A Stat for Ball Hogs
There’s a metric for everything nowadays. From Assist Percentage to True Shooting Percentage, anything that can be done on a basketball court is being measured in some way. Add to that list…BALL HOGGINESS.
What is Ball Hogginess? If you’re a basketball fiend, you already know the answer to that one. Ball Hogs are players that take more shots than passes. Usually that’s not a bad thing when you are a sick scorer like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, but you do have to keep your teammates involved if you want them to play defense.
Here is my metric (its still raw):
(FGA+FTA)/(ASSISTS+Bad Passes)
———————————————-
48 minutes
Let me break each part down:
The top part is simple. FGA + FTA are all indicators of the amount of shots one is taking. Divided by that are assists and bad passes. Assists make you less of a ball hog. Bad passes are “attempts” at a good pass, so we give the player a benefit of the doubt and say he was looking to pass, so he’s not that much of a ball hog.
It’s all the divided by 48 (minutes) to prorate the metric to a level playing field, so one player who plays more minutes can be compared to a 6th man of some sorts. This stat is meant to look at the ratio of players taking shots over making a pass. Its not as truly accurate as looking at game tape of one particular player, but serves as a great estimation. Players who are inefficient at scoring (low TS%) and have a high Ball Hog rating are horrible players that need a coach to tell them they suck.
Remember, this is a rough stat. Therein lies problems (I’m sure of in) but I haven’t done enough tests with it to determine what those problems are. One glaring problem is that with a small sample size, the stat is not that accurate.
Here’s some selected players Ball Hog metric for reference for the 2010-2011 season. Remember, the higher the more they do not pass.
Chris Paul- .03
Kobe Bryant- .10
Kevin Durant- .18
Lebron James- .07
Dwight Howard- .34
Monta Ellis – .08
I’ll post an excel document of all the players Ball Hog stat for 2011 if I have enough support for it.
Thanks. If you have any tips for this stat, I’ll be happy to hear it.
*update – It seems that the stat doesn’t accurately incorporate the “hockey assist” in basketball. I’m looking into ways to incorporate that. Take this stat as an ESTIMATE of ball hogginess, not actual cold hard fact.
-ricky9
Flopingson’s disease – Does your favorite NBA player suffer from it?
Flopingson’s Disease (fl-ah-ping-sawhns di-ˈzēz)
What is Flopingson’s?
Flopingson’s disease is the act of flopping uncontrollably on the basketball court where there is no contact. This disease can be found in high school games and also in the NBA playoffs. This disease is ripping basketball a new one by making fans cringe when their favorite NBA player is acting so well he could win an Oscar.
What are the symptoms of Flopingson’s?
Check for symptoms. Those who have Flopingson’s do not readily admit to the disease. Use these common symptoms to see if they are infected:
- Obvious wax floor burn and bruising
- A need to fall over when somebody taps them on the shoulder
- Whining that their acting job didn’t get an Oscar or a foul
- The apparent dislike of their once former fans
- Falling uncontrollably when they see zebra stripes
- Watching Ballet in order to get good diving techniques
Causes of Flopingson’s
Some of the causes of Flopingon’s are:
- Being European
- Was once part of the drama club in High School
- Growing up watching Shawn Bradley or any other white Center
- Referees who actually believe the flops are legitimate calls.
- Compulsive lying in life
Treatment and Prevention of Flopingson’s
The NBA has already done a great job on the treatment of Flopingson’s, but no cure has been found yet. This pandemic of the disease is very contagious. After one flop occurs in an NBA game, more is yet to follow. Currently, referees are just “letting them play” through the flop or calling a great call, while leagues like the NHL have a rule against floppers. There is no cure in the NBA. Treatment includes: the ridicule of fans, and pundits, youtube videos showing how embarrassing the flop was, and the infected’s mother calling them telling them to man up.
Flopingson’s disease is currently diagnosed in these NBA stars (among others):
- Baron Davis
- Manu Ginobili
- Andrei Kirilenko
- Chris Bosh
- Lebron James
- Anderson Verejao
- Ron Artest
If you have anyone else who deserves to be quarantined or if you yourself suffer (as a b-ball player) from this debilitating sickness….please post the name so we can get some help him or her.
WE CAN FIND A CURE. TOGETHER.
-ricky9
Youtube of the Day: Miss Hawaii* Edition
*Sorry, I can’t really call this girl “Miss” anything. She’s a straight up bitch. Now I do have a tendency to call women bitches, but this is why Miss Hawaii is the queen of them: BlackSportsOnline puts Miss Hawaii on blast.
Anyways, If you did not know whats going down in Cleveland, Kryie Irving has a bit of the girl trouble in his hands. I would go into the details, but I’ll let the Ball Don’t Lie crew fill you in. Basically, Irving messed around with a girl for a night, and now this girl feels obliged to stalk and torment young Irving.
I was on the girl’s side, because sometimes ballers can be assholes…but then I saw this.
If you can go all the 10 plus minutes without getting annoyed, you are truly a spectacular person.
A couple of things if you don’t want to watch it:
1. She measures worth according to Twitter followers.
2. A lot of the NSFW
3. Miss Hawaii is from New York, #whowouldathunkit.
4. Her tittes, they are real…so stop asking. SHE IS NOT A MAN
5. She may have a video of Kryie masturbating on camera. HAHAHAHAA
I hope Kyrie gets this ugly monkey of his back, literally.
-ricky9
The obvious NBA Basketball H.O.F. snubs
As I was writing the post on how Dennis Johnson should not be inducted into the basketball hall of fame, I thought of obvious snubs the “Basketball experts” who run the Hall of Fame obviously missed (THANK BASED GOD they enshrined Artis Gilmore this year). To be included in this list, you must be eligible for the Hall right now. I’m only looking at the NBA portion of the Hall, because that’s all I do.
Kevin Johnson
Stat line: 18 ppg, 9 apg, 1.5 spg, on 59% True Shooting.
You can call him K, you can call him J, but CERTAINLY call him KJ. Here’s a great example of a player who played in a era full of talent that he was underrated throughout his career. KJ was one of three players (Magic and Big O) who averaged 20 pts and 12 assists in one season while also shooting over 50%. He is currently the mayor of the city of Sacramento. If players like Isiah Thomas are in the Hall, why isn’t a player with statistically better numbers getting voted in? KJ never won an NBA title, let alone an NBA award worth its grain in salt. KJ is the embodiment of underrated.
His advanced numbers tell us a story of an oft injured guard who played superstar level ball when he did play. In 12 seasons, he played 735 games. This means he averaged about 60 games a season. His career PER was 19.1, while his AST% of 38.8 is in the top 20 of PGs that ever played in this game. His playoff numbers were good too, he played in 105 playoff games averaging 19 and 9 assists.
Bernard King
Stat line: 22 ppg, 6 rpg, on 56% True Shooting.
80s babies and the city of New York love the King. Not LeBron James, mind you, I’m talking about Bernard King. One of the most prolific scorers in the NBA ever, he was one of the great small forward scorers of the 80s like Dominique Wilkins, Alex English and so forth. Those players are in the Hall of Fame.Bernard King had a REALLY SIMILAR career like Alex English, and the only thing separating them is the Hall.
