What's up guys! The blog will be moving to a new website: http://hoopnewz.com.
The site will look much better and have more sports-related themes and images. Also, the new focus of the site will be NBA news. However, I'm a pretty random person, and I'll still be posting random NFL stuff.
Thanks for rolling with me.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Rapid Reaction: D-12 to Houston
I think everyone knew that D-12 was going to Houston. I mean, the situation seemed absolutely perfect. We'll break down the signing piece by piece.
Monetary
Howard is expected to sign a 4 year $88 million contract. The contract also allows Howard to opt out in 2016. Now, compare that with the proposed deal offered by the Lakers, somewhere around 5 years and $120 million. The exact numbers are a little bit different, but this roughly characterizes the Laker deal. Some people may be wondering why Howard didn't choose to stay in LA and get paid over $100 million. Well, the LA deal spans FIVE years. Although Howard would be making more money in LA, he would also be staying an extra year. Also, Houston has no state income tax. California has an incredibly high state income tax. If you factor in the cost of living as well, then Houston seems like a no-brainer for Howard.
Basketball
Houston has a much younger core with Chandler Parsons (24), James Harden (23), Patrick Beverly (24), Jeremy Lin (24), and Greg Smith (22). Lin lost his starting job late into the season and might be traded, but still a solid young player. With Houston, Howard has a proven young superstar in James Harden. He will unquestionably become the number-one option. Howard will be surrounded by young, athletic players who will only get better. Contrast this situation to the one in LA. Howard would never surpass Kobe as the number-one option. Imagine Kobe Bryant deferring to Dwight Howard? Yeah, not happening. Additionally, Howard would be surrounded by an old team that struggles to guard perimeter players. Steve Nash, Metta World Peace, Kobe Bryant, and Pau Gasol are all pretty damn old. The Western Conference is stacked with athletic point guards (Russell Westbrook, Ty Lawson, Tony Parker, Mike Conley), and if your team cannot stay in front of these guards, then you will lose. The Lakers also have a system that would be terrible for Dwight. D'Antoni intends to use Dwight as a decoy. The problem is that Dwight is the best center in the league and needs to be the offensive focus. LA is just a bad fit for Dwight, and to be honest, both sides (LA and Dwight) will benefit from Dwight's departure.
Media
Houston is a large city, but media-wise, it's still considered a small market. On the other hand, LA is a monstrous market. In LA, Howard will be scrutinized, criticized, and maligned. He will face intense pressure to live up to the Laker big men of the past. Howard has made it clear that he wants to be loved and appreciated. He won't get that coddling in LA. Houston, however, will undoubtedly welcome Howard with open arms. Because he will be the team's most accomplished player, he will have no trouble earning the respect of his young teammates.
Conclusion: Howard made the decision that was right for him. While there will always be people criticizing his move from LA (ahem Shaq), they have no right to point fingers at Howard. Howard definitely didn't handle the pressure of playing in LA well, and he could have played with more heart and intensity. Hopefully Howard can return to form in Houston and show the league why he is the best center.
Monetary
Howard is expected to sign a 4 year $88 million contract. The contract also allows Howard to opt out in 2016. Now, compare that with the proposed deal offered by the Lakers, somewhere around 5 years and $120 million. The exact numbers are a little bit different, but this roughly characterizes the Laker deal. Some people may be wondering why Howard didn't choose to stay in LA and get paid over $100 million. Well, the LA deal spans FIVE years. Although Howard would be making more money in LA, he would also be staying an extra year. Also, Houston has no state income tax. California has an incredibly high state income tax. If you factor in the cost of living as well, then Houston seems like a no-brainer for Howard.
Basketball
Houston has a much younger core with Chandler Parsons (24), James Harden (23), Patrick Beverly (24), Jeremy Lin (24), and Greg Smith (22). Lin lost his starting job late into the season and might be traded, but still a solid young player. With Houston, Howard has a proven young superstar in James Harden. He will unquestionably become the number-one option. Howard will be surrounded by young, athletic players who will only get better. Contrast this situation to the one in LA. Howard would never surpass Kobe as the number-one option. Imagine Kobe Bryant deferring to Dwight Howard? Yeah, not happening. Additionally, Howard would be surrounded by an old team that struggles to guard perimeter players. Steve Nash, Metta World Peace, Kobe Bryant, and Pau Gasol are all pretty damn old. The Western Conference is stacked with athletic point guards (Russell Westbrook, Ty Lawson, Tony Parker, Mike Conley), and if your team cannot stay in front of these guards, then you will lose. The Lakers also have a system that would be terrible for Dwight. D'Antoni intends to use Dwight as a decoy. The problem is that Dwight is the best center in the league and needs to be the offensive focus. LA is just a bad fit for Dwight, and to be honest, both sides (LA and Dwight) will benefit from Dwight's departure.
