Wanted: Superstar

Fast fact: it's been nine years since a Chicago Bulls player has played in the NBA's All-Star game. The player's name? Michael Jordan. The year? 1998, his last in a Bulls uniform.

While it's true that the current incarnation of the Chicago Bulls have become successful in recent years despite not having a superstar like Jordan in its roster, their horrible start this season (an NBA Eastern Conference-worst at 3-10) begs the question, can an NBA team win without a superstar?

Conventional Wisdom

The NBA is full of conventional wisdomisms, some of which have been disproved, while others reinforced, over time. They say, for example, that defense wins championships, and that has pretty much been proven repeatedly over the years. Try naming an NBA champion that couldn't lock down its opponent, and you'll find that it's a rather difficult task.

On the flip side, there was once this CW that one couldn't win an NBA championship without a great big man, or big men, and looking at the NBA champions of the 80's, one would be hard-pressed to disagree. The LA Lakers had Kareem Abdul-Jabar; the Boston Celtics had Robert Parish and Kevin McHale; the Philadelphia 76ers had Moses Malone; the Detroit Pistons had a gang of quality big men in Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, and James Edwards.

But Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls teams disproved this by winning six championships with less than stellar––albeit serviceable––centers like Bill Cartwright, Luc Longley, Bill Wennington, and Will Perdue.

Today, there are more CWs that are being challenged, i.e., the Phoenix Suns' small-ball, run-and-gun approach questioning the notion that this approach to the game can't reap dividends in June. As the NBA's rules change, and as players evolve, there's no doubt that every CW in the book is going to be thrown out in our lifetimes.

Except maybe one: you can't win big without a superstar.

No Go-to Guy

ESPN Sports' John Hollinger has an insightful look at the Chicago Bulls' recent troubles, but as far as I'm concerned, it all boils down to the fact that no one wants to step up on that team. Yeah, they have budding stars in Luol Deng and Ben Gordon, the operative word here being "budding." But it's obvious that despite their improving play that neither player is at a level where they can take over the game and will their team to victory.

The woes of the Bulls, Hollinger points out, starts with the offense. In a nutshell: everyone stinks. Kirk Hinrich. Andres Nocioni. Chris Duhon. Ben Wallace. Tyrus Thomas. EVERYONE.

And on a team that used to pride itself on the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, the terrible performances of its players are going to sink the team, and it doesn't matter if they're playing a contender or a cellar-dweller.

The Bulls need someone with the talent and consequently, the right, to call everyone out and tell them to start playing some decent ball. At this point, trading its "star" players for Kobe Bryant doesn't seem like a bad idea, but the way they're playing, it's almost a given that Kobe'll nix that deal.

If they can't get a superstar, someone has to start playing like one. It may be Deng or it may be Gordon; right now, it doesn't matter who it is. What does matter is that whoever he is, he's got to step up now, or the Bulls are going to miss the playoffs and make Chicago residents wish they were back in 1998.

Luck is a Traitorous Bitch

You win some...
you lose some.

Down-to-the-wire games are fun to watch, especially when your team comes out on top. But if you want to make sure you come away with the W, you can't depend on things in the final seconds to go your way.

In its last two games, the Celtics' fate has been determined in the last few seconds of regulation. Last Saturday, Boston won a nailbiter against the Charlotte on a last-second three by Ray Allen. Today, Allen was again poised to be the big hero in Boston's game against Cleveland, but he uncharacteristically missed two free throws with the game tied with 23 seconds to go in regulation. This set the stage for overtime, which was dominated by the Cavs' Lebron James. Cleveland won, 109-104.

Boston has played five very close games in its first 13 games; an OT thriller against Toronto, a games against a weakened but inspired Miami squad, a painful loss against Orlando, the miracle in Charlotte, and now this disappointing game against the defending Eastern Conference champions.

If you depend on the last-second shot or steal or whatever, you're playing dice with the devil, and that's not something you want to make a habit of. Moral of the story? Blow your opponent out. Every. Time.

Not This Time, Jesus

Jesus Shuttleworth, aka Ray Allen, saved the Celtics from the jaws of defeat in a 98-95 overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors. That was two weeks ago.