So, why isn’t he in? Well, like my boy KJ up top, Bernard also had a nice stint with injuries. His advanced stats for his career also show a player who was borderline superstar, and was a high volume scorer. He also did not participate in playoffs that much. However, he was still one of the best scoeres in NBA history, and for that he deserves to be in the Hall.
Don Nelson
Stats (as a coach): 1,335-1,063 (.557)
He is the WINNINGEST COACH in the NBA. Let me repeat that: HE IS THE WINNINGEST COACH IN THE NBA EVER . Sure he lost over 1000 games, but winning over 1300 games involves longevity. Ask coaches like Sam Vincent and Eddie Jordan about longevity. Any bad thing that happens to a team, the coach is usually the first to go. Don Nelson has overcame this to win 3 Coach of the Year awards. Only Pat Riley has done that. Did I mention he was already named one of the top 10 coaches of NBA history from the same people who named the top 50 NBA players of all time.
WHY ISNT HE IN THE HOF? Only thing holding him back from making it was not winning an NBA title as a coach. However,
Bill Fitch, Lenny Wilkens, and Jack Ramsay all have only one ONE title. Both Ramsay and Wilkens are enshrined. Nelson has revolutionized the NBA game. He came with the “point forward” position, and brought small ball back to the NBA. He should be in.
Honorable Mention: Larry Nance, Mark Aguirre, Tim Hardaway
PS- I am ALL ABOUT wanting a seperate NBA Hall of Fame. If the other major sports can do so, so can the NBA. An NBA Hall of Fame would solve so many problems that haunt the current Basketball Hall of Fame.
-ricky9
Youtube of the Day: Feat the German Moses
Flula. This man should be an NBA analyst on ESPN. And this is why:
He plays good like an ipod.
Flula venting out on why the Heat are going to lose the Finals (spoiler: They did. ).
The Hoover of Dams.
Thank you, Based Flula Borg.
WE’REEEE BACKKKKKK
“It was all good just a week ago…n****s felt themselves, then WNR4HL dropped, n****s killed themselves”. – Kanye West, on H.A.M
We’re back baby! After highs and lows (mostly highs haha), me and my colleague ASJ have decided that With No Regard 4 Human Life needs to be brought back from the ashes. Its for real this time. We’re bringing some new talent, some opposing viewpoints and some other stuff to make your daily NBA readings even that much more enjoyable.
We’re gonna hit you with so much knowledge, you’ll look like this guy afterwards:
Daily youtube of the day? You got it.
More posts about how Kobe isn’t the best player? Yerp.
Creation of dope ass advanced stats? Truth, boiiiiiiii.
Some funny shit? Mannnnnn, stop askin for it, WE GOT THIS (DJ Khaled voice)
LEGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
- ricky9
10 NBA-Related things to do during the Lockout
As an NBA fan, you obviously hate this lockout in which we’re currently in. Those baaaad memories from the lockout shortened 1999 season are rushing through your head right now. The thought of seeing most of your favorite NBA stars out of shape, fat and lazy because they have had more time to party rather than to play ball is sickening hilarious.
But while the NBA parties up like Gunter, what are we to do? I’ve come up with 10 ways an NBA fan can do NBA related things during this horrible lockout. Remember, as the NBA lockout continues, so will the lockout of many NBA writers who will suffer the sting of writers block. Take this as a mild case of it:
1. Random page on Basketball-reference.com
This one is simply fantastic. Want a sudden rush of nostalgia? You got it. Use this random page generator in order to go to random player pages from EVERY decade of the NBA. For added fun, see if you can play “6 degrees of Sam Cassell”. This game involves you to click random player, then use the links inside the pages of the random players you end up going to, to get the prize….Sam Cassell. You must do it in six tries, however.
2. Go looking for the Shaq tape
This one is for the brave enough. There is a Shaq sex tape out there, “allegedly”. Some say its erased, but they said the same thing about the Paris Hilton sex tape, and I’m sure every red blooded American has at least heard of it. Find it, and you will be rich, but will be scarred for life seeing Shaq flopping around on some random slut for a good 20 minutes.
3. Go into advanced statistics in basketball
You should have done this earlier. There is simply no reason why people should use traditional methods of quantifying a players worth without equalizing the stats for a per minute rate. Every player plays a different amount of minutes. How they best utilize their limited time is what makes a player better than another one, and that’s what advanced stats tell us.
Here’s a few posts to get you started into advanced stats:
PER formula
True shooting percentage
4. Follow and heckle NBA players on Twitter
Twitter is lovely. Twitter is a great portal into the lives of celebrities. How else can you find out what your favorite NBA player is gorging on at this instant? Here’s a great list of NBA players on twitter . Use this list to heckle your NBA players into shape, learn about cool restaurants they are going to, or stalk them until they put a restraining order on you (we’re looking at you, Kyrie Irving).
5. Run NBA simulations
What would happen if the 2010-2011 Heatles would have played the 1996 Bulls? We wouldn’t know for sure what would happen since there is no technology that allows for such awesomeness, but there is this site that allows for “hypothetical matchups”. Have fun.
6. NBA 2k11-2k12 or NBA Jam (if you’re like that)
Why not play some NBA related video games to mourn the loss of Blake Griffin’s 2nd year in the league? NBA 2k11 is the best basketball game ever made, and 2k12 is sure to follow in its footsteps. If you are more of a casual gamer, then NBA Jam is right up your alley on the Wii. If you do not partake in video games, then get your Jimmer on and shoot hoops outside.
7. Make an NBA lockout wager!
Find yourself a bookie (preferably one who doesn’t look he has mafia ties, right Tim Donaghy?). If he is worth his salt in wagers, he can either set up or find a bet for how long the NBA lockout occurs (over under 204 days like the 1999 season), how much lbs an NBA player would put on, or how many DUI’s or other drunken arrests occur during this time of no NBA activity. If you are not allowed to make bets, then write NBA fan fiction or color an NBA logo or something.
8. Watch old games with NBA TV
This ones simple. Get NBA TV (if you don’t have so already). Tune in. Watch all the games they play during the lockout season. My personal favorite is when they show the Kobe Bryant 81 point game. If you get an empty sensation watching the old NBA games, do what NBA players do to fill that hole and hit up the Cheesecake Factory.
9. Test the “Youtube NBA highlight” hypothesis
As a NBA scribe, there’s a loot of “stories” about the NBA and its players that make the game unique. One of these tales is that youtube has a highlight tape of EVERY NBA player ever. From the popular like Lebron James , to the most obscure like Derek Anderson, the youtubes have a highlight for everyone (usually set to some 90s rap music and is poorly edited, but I wouldn’t have it any other way). Try it out. Find a random NBA player and see if you can find his highlight tape.
10. Follow us.
Since I don’t have any NBA games to watch, I would be more pressed to write about the NBA rather than watch it. We look to be more active in the coming months, so why not bookmark us?
