Lloyd of West Virginia State. At about the same time, the New York Knicks signed Nat "Sweetwater'' Clifton from the Harlem Globetrotters. Lloyd made his debut on Oct. 31, 1950, becoming the first black to play in an NBA game. Cooper made his debut a day later. Clifton, the first to sign a contract, played his first game on Nov. 4, 1950.
There are currently 10 black NBA head coaches, while there are only 8 black head coaches in the other major professional sports combined.
And it isn't just about black players. The NBA is full of foreign players too. It is a great mix of people from all races and backgrounds.
So even if you don't particularly enjoy the NBA, at least you can appreciate that MLK would be proud to see the sports world today, especially the NBA.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Best Value Teams pt. 7
It has been a while since I last updated the Best Value Rankings, and a lot has happened since then. A few trades that affect the rankings happened. The Lakers saved about $4 mil by trading Sasha Vujacic to the Nets for Joe Smith. The Magic saved about $5.5 mil by trading Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat to the Suns for Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglue, and Earl Clark. And also by trading Rashard Lewis to the Wizards for Gilbert Arenas. Also, the Heat have been nearly unbeatable recently. The Magic have gone a nice winning streak with their new players in place. The Clippers apparently do know how to play basketball. The Cavs and Wizards are getting worse every day.
Biggest improvement in standings: Clippers - 11 spots
Biggest drop in standings: Bucks - 6 spots
Ranking - Team - Projected Wins - Cost Per Win - Previous Ranking
1. Spurs - 68 - $998,059.49 (1)
2. Heat - 63 - $1,037,406.73 (4)
3. Bulls - 54 - $1,041,438.98 (3)
4. Thunder - 53 - $1,093,482.75 (2)
5. Knicks - 48 - %1,210,467.46 (5)
6. Celtics - 66 - $1,269,556.95 (6)
7. Hawks - 52 - $1,334,072.50 (10)
8. Hornets - 48 - $1,377,787.83 (7)
9. Jazz - 53 - $1,429,912.36 (9)
10. Mavs - 61 - $1,451,212.54 (8)
11. Blazers - 44 - $1,554,979.82 (15)
12. Lakers - 57 - $1,606,485.25 (11)
13. Magic - 55 - $1,620,719.93 (16)
14. Grizzlies - 39 - $1,722,111.23 (17)
15. Nuggets - 47 - $1,784,307.23 (14)
16. Pacers - 35 - $1,839,097.74 (13)
17. Suns - 35 - $1,869,157.31 (12)
18. Warriors - 33 - $1,987,001.76 (22)
19. Clippers - 26 - $2,025,723.19 (30)
20. 76ers - 34 - $2,040,007.24 (20)
21. Rockets - 36 - $2,071,714.42 (19)
22. Kings - 20 - $2,189,920.05 (26)
23. Bobcats - 30 - $2,196,029.47 (23)
24. Bucks - 31 - $2,237,209.87 (18)
25. T-Wolves - 20 - $2,244,994.55 (25)
26. Raptors - 27 - $2,465,504.52 (21)
27. Pistons - 26 - $2,535,300.81 (28)
28. Nets - 23 - $2,545,213.35 (27)
29. Cavs - 19 - $2,714,358.26 (24)
30. Wizards - 22 - $2,730,307.59 (29)
Biggest improvement in standings: Clippers - 11 spots
Biggest drop in standings: Bucks - 6 spots
Ranking - Team - Projected Wins - Cost Per Win - Previous Ranking
1. Spurs - 68 - $998,059.49 (1)
2. Heat - 63 - $1,037,406.73 (4)
3. Bulls - 54 - $1,041,438.98 (3)
4. Thunder - 53 - $1,093,482.75 (2)
5. Knicks - 48 - %1,210,467.46 (5)
6. Celtics - 66 - $1,269,556.95 (6)
7. Hawks - 52 - $1,334,072.50 (10)
8. Hornets - 48 - $1,377,787.83 (7)
9. Jazz - 53 - $1,429,912.36 (9)
10. Mavs - 61 - $1,451,212.54 (8)
11. Blazers - 44 - $1,554,979.82 (15)
12. Lakers - 57 - $1,606,485.25 (11)
13. Magic - 55 - $1,620,719.93 (16)
14. Grizzlies - 39 - $1,722,111.23 (17)
15. Nuggets - 47 - $1,784,307.23 (14)
16. Pacers - 35 - $1,839,097.74 (13)
17. Suns - 35 - $1,869,157.31 (12)
18. Warriors - 33 - $1,987,001.76 (22)
19. Clippers - 26 - $2,025,723.19 (30)
20. 76ers - 34 - $2,040,007.24 (20)
21. Rockets - 36 - $2,071,714.42 (19)
22. Kings - 20 - $2,189,920.05 (26)
23. Bobcats - 30 - $2,196,029.47 (23)
24. Bucks - 31 - $2,237,209.87 (18)
25. T-Wolves - 20 - $2,244,994.55 (25)
26. Raptors - 27 - $2,465,504.52 (21)
27. Pistons - 26 - $2,535,300.81 (28)
28. Nets - 23 - $2,545,213.35 (27)
29. Cavs - 19 - $2,714,358.26 (24)
30. Wizards - 22 - $2,730,307.59 (29)
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