Against the Orlando Magic, the Celtics tried to rise from the dead, battling from 25 point down to almost win the game with the help of some timely threes from Jesus.

Almost doesn't cut it, however. The Celtics' hopes to keep their perfect record were resurrected when Allen sank his last three with under fifteen to go. But it wasn't enough.

Maybe next time.

Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda

You'd think a team down by 25 at the half would be out of it, but with 24 minutes of basketball left, and a team record on the line, the Boston Celtics fought hard, but fell short in the last quarter, finally falling to an inspired Orlando Magic team, 104-102.

Shoulda / Woulda

Played defense. The Celtics allowed 58 points in the first half. For a team that takes pride in its D, this was unforgivable. Credit, however, should also go to the Magic, who really pounded it inside to Dwight Howard, who has shown improvements to his already expanding game. Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson also impressed with his ability to distribute the ball, finding wing men Rashard Lewis and Keith Bogans in the right spots. Nelson was the key; if they had frustrated him early, they would've been able to make him less effective.

Cut down turnovers. Boston should really cut down on their turnovers, sometimes the result of too much passing. Allen and Pierce aren't guilty of this; as scorers, they take shots when they're given. KG, however, has a tendency to pass out and not explore his options first. The others (Tony Allen, Rajon Rondo) pass up open shots that they should take. Too much deference to the Big Three. Just taking care of the ball better would've helped.

Matched up better. Doc Rivers should've put a bigger body on Dwight Howard from the start. Reserve Scott Pollard did a good job on him in the fourth, and should've been utilized earlier. Rondo was outplayed by Jameer, who's much stronger.

Made some serious fourth quarter stops. The Celtics almost had the game by getting into the flow of their offense in the fourth quarter, but when they needed to lock down the Magic, they couldn't. This is what separates elite teams from good teams––the ability to make stops at will. The Spurs are great at this, and this is absolutely necessary, either when making a big comeback––as was the case here––or staying close when your offense sputters. Those threes by Turkoglu to push the Magic ahead? Unforgivable. What use is neutralizing Howard and Lewis––the Magic's first and second options––if you leave shooters like Turk open?

Improve shot selection in crunch time. Pierce was doing it the right way, driving inside for layups, making contact to get fouls to get to the line. KG is usually money fading away close to the basket, but in tight games, every point counts. Creating separation from your man is a great way of getting free for a shot, but it also means almost zero opportunities for fouls. The Celtics should also avoid running plays for KG when there are so many options, i.e., Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Garnett is more valuable under the basket, boxing out and grabbing potential misses and putting them back in, rather than taking shots. Ironically, Pierce, who drove in against the Heat for the go-ahead basket in their nail-biter against Miami, took a long three on Boston's last possession, when conventional wisdom dictated that he drive it in for either the potential game-tying basket or two free throws.

Coulda

The Celtics could've won nine straight games, and if not for some bad breaks in the end, their comeback would've been complete. But then again, it was just a matter of time before Boston lost. It might as well be to the Magic, a good, young team that could beat any team on any given night.

Young Hawks Fly High, Eclipse Suns

When was the last time four players on one team grabbed ten or more rebounds in the same game? Four Atlanta Hawks players swooped in to grab rebound after rebound, resulting in a 105-96 win against the Phoenix Suns.

Forwards Al Horford (15 rebounds), Marvin Williams (12), Josh Smith (10), and Josh Childress (10) banged the boards all night, giving the high-flying athletic Hawks––who also beat Western Conference superpower Dallas last week––another surprising win.

"We should be 4-0," stressed walking highlight film Josh Smith, referring to the two close losses of the Hawks, who lost to the Detroit Pistons by a point, and to the New Jersey Nets by five.

For a team that won only 30 games last season, their 2-2 record––compiled against some of the league's better teams (the Mavericks, Pistons, Nets, and Suns were a combined 222-106 last season)––is impressive. Let's see if they can keep flying against the Boston Celtics, who they face this Friday.

AP/John Amis

Yo Yo Yao

The Houston Rockets didn't let me down, giving the San Antonio Spurs their first loss, 89-81.