-ricky9
Caron Butler’s impact
Well, everyone already knows the bad news…Caron Butler is out for the year because of a knee injury. What a sad story, right? You have a team that many believe is the best team in the NBA right now lose one of its bigger named players. But, fret not Mavs fans, this is a situation where the name is bigger than the impact involved.
Ask yourself, is Caron Bulter a star in this league? No. Was he ever a star in this league? Nope. Then why does he get the credit for being such a great player? That has to be answered in another post, because it’s a phenomenon I like to call “the hype beast”.
Not to knock Tuff Juice, but his offensive game is pretty limited, especially this season. Caron Butler is simply not that effective on the offensive side of the ball. The man needs about 25% of his teams possessions….to score 14 points a game. This is pretty much average for players, as evidenced on this list. A paltry 52% True Shooting percentage is evidence for this. He isn’t a willing passer, and as a small forward, he isn’t very akin to getting to the line. His exploits are mostly defensive in nature. He’s a really good on ball defender…but wait….Dallas has been in a matchup zone for most of the year.
So, the question becomes, who can replace him since hes pretty much replaceable? Well, as I see it…there’s two options the Mavs take:
Option 1- Start Deshawn Stevenson
Now, I know…Stevenson is pretty much a crazy person disguised as an NBA player. But hear me out, he’s actually producing quite well for his limited minutes. His three point shooting percentage of 46% this year should help him enter the 3point shootout this year. If we were to extrapolate his minutes to per 36, Stevenson would be averaging about 14 points a game. He also is a more willing passer than Caron and brings better spacing inside as a legitimate three point threat. Many basketball announcers have also been giving Stevenson defensive credit. At worst, he would be an equal trade off for Caron at the 3 spot.
Option 2- Trade for a SF
This looks like the thing free wheeling Mark Cuban will do. Cuban, just don’t trade your bigs for a player like Trevor Ariza. If you look at some of the news wires for the Mavs, this is looking like the option that Cuban is gonna take. If the Mavs can lure a player like Igoudala or Gerald Wallace for cheap, they may be in buisness for the title. UPDATE: Looks like they are looking at Stephen Jackson.
One thing is clear however. If the Mavs want to be a championship contender, Dirk has to play at the level that he’s been playing at right now.
-ricky9
Phil Jackson is Overrated
Robert Horry, Phil Jackson, any cop that has busted someone for vandalism
What do all three of these people have in common?
They are known to be at the right place at the right time. That’s right…even Phil Jackson, the same person many believe is the greatest coach ever, is just a victim of happenstance. Phil basically inherited two dynasties, the MJ Bulls and the LA Shaq-Kobe division.
Let’s look back at the MJ Bulls first. Doug Collins was fired in 1989 because he could not beat the Detroit Pistons in the Conference Finals. Things like this happen all the time, the coach would be the first to go if a team cannot overcome an obstacle (Flip Saunders comes to mind). Phil Jackson was promoted to head coach to basically the most promising team in the history of the NBA. He lead the Bulls to the ECF again, but the Pistons were too strong. In order to stop teams from swarming MJ, Phil Jackson did something remarkable…started using some new revolutionary offense called the “Triangle” to get more spacing for MJ.
But the triangle wasn’t even his idea. The triangle offense was developed by basketball genius Tex Winter. Winter actually was an assistant to the Bulls and Jackson, and taught the “triple post offense” to MJ and later Kobe and the Lakers. Phil won 6 titles with MJ. I did not say the Bulls because when MJ “retired” twice, Phil Jackson failed to get to the promise land again. It kind of helps to inherit a team with arguably the best player to ever play NBA basketball right?
After a falling out with Jerry Krause (Krause himself believed that Jackson was overrated), the owner of the Bulls, Jackson took a year hiatus for all the haters. Luckily he got his chance for rings again in 2000, as the coach of the Lakers because Laker fans did not want Kurt Rambis to coach their team, although he lead them to a 31-19 record in the lockout shortened season. Tex Winter followed suit with Phil, and they lead the team to a 67-15 record. In the playoffs, Phil received the best postseason performance ever in Shaquille O’Neal. Shaquille averaged 38 points per game, 16.6 rebounds per game, 2.3 assist per game, 61.1% from the field in the series, and 45.6% from the free throw line in the series. Did I mention that Shaq is a top 5 player of all time?
So, that Shaq and Kobe combo got him 3 more rings, bringing the inherited ring count to 9 now, kids. During the 2004 season, the Lakers signed both Malone and Payton. If you read this blog, you know the story…the Lakers got beat 4-1 in the Finals. Phil Jackson and Kobe (two HUGE egos) decided to blame each other. Phil Jackson quit on the Lakers. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant decide to beef, and one takes his talent to south beach. Shaquille O’Neal left the glitz and glamour of LA, to…win a ring with a new superstar in Miami. Meanwhile, Phil Jackson decided to not coach a team that IS REBUILDING. In 2005, Phil Jackson returned to a team that had Kobe and some pieces.
Now we near the modern day Phil Jackson, where he receives another superstar in Pau Gasol in 2008. One thing about Gasol is that he is virtually the perfect fit for Tex Winter. He is a willing passer, plus very good with his back to the basket. Pau was given to the Lakers in virtually the most lopsided trade ever, and the rest is history. The Lakers make it to the Finals in 2008, and lose. Then make it in 09, and 10, and win those, bringing his title count to 11.
Nowadays, when he isn’t looking for a scapegoat (KOBE STOP TAKING SO MANY SHOTS, GET BACK INTO THE TRIANGLE), or criticizing other coaches on their jobs with other teams (SVG ISNT A GOOD COACH), hes leading the listless Lakers (who many picked to threepeat again) to losses to the Memphis Grizzlies. Great coaches do have egos, just not the size of Phil Jackson.
And that’s basically why he’s overrated. Instead of having a team full of ok players and projects, he basically coaches teams that are already established with players that are top players in the league. When he does coach teams that aren’t chock full of talent, he leads them to mediocrity. Coaches are makers of lemonade with sour lemons. They don’t steal assistants’ offenses, apply them to players, then expect results by sitting back.
Don’t get me wrong, Phil is a good coach. If he wasn’t such a good coach, he wouldn’t have lead the 2009 Lakers past the Celtics in seven. I just don’t see him as the greatest coach of all time. That’s the definition of overrated, right?
-ricky9
Paul Pierce eff’d around and got a triple double.
On the eve of Paul Pierce recording his 7th career triple double with the line of 18, 10 and 12 on 6-8 shooting, I’ve decided to make this post about the greatness that is Paul Pierce. Out of the countless forwards in the league that has played more than 10 years so far, no other player is like Paul Pierce. He is set to have a plaque in the Hall of Fame, over the likes of even some stellar players in Vince Carter and Tracy Mcgrady. Lets look back and see what makes Paul Pierce an all time great.
Pierce is already one of this era’s best players. In the last decade, only a handful of players have been better than Paul Pierce. Those players are Dirk Nowitski, Steve Nash, Shaq, Tim Duncan, KG, Kobe and Iverson have been better for players playing this decade, and all of these players are guaranteed a spot in the Hall of Fame. Before Lebron James entered the league, the best forward conversation went to either Paul Pierce or Tracy McGrady.
In the scope of things, name some small forwards that has had the career Pierce has had. Well, you can only probably name 6 or so SFs that had careers better than Pierce before you have to name Pierce. That’s right, Paul Pierce is a top 10 SF of all time. Players like Elvin Hayes, Dominque Wilkins, Dr. J, and others are only the players who scored more points than Pierce and had more Win Shares in their careers. Pierce has just been stuck with horrible teammates early in his career. He never got any media attention because of the teams he was part of. Think about this: with NBA players demanding trades daily….Pierce has been with the Celtics for his WHOLE CAREER. This man has guaranteed his place on all time greats of the Celtics, ensuring his jersey gets hung when he retires.
Awards? Dude is draped with awards: Pierce has been an NBA Champion: 2008, NBA Finals MVP: 2008, named 3-time All-NBA Third Team: 2002, 2003, 2008, named 6-time NBA All-Star: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, named NBA All-Rookie First Team: 1999, named NBA regular-season leader, total points: 2002 (2144), and NBA regular-season leader, free throws made: 2003 (604).
Come on.
Trying to Find Consistency in the Hall of Fame voting.
Most of us are adults that use analytical thinking to make informed decisions about things. If you see a man in front of you at the bank getting a free toaster for opening a checking account, you assume that if you open a checking account right now, you will receive that toast, barring the “all things equal premise”. You have more money to deposit than the guy in front of you. You are already planning on going home to pick up some bagels to try the toaster that you are gonna get. However, you don’t get a toaster. You ask the man behind the counter why, and he doesn’t answer you.
You may be asking where I am going with this. I’m going here: Imagine that the guy in front of you at the bank is David Thompson. The new toaster is the Hall of Fame plaque. You are Alex English/Bernard King. The cashier is the Hall of Fame committee. The bullet proof glass preventing you from going Artest on his head is the anonymity of the Hall.
You are clearly better than the person in front of you, but you don’t get your toaster! Clearly the Hall of Fame has no standards. The voters are shrouded in secrecy as well, so you can’t go and email Steven A. Smith why he didn’t vote Artis Gilmore in the Hall. So, what do players look for?
Is it rings?
Nope. It can’t be. There’s selective players from the Celtics dynasties that have the same amount of rings, but one player is in the Hall, the other isn’t although the player not inducted is better than the player in Mass. Example: KC Jones vs. Satch Sanders. The other way works too: Karl Malone and Charles Barkley made the HoF although they never won a title.
Stats?
No way. Like my example above. Bernard King/Alex English had a better NBA career than David Thompson, and the same amount of rings, but aren’t in. Larry Nance is another example of a player better than David Thompson.
Great playoff performances? Bernard King scored 44 points and had 12 rebounds — despite playing with the flu and splints on each of his middle fingers because they were dislocated while Isiah Thomas scored 16 consecutive points in a period of 1:33 at the end of regulation.
Well, sir. I’ll let NBA.com tell you about a great playoff performance, performed by my man Bernard King:
Honestly, I have no idea why player A goes in the Hall while player B (being clearly better) doesn’t. Its just another reason why I hate the Basketball Hall of Fame. Anonymity of voters coupled with the fact that writers romanticize the past like it was better than NBA basketball being played now are reasons why I blame this inconsistency in voting. If my mood right now could be described by a song, it would be this.
-ricky9
Is Derrick Rose overrated?
As you may already known, the FIBA World Tournament is in full effect. The team has been a great disappointment although they are 3-0. Among the disappointments in Turkey is Derrick Rose. His stat line for the 7 games he’s played in FIBA competition (4 Friendlies, 3 Group Matches) is 8 PPG, 3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.3 TPG, on about a TS% of 58.1. Although he has a high TS%, take into account that he’s the 5th most efficient scorer on the team, behind players like Eric Gordon and Russell Westbrook.
So, this got me to thinking…isn’t Derrick Rose overrated? The media has anointed Rose with the title of the “next big PG”. I can name at least 5 PGs better than Rose right now (CP3, D-Will, Rondo, Nash and Billups to name a few)to prove my point that Rose is overrated, lets look his development compared to a player who should be getting hype, Tyreke Evans.
Both were Memphis prospects that were highly touted in the NBA. Both are virtually the same position too, the combo guard that can play point, but are better scorers than passers. Both are Rookies of the Year.
Lets look at Rose’s rookie season with Evans’ only season in the NBA.
Young Ass Rose: 16 pts, 6 assists, and 4 rebs a game on a TS% of 52. He turned the ball over 13% of the time.
Evans: 20 pts, 5 assists and 5 rebs a game on a TS% of 53. He turned the ball 14% of the time the ball was in his hands.
What we see here is what we get from watching these two players. ‘Reke is the more effective scorer because he has a more complete game (jumpers are an option for him), while Rose is the better assist man because of his vision in the full court. However, Tyreke’s rookie year was clearly better than Rose’s. Here’s the more shocking numbers however:
Rose (last season): 20 pts, 6 assists, and 4 rebs a game on a TS% of 53. He turned the ball over roughly 13% of the time.
Evans: 20 pts, 5 assists and 5 rebs a game on a TS% of 53. He turned the ball 14% of the time the ball was in his hands.
Both were also about the same in terms of PER. What does this say about both Rose (year 2) and Evans (year 1)? Not much, but it clearly says that Evans has more skills in his disposal than Rose did even though Evans is a whole year younger than Rose. Now, which player gets the ESPN hype coverage? Rose. Which player had a season that only three players in the history of the league only did their rookie campaign (Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, Lebron James?) Tyreke Evans.
Seriously. WHERE IS THIS GUYS HYPE? 25 pts, 7 rebs, and 7 assists per game is totally up Evans’ alley. But you rarely hear his name while ESPN shoves the names of Lebron James, Brett Farve and Derrick Rose down our throats.
Blame the East Coast media, blame ESPN, blame selectivity…but don’t hate on the fact that Rose is being hyped up a bit too much.
-ricky9
True Shooting Percentage and its Usefulness.
By now, you all should have made the conversion to TS% instead of traditional FG%. TS% tells us way more about a players offensive skills than FG% could ever do. According to basketball-reference.com, the formula is PTS / (2 * (FGA + 0.44 * FTA)). Basically, the reasons why TS% is better are boundless. For instance, does FG% factor in free throw shooting? Does FG% weigh a three pointer as a harder shot to hit than two pointers? True shooting percentage does these things and MORE.
What else can TS% do? Well, coupled with FTA and FGA, you could tell what type of offensive player Player A is. When I say offensive player, I mean terms such as: shooter, slasher, ect. As I see it, there’s 27 different possible outcomes that TS%, FGA and FTA tell you. However, because I don’t want to go into this deeper (because most of the 27 are pretty much redundant, I’ll just look at some select ones.
- High TS%, high FGA, high FTA- Depending on his position, this player is the alpha dog. If he’s a guard, he’s a hyper efficient scorer who can stroke the three, attack the rim, and carry a team. If he’s a post player, he’s either Shaquille O’Neal in his prime, Tim Duncan, or sometimes Dwight Howard when he wants the ball.