Despite a poor showing by reigning Western Conference Player of the Week Tracy McGrady, the Rockets got the W behind the strong play of center Yao Ming, who played better than Tim Duncan. (See graphic below.) TD made only a third of his attempts from the field, compared to Yao, who shot 50%. Worth noting is the fact that Yao took 24 shots in the game––10 more than T-Mac. Yao's final statline was impressive: 28 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks. NBA Livesque numbers. :)

Yao may have read my previous post, where I said that Yao shoots too far away from the basket. If the graphic above is to be believed, it looks like he decided to play like the center he is.

Dunk The Damn Ball

What a menacing sight, eh? Too bad we don't see enough of it.

Houston center Yao Ming has often been faulted for being too soft––for not dominating when he should be kicking the ass of every center in the L. That he doesn't take the ball inside enough, and that he is too much of a finesse player. Hey, I have no problems with a tall dude who can shoot the ball from the outside, I just think it's ridiculous that almost half the made shots of the NBA's tallest player came outside the paint. (See graphic below.)

Don't get me wrong; hitting 9 of 12, or 75% of one's shots, is excellent. But shouldn't more of these come on dunks or something? With his height and his skill, Yao should be imposing his will on the game, and not adjust his to the defenses thrown at him.

I didn't watch the Rockets play the Mavericks last night, so I don't know if the shots Yao took were by design or by force of circumstance. Under new coach Rick Adelman, Yao will be playing more from the high post than in previous years, and if that works, fine. But the only way Yao Ming will cement his place as the L's best center is by doing what centers do best: stuffing the ball down the throats of their opponents. And something tells me the Rockets will be way better when he does.

Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images
Graphic taken from ESPN SHOTCHART

Payback Time

San Antonio (3-0) at Houston (3-1)

Forward Luis Scola was looking forward to playing for the NBA Champions, and then he found out he was shipped to Houston for, uh, a large pail of spit. Now he has a chance to show them Spurs what they're missing out on, as he and fellow Rocketeers host the Spurs. The new-look Rockets have everything to prove, while the same-look Spurs have nothing to prove (yet), so expect Houston to come out on top.

Denver (2-1) at New York (1-1)

Let's get ready to ruuuuuuumble! The Nuggets and the Knicks meet for the first time since that disastrous (for the Nuggets, at least) fracas last year, which got Carmelo Anthony suspended for a shitload of games. Since Carmelo can't hit anyone today, I'm betting he's going to light it up for the Nuggets, and will hit the Knicks where it really hurts––in the win-loss department.

Not Today, Yao

The Dallas Mavericks stopped Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets today, ending the latter's perfect record and spoiling the day of Houston star Tracy McGrady, who was named by the NBA as this season's first Western Conference Player of the Week.

The Mavs won at home, 107-98, behind the strong play of sixth man Jason Terry, who came off the pine to score 31 points.

Still no sign, by the way, of Houston prodigal son Steve Francis, who has yet to play for the Rockets this season.

AP Photo/Donna McWilliam

This Is Why You Need Ray Allen...

...and his smooth, smooth jumper. The image above shows the shots taken by Ray Allen in the overtime played by the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors, which the Celtics won, 98-95.

Allen made all three shots in the extra period; more importantly, he nailed the game winning three with two seconds to go in OT. The Celtics had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Paul Pierce's attempt to win it in the fourth quarter didn't go in.

How do you stop a team that can beat you in so many ways? So far this season, no one's figured it out.

Image courtesy of the ESPN SHOT CHART

Fifty

Fifty could refer to the age of New Jersey Nets PG Jason Kidd's knees, one of which has undergone microfracture surgery. Or, it could refer to the number of triple-doubles Kidd has had in his career, the latest of which has come at the expense of the Philadelphia 76ers, whom the Nets beat, 93-88.

That he can still put up numbers like that despite his physical limitations is amazing. It's clear that Kidd is still a force to be reckoned with on the hard court. Just ask Willie Green.

AP Photo/H. Rumph, Jr.

KD: Still Scorin', Still Losin'

The Seattle Supersonics lost their third straight game, falling to the Los Angeles Clippers, 115-101.