- Low TS%, high FGA, high FTA- Again, depending on his position, this player needs a coach to tell him to stop taking shots. Although getting to the line is a skill in of itself, the player isn’t making the best when he’s at the line. This player most likely is a big who is hogging the ball more than Yinka Dare.
- High TS%, low FGA, low FTA - Role player who is doing his job properly.
- Low TS%, low FGA, low FTA- Role player who isn’t doing his job properly. Probably in for defensive or rebounding purposes.
- Mid TS%, mid FGA, mid FTA- A #2 or #3 guy depending on volume of player A. He is doing his job properly.
- High TS%, low FGA, high FTA – This guy just puts his head down and tries to get to the rim. He’s a prototypical slasher. He attacks the rim with no regard for human life, and depending on his passing rates and position, either makes to the rim and finishes, or passes it out.
- High TS%, mid FGA, low FTA- This guy is a shooter. Most likely, he shoots three pointers very well, and comes off screens to hit mid range shots. This player stays on the move, however he does not draw foul.
- Mid TS%, high FGA, high FTA- This guy is most likely a volume scorer. He can be used as a #1 option, however, he does not possess the talent to single-handedly do it night in and night out.
There’s many more, but you basically get the jist of it. True Shooting percentage should be a household stat, not only because of its cool abbreviation, but because it is way more useful in determining offensive efficiency than traditional field goal percentage. As a point of reference, anything over 57% from TS% is high, and anything lower than 52% is low.
-ricky9
The 10 Hottest NBA wives/girlfriends
Since there’s virtually no noteworthy stuff going on in the NBA other than “OMGGGG WHERE WILL MELO GOOOO!?”, I took this oppurtunity to see what kind of women NBA ballers are messing around with. Also, because I love judging and making fun of things, I will be ranking the top 10 NBA wives/girlfriends. Sorry Lebron, your woman is not up to par, bro. Sorry Lamar, Khloe is a hambeast.
#10. Aleka Kamila
She is the wife of Peja Stojakovic. Usually these Euro players pick up the hottest models. I don’t think women are a fan of the dunk, rather they are fans of shooting, softness in the paint and flopping.
#9. Vanessa Bryant
She’s cute. I mean, you would think an NBA player like Bryant would have a supermodel wife from Italy, right? I wanna give props to Bryant for sticking with his HS sweetheart this long, but I’m a guy, and I don’t wanna be perceived as not manly. She’s alright, in a cute Mexican sort of way.
#8. Brandi Maxiell
Jason Maxiell wifed this girl up. I gotta say, the baby eater has good taste in women. Her eyes have that mesmerizing look to them. She’s also cuter than a button.
#7. Meghan Allen
Sure, she does look really hot, but remember…this is Playboy we are talking about. Take that picture with copious amount of salt because of the air brushing they do. Devin Harris’ girlfriend has some nice um…well, who am I kidding, breasts. They met in a bar in Dallas, and its been romance ever since.
#6. Maria Sharapova
Oh, I’m gonna get a lot of flack for putting her this high. Sorry bros, I’m still mad over the fact that she is dating Sasha Vujacic. She’s hot, and can be moved up to even 3rd on this list, but her hotness has gone down considerably due to the fact she’s banging weasel boy.
#5. Brandi Garnett
This girl HAS to be a dirty girl. To be with KG in bed must be like sitting in the crowd when Kramer did his rant on black people. I guess she likes the fact that he probably talks to himself during intercourse, or just randomly yells obscenities whenever possible. From what I’m hearing, however, is that their relationship is on rocky terrain now.
#4. Hope Dworaczyk
Another Playboy playmate on the list. This one belong(ed) to Jason Kidd. Man, for being a total tool sometimes, Jason Kidd gets some very hot women to be his GF. He dated Gabrielle Union in HS, got a model to have his kid, and now being like 34 or something, has a Playboy playmate of the year candidate from 2009.
#3. Eva Longoria- Parker
No NBA W.A.G. list can be complete without Mrs. Parker. She is constantly in the bottom half of the Maxim top 100, and for good reason. She is just too sexy.
#2. Gabrielle Union
D-Wade got a winner. Not only did he get a girl as famous as he is, but she has about the same amount of money that he has in her bank account as well. Did I also mention she’s a total fox? Here’s hoping that Wade and Union have children, and that that boy ends up playing NBA basketball like his pops.
#1. Adriana Lima
DUH. This woman is always in the running for the HOTTEST WOMAN ALIVE. She’s clearly the best Victoria’s Secret Model that they have now. She’s also Brazilian, therefore upping her Hotness factor 3 fold. What makes her hotness factor take a dive is that she is dating MARKO JARIC. That’s right, the backup point guard to a host of different NBA teams.
If you think you could do better or that I messed up the order, hit me up on the comments.
-ricky9
Youtube of the Day feat 100% more Kanye
Sorry folk, bogged down at work today and can’t really come up with anything on about 30 minutes. So, I bring you two things: 1. A video of Ricky Rubio (because he’s gonna dominate in the FIBA Worlds). and 2. a 45 second snippet of a new Kanye West song featuring Drake (albeit tagged) called “All of the Lights/Ghetto University”.
1. Rubio at the Olympics
2. Kanye West feat. Drake “All of the Lights” (45 second TAGGED snippet).
My Beef with the Basketball Hall of Fame
These posts I’ve been making this week have all been focused on one topic: The Basketball Hall of Fame. As a fan of the NBA more than any other basketball league, the Bball H.o.F is both a gift and a curse. Its Christmas (or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa or National Scientology Day, ect) for me in the sense that it includes a variety of greatness in basketball, from NBA refs to NBA coaches, to even legendary announcers. Its my bane of existence because they usually screw things up. The Bball HoF has no precedent, no way to judge a greatness of a player vs. another. If Player A and Player B have similar stats and individual accomplishments, what makes the Bball HoF decide whether one is better than another.
For example: The Bball HoF decided to say to the world that K.C. Jones was a hall of famer. Please visit that link I painstakingly placed on KC Jones’ name. What makes Jones stand out other than his 8 rings? Nothing. So, as a fan, I take it that the Bball HoF voters love championships. Lets look at another player with 8 rings, one that you probably never heard of. His name is Tom “Satch” Sanders. He CLEARLY has better stats than Jones, and played a bigger role for those 8 rings than him, but HE IS NOT IN THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME AT ALL.
And about that. Championships are a TEAM ACCOMPLISHMENT, voters! I cannot name one player that won a championship singlehandedly. Every championship team needs that one role player who helps the 1-A player succeed, both stylistically and physically. Is it Shareef Abdur-Rahim’s fault that the Grizzlies management didn’t surround him with enough talent to win a title? Is the Bball HoF really rewarding the Lebron James’ of the league who leave their drafted teams JUST FOR A RING so they can have a legacy? Are you saying that Kevin Garnett is better known for winning a ring in Boston than bringing actual basketball excitement in Minnesota? This makes no sense at all. Players should not chastised for staying loyal with one team even though its a moon shot to win a title in the league unless you join a powerhouse.