I love Kevin Durant's game, but all his stats won't mean squat if his team––and, make no mistake about it, the Sonics are his team––doesn't get into the win column.

AP Photo/Gus Ruelas

The Big Green Machine Downs Agent Zero

Washington Wizards star guard Gilbert Arenas says the Boston Celtics' new Big Three are OLD. His game plan, should he face them, is to run them into the ground, so that by the fourth quarter all-stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen run out of gas.

There are some things, however, that Arenas fails to consider. One, this group is a motivated bunch; individually, they've had distinguished NBA careers, but none has a championship ring. Two, all three are used to carrying their teams, and, consequently, are used to logging heavy minutes. Knowing this, Garnett, Pierce, and Allen are all well-conditioned, disciplined players who can play 35-40 minutes if need be. Three, having these three stars has invigorated the Celtics' other players; they KNOW they have a chance to do something special. So, following the three stars' example, they're going to play their hearts out because they know they have a crack at the championship.

Gilbert Arenas has his own assessment of the Celtics, and he's entitled to it; he also has the right to make bold predictions, and to say that his team is going to Boston to whip the Celtics.

But the Big Three also have rights; and one of those is to prove Arenas wrong.

And so they did.

The Boston Celtics took their home opener against the Washington Wizards, beating them 103-83 in a blowout win that has sent an strong message to the rest of the NBA: we're for real.

The Celtics did it, of course, by riding their three superstars; but they also did it by playing excellent team defense and by sharing the basketball, finding and making the open jumpers resulting from the attention given to KG et al. Second year point guard Rajon Rondo was steady, hitting his outside shots as well as using his speed to get into the lane to shoot uncontested layups; Brian Scalabrine was nailed threes when they counted; even center Kendrick Perkins had a decent game.

Garnett, as usual, was a beast; he scored 20 points, pulled down 20 boards, and was everywhere on defense. He was deflecting passes, bothering shots, and blocking them as well––one of them off a Gilbert Arenas layup, one which he sent back to Arenas with emphasis. Pierce scored the most of the Big Three, burning the Wizrds' defense even when he was the only Celtics superstar left on the floor. And Ray Allen had a quiet 17 points, most on smooth jumpers and silky drives to the basket.

It's just one game into the season, but if the Celtics play every game like this one, they're a lock to go to the Finals.

Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Winslow Townson

Deja Vu: Suns Burn the Sonics in the Fourth

How many Seattle games were televised last year? I don't know. But I'm certain I never saw two live Sonics games two days in a row. But with rookie phenom Kevin Durant in the lineup, the Sonics have suddenly become primetime TV material. With fellow rookie Greg Oden out for the year, the focus will be on KD, who, one game into the season, has been crowned the NBA's Rookie of the Year. Will he earn it? This game should be an indicator.

Phoenix Suns vs. Seattle Supersonics

First Half

• Phoenix has a small lineup. They don't have anyone over seven feet on the court, but they're used to that.
• Run, run, run. Let's see if the Sonics, true to their name, can catch up.
• Breakaway dunk and layup for KD. He looks more comfortable today. More relaxed. Guess he's settled down.
• This is going to be another high-scoring game; no D.
• Grant Hill looks good; Chris Wilcox also, who scores on an alley-oop pass from from Earl Watson.
• Amare for three? They say he's been working on this shot. He needs more work.
• Chris Wilcox is really getting the ball! He's tenacious on the boards.
• Zone against the Suns? They shoot too well for that.
• Jeff Green travels; rookie error.
• Alley-oop to Green from Luke! WOW! Wilcox almost gets a dunk from a pick-and-roll with Ridnour. Bad luck. Why isn't Ridnour starting?
• KD for three! What a sweet, sweet stroke! Sonics up by three! Chalk up another assist for Ridnour. This kid really sees the floor well. Ridnour another assist! Nick Collison scores this time.
• A thought; two white point guards playing against each other, and the assists are amazing.
• Collison schools Marion! Marion!! Sweet spin for a dunk.
• KD gambles for a steal, and Marion gets a dunk. On the other end, Nash gets a charging call against KD. The rook still needs a lot to learn.
• Another steal for the Sonics; KD gets a jump shot on the break KD fails to get the rebound; fails to box out Skinner, who scores on a follow-up dunk. Tsk.
• KD again! Step back jumper that is so, so pretty. KD can score the hell outta the ball. Then on the way back, he loses the ball! Sheesh. Still. When this guy has adjusted to the NBA game, he is going to be a beast to guard. He's confident with the ball, can create his own shot, and can shoot from ANYWHERE. Damn.
• Wilcox vs. Skinner. Battle of the "sweat" guys.
• KD already has 18 points at the half; as many points as he had in his first game.
• Damien Wilkins sinks a half-court heave; it goes in, so the Sonics end the half up by three.