Another thing that grinds my gears about the Basketball Hall of Fame is that they act like the ABA never existed. Sure, they have ABA beasts in there like Julius Erving, George Gervin, Dan Issel, and Moses Malone (partly because they beasted up the NBA as well). However, the ABA is the reason why the NBA exists now. The rules, the style of play, and the players changed the NBA for the good. I wouldn’t have a problem with this glaring omission if the Basketball Hall of Fame DIDN’T RECOGNIZE THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS for their work in basketball advancement.
Not only that, but the Hall has the worst ratio of college vs pro inductees than any other sport. So, if you are picturing the Basketball Hall of Fame at home, its like getting a flyer for a party bus that is supposed to have a golden ratio of women to men, but when you get into this said bus, the women there are either non-existent or brought their douchey boyfriends along, therefore ruining your buzz. I wouldn’t have a problem with this but, THE COLLEGE GAME HAS THEIR OWN HALL OF FAME. So, the Hall basically says “We strive to bring in the purest form of basketball being played into our prestigious halls. Oh I know, lets bring in more college personnel.”.That’s like a kid saying, “I wanna listen to the best that hip hop has to offer. Oh, I know, I’ll listen to more Waka Flocka Flame!” (That’s not a knock to Mr. Flame. I listen to “Hard in the M***** Paint everyday before I enjoy my coffee).
This is why I propose an NBA Hall of Fame. One that uses a loose (very loose, get your mind out of the gutter) methodology that makes sure the Player A vs. Player B problem doesn’t exist anymore. One that allows ABA superstars to get their dues inside a prestigious building. One that does not include C. Vivian Stringer or Reggie Miller’s Sister (wouldn’t that be a slap in the face if Reg doesn’t get in but his sister is already in?!). One that (albeit sounding pretty xenophobic) doesn’t include some Greek coach that has no impact on the NBA game.
The Revolution will not be televised. Rather it will be conducted online, in a form of a petition, delivered to the desk of David J. Stern, by someone he actually trusts. I would start it, but I have as much clout as that guy who invented the clothes hamper. Hell, I have less say in anything than that “Leave Britney Alone” guy. I plead to the Henry Abbotts, the Daryl Moreys, the Bethlehem Shoals’ out there…to get this done so that Artis Gilmore and Kevin Johnson get their dues.
-ricky9 (sorry if i sound curmudgeony, i haven’t had a wink of sleep for 2 days)
Remembering ABA Stars
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at basketball, all-time great coaches, referees, and other major contributors to the sport. However, the Basketball Hall of Fame does not recognize ABA players for awards, unless they contributed to the NBA. Another notable fact is that the Basketball Hall of Fame also recognizes the work of players from overseas, as many Euro-league coaches are enshrined in Springfield, Mass. Let me guess this straight. The Basketball Hall of Fame doesn’t want to enshrine the reason why the NBA is so talented today, but they’ll enshrine some piss-ant coach from Italy?
Frankly speaking, the basketball H.o.F needs to be scrapped, or a separate Hall for NBA achievements should be created. For this new hypothetical hall, the following ABA players should be enshrined on the first ballot. Note: these players are players who played well in the ABA and not the NBA. If I included the latter, I would have a list of Dr. J and Rick Barry at the top.
Louie Dampier, G
18 pts, 3 rbs, 6 assists per game
In nine seasons as the Kentucky Colonels point guard, the 6-foot dynamo scored more points, handed out more assists, hit more 3-pointers and played more minutes than any player in league history. His game did not translate well to the NBA, however, as he was in his mid 30s when he finally joined the San Antonio Spurs.
Mel Daniels, PF-C
18 pts, 15 rebs, 2 asts on 46% shooting
Mel Daniels was 1968 ABA Rookie of the Year, and then a year later, he won the ABA MVP award. He won three titles with the Indiana Pacers. Like Dampier, Daniels did not have a great NBA career. Daniels career ABA PER was 20.8.
Artis Gilmore, C
22 pts, 17 rbs, and 3 assists on 56% shooting
How Artis is not in the basketball Hall of Fame now is beyond me. Not only did he dominate the ABA, but he was a really good player in the NBA. He shot over 60% in his days as an NBA center.
Zelmo Beaty, C
19 pts, 11 rebs, 2 assts on 54% shooting.
Zelmo Beaty, or Big Z, is an interesting case. He first was an NBA player for the St. Louis Hawks, being drafted in 1962. After an OK career in the NBA, Zelmo took his talents to South Beach Utah and played with the Stars. He was their prized possession at the time, and he retired a Star in 1974. A year afterwards he tried to make a comeback with the Lakers, but time caught up with him.
Willie Wise, F
19 pts, 9 rebs, and 3 assists on 48% shooting
Wondrous Willie Wise (ABA was known for its awesome nicknames) was a lynchpin player with the Utah Stars when they won the championship in 1971. His game was mostly centered on the defensive side of the ball, where players like George McGinnis and Dr. J praised him for. Willie Wise was quite the underrated baller during his time. Sadly his game could not translate to the NBA.
George McGinnis, C
25 pts, 13 rbs and 3 assists on 47% shooting
George McGinnis was a BEAST. He played four seasons for the Indiana Pacers before the merger made him get drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers. He tied with Dr. J in MVP voting for the ABA in 1974. His jersey is retired by the Indiana Pacers. He holds many Pacer records to this day, including most points scored in a game.
Jimmy Jones, G
19 pts, 5 rebs, 5 assists on 51% shooting.
Jimmy Jones made almost every ABA all-star game there was. After a successful college career, Jones was picked up by the New Orleans Buccaneers. He was one of the better passers for the ABA, and he was among one the players that holds many ABA records. Like most of the players above, he could not hold a hall of fame caliber NBA career.
Notable mention to the following (not listed because of space issues):
- Billy “the whopper” Paultz
- Marvin Barnes
- Spencer Haywood
- Mack Calvin
-ricky9
Did Dennis Johnson really deserve to be in the basketball H.o.F?
Usually, the basketball HoF is wrong about letting people in with multiple rings. I can name a couple off the top of my head (KC Jones, cough) that have no business to be in the basketball HoF, but are voted in because: 1) writers romanticize the past and 2) rings are usually an “end all be all” for a player to be in the Hall. Well, I guess I shouldn’t beat around the bush with my opinion on Dennis Johnson. I believe DJ is a glorified role player for every team he played for EXCEPT the Seattle Supersonics.
Lets look at career lines, shall we?
DJ averaged 15 pts, 5 assists and 4 rebs a game for his career, on 45% shooting. That’s one indicator that DJ didn’t belong in the Hall; he did not sustain greatness offensively.
Lets look at his awards, NOT INCLUDING ALL STAR APPEARANCES.
- 3x NBA Champ (2 with Boston, 1 with Seattle)
- 1 NBA first, 1 NBA second team
- 6x NBA defensive first team / 3x defensive 2nd team
- NBA Finals MVP
I can name a player right now that has those stats except the NBA rings, and who many think will or should not be in the H.o.F. His name is Vince Carter. That’s right, Vince Carter has had better award winnings than DJ, except for the Finals MVP, defensive awards and NBA championships.
But this brings up an interesting point: Was DJ one of the best defensive guards ever? DJ sustained a DRtg of 105 in his career. That’s hardly “defensive champ” notable. Ron Artest, a player who also has no business in the NBA H.o.F, beats his numbers on offense and averages a DRtg of 103. So, if DJ was one of the better defensive players ever, he would have a spot on the NBA H.o.F. But, just remember that he would have been ranked below Artest in the defensive categories, therefore making him a good defender, but not legendary.
How about his peak? DJ was the “prototypical Late Bloomer” according to NBA pundits. They have good reason to give him that nickname. At his “peak years” he still averaged 19 pts, 5 assists and 5 rebounds a game. Its also worth noting that his peak was of three years. What country to we live in where a peak that most NBA players nowadays FOR THEIR CAREERS gets praised? Also, the 80′s were one of the most worst defensive decades the NBA has ever seen. That peak should not cut it for the upper echelon of NBA greatness.
How about his postseason play? Maybe that would save him. His career playoffs numbers were 18 pts, 5 assists and 5 rebs on 44% shooting. That’s better than his season career average, and he’s been to the post season a ton of times. His peak for playoff performance is especially nice to hear, as he went to 19 pts, 5 rebs and 4 pts in the beginning of his career in the postseason. Plus, he won the Finals MVP award for the Seattle Supersonics during this time. This may be the only thing that could have gave the HoF voters reason to put him in the Hall.
However, his advanced statistics both in the regular season and the post season tell a story of a glorified role player that stepped up when his team needed him to. His PER averages to be around 14 in both the regular and post season. According to Hollinger, that’s the PER of a role player. For comparison’s sake, Tyreke Evans had a ROOKIE PER comparable to DJ’s peak. DJ was also an ok/not great scorer, as his TS% 50% for both the regular season and playoffs. His USG% points to him being a role player (21%), his passing was solid, he turned the ball over a lot, and he rebounded averagely for his position.
The basketball H.o.F. should have the top 50 players ever in the NBA, and then some. However, since they inducted KC Jones for some weird reason, that went down the tubes. Nowadays, you have players who SHOULD be in the Hall but aren’t (Kevin Johnson, Bernard King) who are anxiously waiting for the vote vs. players who won a ring and feel they should be in (DJ, probably Tony Parker). The whole idea of the basketball H.o.F should be scrapped for an NBA-centric one, one that should only have DJ in ONLY as a 4th or 5th ballot hall of famer.
Sorry, Seattle fans…the H.o.F is deserved for sustained greatness, not greatness when he sees fit.
-ricky9
What if NBA players were rappers? – Part 2.
Welcome to the second installment of “What if NBA players were rappers?”! If you missed part 1 for any reason (I blame laziness on your part, reader) please go here to view it. From here on out, the NBA baller-rapper comparisons are going to get more interesting, to say the least. Here are four more NBA player-rapper comparisons.
Brandon Jennings – Lil B
If you haven’t heard who Lil B is, I’ll start you off with some of his work. Ok, Lil B isn’t one of the best rappers out there, but he’s more egotistical and hilarious than most rappers out. That’s Brandon Jennings in a nutshell: young, brazen and hilarious. I’m sure BJ has been called Lil B before, and I’m almost too sure that Brandon Jennings has done the cooking dance before. Both are also from the West, are fans of Tupac, and have fun tats.
Tyreke Evans – J.Cole
Rookie of the year compared to the next big rapper in rap not named Drake. It’s a perfect match. Both are so talented and are just ready to break out. Tyreke is smooth with the basketball, making impossible moves look like playing chess against a 2nd grader, while J.Cole’s poetic waxings on his life and successes are so clean and pristine that the EPA should start calling untouched water sites J.Cole’s. Everyone expects great from these two, and for good reason.
Mike Bealsey- Kid Cudi
Dohoho ricky9, you made a weed joke because both are notorious weed smokers. Well, reader…that’s not the only reason why Cudi and Super Cool Beas are being compared right now. Their clothing styles, their mannerisms and their emotions are all the same. Kid Cudi raps about his problems and how he copes with them. Beasley does the same, on Twitter. Cudi wears glasses, SO DOES BEAS!!! I’m sure if we can check Beasley’s youtube, Day n Nite would be the number 1 played song on there. Lonely stoners, bro.
Manu Ginobili – Jay Electronica
Here in WNR4HL, we believe scouts should not be held back by race constraints when comparing college ballers to NBA counterparts. I mean, why can’t Joe Alexander be compared to Gerald Green? Instead, every white player has to be compared to either Larry Bird or Mike Miller. Manu Ginobili is Jay Electronica because both are pretty old in terms of being in the game, but they are still underrated as the definition of underrated implies. Both also create the best “wow” moments for your senses. Both also show that apperances can be decieving, as no one thought Manu or Jay Elect would amount to anything.
Well, there you have it, Part 2 of the thrilling series “What if NBA players were rappers?”. There’s still rappers that I haven’t touched on yet, as well as beast basketball players. You’ll have to tune in to get the other parts.
Make sure to bookmark the site, or if you have any comparisons, leave them in the c-box…I’ll credit you with the comparison.
- ricky9
My analysis on the 4 team trade.
Since its trendy to post “winners vs. losers” in trades, I decided I’ll post winners and losers of the trade that sent Darren Collison and James Posey to the Pacers, Trevor Ariza to the Hornets, Troy Murphy to the Nets and the Rockets getting Courtney Lee.
Winners:
The Pacers- Obviously the Pacers made out like gangbusters. They get a project PG who everyone knows is gonna be something alright, and a solid defensive backup for Granger. They only gave away their best rebounder, however I’m sure that Tyler Hansbrough can replace Troy’s rebounding some. Tyler has a TRB% of 14.5 last season, which is OK, but he was known as a alright rebounder in college. However, the big piece here is Collison. The Pacers needed a starting point, and they got him.
Chris Paul -Now he doesn’t have to worry about about losing his starting PG role to a PG who is younger than he is, but not as great. Paul is clearly the best PG in the league right now, bar none. If the Hornets would have traded Paul for some pieces to surround Collison, that would be a bad idea.
The Rockets – Gave up nothing, get Courtney Lee. That’s a clear win when you get a serviceable player for NOTHING.
The Nets – They should rebound with the best of them now. Troy can also hit the three, so he can create space for them. They only gave up a player who isn’t that great.
The Losers:
Hornets- Lost their only great trade piece for…..Trevor Ariza? Come on. Trevor Ariza is as one-dimensional as Peja. Trevor can’t hit the three constantly. He can’t score at will. He can defend well, but as a scorer, he is not a lot more efficient than Peja. And you trade your best trade chip for that? Darren Collison could have turned into something way better for the Hornets, and they failed to capitalize.
Darren Collison and James Posey – Enjoy playing in Indiana, where I heard they are mildly racist.
The Sixers – This move actually gives me reason to put the Pacers over the Sixers next season in the 8th spot for the playoffs. It could be a gift for them however, since now the Sixers can see the lottery once again.