Second Half

• Hill on a breakaway layup. Nifty pass from Nash. Thing of beauty.
• Amare is just not playing well. He's playing with fouls and has gotten his shot either blocked or bothered by the Sonics' bigs.
• KD with a two-handed flush!
• Classic Hill. He schools KD with a crossover and layup down the center of the lane. KD has to work on his D. Lateral movement needs work.
• Hill burns Scerbiak; then on the next play, Sonics lose ball; I call an alley-oop from Nash to Marion, and Nash makes me look like Nostradamus.
• Wilcox is saving the Sonics. How many offensive rebounds does he have? I bet he has more than all the Suns combined. (A thought; is it a contract year for Wilcox?)
• Marcus Banks has practiced the three. He's shooting it well.
• Suns taking control in the fourth. Scerbiak is a liability on defense. Yeah, he can shoot. But he moves in slow mo.
• Durant shoots a two and a three. They've put Marion on him. Offensive foul on KD, just like in Denver yesterday.
• Suns up by ten. Game over.
• Suns win, 106-99.
  

Postscript

This game was basically a repeat of yestyerday's, with the Sonics melting down in the fourth quarter. This is expected, of course, from such a young team. They deserve credit for sticking close to the Suns, who are one of the top five teams in the L.

The Suns, though, also deserve credit for keeping the score close. They were sloppy today, and they should've blown the Sonics out. Instead, Amare had a lousy start, Nash was careless in the first half, and their defense was terrible. Marion played uninspiring ball, Diaw was tentative, and only Grant Hill played better than expected.

Good teams, however, always find a way to pull out the win. Nash, Stoudemire, and Marion all delivered in the last quarter, when the Sonics' offense suddenly sputtered. Nash had 12 assists in a what I'd consider a bad game for him. If that's how many he gets on a bad night, how many does he get when the Suns are rolling?

The Sonics, on the other hand, are a team with a future. Their bigs play hard, and play surprisingly well. Their board work is commendable, as is their defense. I'm not too thrilled about the rotation, though. I think Delonte West deserves more minutes than Wally Scerbiak, since the latter can't guard anybody. Ridnour also should be given more burn. Watson is solid, but doesn't see the floor as well. He had three assists in eight minutes. If Ridnour played as long as Nash, he'd have finished the game with 12.

KD continues to show why he's the number two pick. He played better today, but his six turnovers show how he has to learn how to play more under control. His shot selection is better now, but he got two offensive fouls today, similar to the ones that were drawn on him yesterday. He should learn to drive hard, stop on a dime, and just launch that floater that served him well in college. He also has to do something when he doesn't have the ball. Often he just stands around the three-point line waiting for a pass. He should move, try to get rebounds, cut. And he has to pick it up on D. His wingspan'll bother anyone, if he uses it well.

Here's hoping that the Sonics get their act together, soon. "Almost winning" is good, but losing takes its toll on everyone. They have to learn from their mistakes and win. Soon.

Photo courtesy of AP Photo

Liveblogging Kevin Durant's First Game

The NBA tipped off yesterday, with three games I couldn't watch because I was making up for lack of sleep; which is too bad, since I missed a great game between the Lakers and the Rockets, another classic Kobe performance, one where he almost single-handedly won the game for the seriously outmatched Lakers.

Anyway, enough blogging over spilled milk. Thanks to the wonders of cable TV, I am now watching the Denver Nuggets and Seattle Supersonics try to outscore each other. (No defense in this game, really.) More importantly, this is the beginning of something BIG: the career of Kevin Durant.

Some observations:

• Allen Iverson is not as good a defender as I thought. His man, Seattle PG Delonte West, has been getting past him with some good upfakes; a couple of minutes before, Earl Watson––who is not exactly the Flash––blew past Iverson and almost made a layup. Is AI really slowing down, or is he depending on Marcus Camby to cover his ass on D?
• Or course, just as I finish writing this paragraph, AI comes from behind West to steal a pass from Earl Watson. Ha ha.
• AI is not all that bad. He has 12 assists at the end of three quarters. TWELVE!
• Seattle rookie Kevin Durant looks comfortable on the court. He has missed a lot of easy shots––had he made all of them he'd have more than 30 points at the half––but he's dribbling the ball with confidence and has made some nifty passes, one of which was a drop pass to a trailing Chris Wilcox on a four-on-three break that ended with a highlight-reel dunk for Wilcox. Most of KD's shots were too strong, an indicator of excitement, or adrenaline really flooding his system. I mean, this is it. He's worked all his life to get to the NBA, and he's THERE; who wouldn't be excited?
• The Sonics are sharing the ball. I haven't seen a selfish play from them yet.
• Durant hasn't been stifled by good defense; he has just been terribly unlucky. In one sequence, he gets free for a layup, which with his length, should be a gimme shot; he missed. In the next sequence, he curls off a pick to make a short jumper.
  
• Denver up by ten with eight minutes to go. They've gone to their bench. Seattle is a good, young team which is well-coached; but they clearly need more veterans. Earl Watson is ok, especially in the point guard spot, but it would be great if they could get someone who could take KD under his wing and help settle the kid down.
• You know you're old when you see the kid of a player you used to watch when you were younger now playing. Damien Wilkins is the splitting image of his dad, Gerald Wilkins; if the former played with a flat-top instead of bald, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
• Durant hits a three. Smooth, pure stroke. Some things you just can't teach.
• Everyone needs an Eduardo Najera; someone who plays all-out, all the time. Unlike other "all heart" guys, however, Najera has skills. He has a high basketball IQ, hits threes (!), and has solid defense.
  
• Kleiza can really shoot. When he lets fly, you expect it to go in. How many threes does this guy have? Four? Five?
• Iverson statline with three minutes to go: 20 points, 14 assists, six steals. Memo to the LA Lakers: that's what happens when you surround a GREAT player with DECENT. So stop scrimping and PAY for talent to surround Kobe Bryant.
• It's officially a blowout now.
• Anthony and Iverson trump Durant; Nuggets win, 120-103.
  

Postscript

The Denver Nuggets, according to coach George Karl, expect to win at least 55 games. Their star player, Carmelo Anthony, thinks they can win 60. I think Karl's prognosis is more accuratet. Offensively, they're loaded. The Nuggets' defense, on the other hand, is another thing entirely. They have a tendency to depend on Marcus Camby, who is an excellent help defender, rather than focusing on stopping their man. Iverson and Anthony are good "risk" defenders––meaning they're good for the occassional steal––but they can't stop their men. Had Durant played more under control, he would've outscored Anthony. If the Nuggets hope to get deep in the playoffs, they'll have to find the "D" in Denver.

The Sonics, on the other hand, look like they have a future. They have a formidable backcourt, with Watson, West, and Durant (and PG Luke Ridnour, who didn't play). Durant can only get better, and if they play like they did against the Nuggets, they should win more games than people think. They'll probably just miss the playoffs by a hair; if they were in the Eastern Conference, they'd have a good chance of making it.

As for Kevin Durant, this guy will be a superstar. He's long, he's fast, he's skilled. His shooting stroke is a thing of beauty. He handles the ball and shoots like a guard, is as tall as a forward, and is as long as a center. Once he gets settled in, he's going to score 25 or more point, easy. I don't have to watch the other rookies play; KD is the Rookie of the Year. Book it.

Photo courtesy of MSNBC