- ricky9
The 10 Games for NBA 2K11′s Jordan Challenge
Like most college aged students, I’m a fan of video games, preferably the sports kind. I’m also a fan of Michael Jordan. Because of the previous two statements, I cannot wait for NBA 2k11 to come out because its the first game in a while where you can actually play as Mike. Here’s some the games the Jordan Challenge off NBA 2k10 would have you to play via kokatu.
The Arrival
When and Where: April 20, 1986. Game 2, 1st round playoffs vs. Celtics, at Boston Garden.
Goal 1: Score 63 points or more
Goal 2: Shoot 50 percent or better from the field
Skinny: Although the Bulls lost this game against one of the greatest Boston teams ever, you wouldn’t tell it by the way Jordan’s showstopping 63-point performance is remembered. After the game, Larry Bird said the Celtics were playing “God disguised as Michael Jordan.”
69 Points
When and Where: March 28, 1990. Regular season game vs. Cavaliers, Richfield Coliseum
Goal 1: Score 69 points or more.
Goal 2: Shoot 50 percent or better from the field
Goal 3: Win the game
Skinny: Jordan averaged 44 points versus Cleveland in the 1989-1990 season, scored 54 points against them in the season opener, and had buried the Cavs’ playoff dreams a year before. Yet Jordan himself considers this staggering 69-point performance his best ever. Teammate Stacey King would say later: “I’ll always remember this as the night Michael Jordan and I combined to score 70 points.”
Shootout
When and Where: Any date in 1990, a regular season game vs. Hawks
Goal 1: Outscore Dominique Wilkins
Goal 2: Hold Dominique under 25 Points
Goal 3: Win the game
Skinny: There is actually no game played between Chicago and Atlanta in 1990 that matches these conditions. (The closest is this one, Jordan scoring 36 points to the Human Highlight Film’s 26.) But 2K Sports clearly wanted to put in a showdown between the league’s pre-eminent scoring superstars, at the height of their rivalry.
Bad Boys
When and Where: May 26, 1990. Game 3, Eastern Conference Finals vs. Pistons, Chicago Stadium
Goal 1: Score 47 points or more
Goal 2: Win the game
Skinny: This game serves as the basis for The Jordan Rules in NBA 2K11. The year before, Chicago had taken a surprising 2-1 lead in the 1989 Eastern Conference finals against the hated Detroit Pistons, who then rolled out the bruising “Jordan Rules” strategy that targeted the superstar and dared the Bulls to beat them with the supporting cast. When these two hooked up in the 1990 Eastern Conference finals, Detroit deployed the same aggressive tactics en route to a 2-0 lead, before getting torched for 47 in Game Three. Detroit still would win this series, and repeat as NBA champions by sweeping the Lakers.
1991 NBA Finals
When and Where: June 2 thru June 12, 1991 vs. Lakers, Chicago Stadium and the Great Western Forum
Goal 1: Average 31.0 points or more for the series
Goal 2: Shoot 55 percent or better from the field
Goal 3: Win the series
Skinny: Magic vs. Michael made the 1991 Finals appointment television for five games, especially after the Lakers stole Game One in Chicago. The highlight will undoubtedly be Jordan’s unbelievable switched-hands layup in Game Two – his 13th consecutive field goal of the night – and Scott Williams raising his arms triumphantly despite loafing up the court on the break and not being involved in the play at all.
The Shrug
When and Where: June 3, 1992. Game 1, 1st round playoffs vs. Blazers, Chicago Stadium
Goal 1: Score 35 points or more in the first half
Goal 2: Make 6 or more three-pointers in the first half
Goal 3: Hold Clyde Drexler to fewer than 20 points for the game.
Goal 4: Win the Game
Skinny: After hitting his sixth three-pointer in a scorching 35-point first-half performance, Jordan shrugged to NBC’s Marv Albert at the scoring table, as if to say he didn’t know how he does it either. The Bulls annihilated Portland 122-89 to open the series, but had to tough out a six-game win to repeat as champions.
Double Nickel
When and Where: March 18, 1995. Regular season game vs. Knicks, Madison Square Garden
Goal 1: Score 55 points or more.
Goal 2: Shoot 55 percent or better from the field.
Goal 3: Win the game
Skinny: After his father was murdered following the Bulls’ first three-peat in 1993, a numbed Jordan retired, citing a desire no longer to play basketball, and to pursue a childhood dream of playing professional baseball. The one year experiment didn’t work, and in 1995, Jordan returned to a listless Bulls team with a two-word announcement. “I’m back.” Six games into his return, wearing No. 45, his baseball uniform number, Jordan cemented his reputation for delivering big-game performances almost at will, with a jaw-dropping 55-point night in the most famous arena in the world.
Father’s Day Victory
When and Where: June 16, 1996. Game 6, 1996 Finals vs. Sonics, United Center
Goal 1: Score 22 points or more.
Goal 2: Grab nine rebounds or more.
Goal 3: Win the game
Skinny: In the first full season of his return, Chicago unloaded an NBA record 72 victory season and demolished the Eastern Conference in the playoffs, losing just one game before meeting Seattle in the Finals. The Bulls took a 3-0 lead on the Sonics before letting them back in with two wins, and the images of Jordan’s clinching performance – he shot just 26 percent for the game – are not compelling. But winning a fourth NBA title, clutching the basketball at midcourt, and weeping on the floor of the locker room on Father’s Day, is.
The Flu Game
When and Where: June 11, 1997. Game 5, 1997 Finals vs. Jazz. Delta Center.
Goal 1: Score 38 points or more.
Goal 2: Grab 7 rebounds or more.
Goal 3: Win the game
Skinny: Arguably the greatest individual performance under duress in the history of championship sports. Sick with the flu, the Bulls playing in a hostile Delta Center and facing a 3-2 series deficit, Jordan summoned a 38-point effort and the game-winning three point basket, making the most emphatic demonstration of his famous will to win. “No matter how sick I was, how tired I was, I felt the obligation to my team and the city of Chicago to go out, and give that extra effort,” he said. Chicago won its fifth NBA title in the next game.
Michael’s Last Dance
When and Where: June 14, 1998. Game 6, 1998 Finals vs. Jazz. Delta Center.
Goal 1: Score 45 points or more.
Goal 2: Get 4 steals or more.
Goal 3: Win the game.
Skinny: If only it ended here. Jordan’s game winning shot for the 87-86 win, and sixth NBA championship, was a storybook finale too good to be true. And it was. Instead of being the last shot he’d ever take, Jordan would return from retirement again three years later, for two forgettable seasons with the Washington Wizards. But his game-winning shot for a sixth NBA title, set up by a steal from Karl Malone with the Jazz up by one, is the only way to end this series of indelible moments.
CONGRATS TO TINA THOMPSON
This lovely lady named Tina Thompson just became the all time leading scorer in WNBA history! She dropped point 6,264 against San Antonio on Sunday to surpass Lisa Leslie as the league’s all-time leading scorer.
YES, WE EVEN COVER THE WNBA.
Serious question though, how long before sexy phenom Candice Parker takes the title? And where is Ivory Latta, readers…WHERE IS IVORY LATTA?!
- ricky9