Media
Houston is a large city, but media-wise, it's still considered a small market. On the other hand, LA is a monstrous market. In LA, Howard will be scrutinized, criticized, and maligned. He will face intense pressure to live up to the Laker big men of the past. Howard has made it clear that he wants to be loved and appreciated. He won't get that coddling in LA. Houston, however, will undoubtedly welcome Howard with open arms. Because he will be the team's most accomplished player, he will have no trouble earning the respect of his young teammates.
Conclusion: Howard made the decision that was right for him. While there will always be people criticizing his move from LA (ahem Shaq), they have no right to point fingers at Howard. Howard definitely didn't handle the pressure of playing in LA well, and he could have played with more heart and intensity. Hopefully Howard can return to form in Houston and show the league why he is the best center.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Patrick Beverly Has Achieved His Hoop Dream
Did anyone ever watch the famous 90's documentary "Hoop Dreams"? The documentary revolved around 2 Chicago youngsters: Arthur Agee and William Gates. I'm not going to explain or summarize the whole documentary, and if you haven't watched it, go ahead and watch the documentary. One of the most touching documentaries out there. Especially if you're a hoop fan.
For people who have viewed the documentary, you all must remember Arthur Agee. Well, Arthur filmed a documentary a while back. I think it was called "Hoop Reality" (2007). The documentary returned to the streets of Chi-town and followed a player by the name of Patrick Beverly. Agee followed Beverly around and even became his mentor. The documentary was sort of a sequel to "Hoop Dreams". Like Agee, Beverly wasn't a highly targeted recruit. In fact, his chances of playing division 1 basketball hindered on a spectacular senior season. During the year, Beverly played against some significant players, namely Sherron Collins and Derrick Rose. Beverly was extremely underrated, as he was only a 6'1'' combo guard. Well, Beverly made it to Arkansas, and had a very good freshman year. However, Beverly eventually leaves the team for unspecified reasons. The documentary ends around that time. When I finished watching the film, I felt incredibly sad. I wanted Beverly to achieve his dream of playing in the NBA. Just like his predecessors in "Hoop Dreams", Beverly seemed destined for a life of shattered basketball reality.
But then a few months ago, I remember hearing the name "Patrick Beverly" on NBA post game shows. I kept thinking to myself, "this guy sounds familiar". At the time, Beverly was gaining notoriety for playing very well for the Rockets and even taking Jeremy Lin's starting job. He also became famous for injuring Russell Westbrook. As I watched these highlights, I finally remembered where Patrick Beverly came from: he was the star in "Hoop Reality". While I'll admit that I'm a fan of Russell Westbrook, I couldn't help but be extremely happy for Patrick Beverly. It's been a tough journey for him, but he has found his role in the NBA. He accomplished his dream. Going forward, he will have a substantial role on the Rockets team. This blog post may seem very late, but I just happened to think about the situation again. Congratulations to Patrick Beverly! I'll be rooting for you.
For people who have viewed the documentary, you all must remember Arthur Agee. Well, Arthur filmed a documentary a while back. I think it was called "Hoop Reality" (2007). The documentary returned to the streets of Chi-town and followed a player by the name of Patrick Beverly. Agee followed Beverly around and even became his mentor. The documentary was sort of a sequel to "Hoop Dreams". Like Agee, Beverly wasn't a highly targeted recruit. In fact, his chances of playing division 1 basketball hindered on a spectacular senior season. During the year, Beverly played against some significant players, namely Sherron Collins and Derrick Rose. Beverly was extremely underrated, as he was only a 6'1'' combo guard. Well, Beverly made it to Arkansas, and had a very good freshman year. However, Beverly eventually leaves the team for unspecified reasons. The documentary ends around that time. When I finished watching the film, I felt incredibly sad. I wanted Beverly to achieve his dream of playing in the NBA. Just like his predecessors in "Hoop Dreams", Beverly seemed destined for a life of shattered basketball reality.
But then a few months ago, I remember hearing the name "Patrick Beverly" on NBA post game shows. I kept thinking to myself, "this guy sounds familiar". At the time, Beverly was gaining notoriety for playing very well for the Rockets and even taking Jeremy Lin's starting job. He also became famous for injuring Russell Westbrook. As I watched these highlights, I finally remembered where Patrick Beverly came from: he was the star in "Hoop Reality". While I'll admit that I'm a fan of Russell Westbrook, I couldn't help but be extremely happy for Patrick Beverly. It's been a tough journey for him, but he has found his role in the NBA. He accomplished his dream. Going forward, he will have a substantial role on the Rockets team. This blog post may seem very late, but I just happened to think about the situation again. Congratulations to Patrick Beverly! I'll be rooting for you.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Bill Russell is the GOAT (Part 3: Style)
Okay, here is the meat & bones of the discussion. Bill Russell isn't the scorer that MJ was. He couldn't shoot fadeways and pull-up jumpers. However, Bill changed the game defensively. The saying "defense wins championships" is not a farce. Russell could shut-down the painted area. That meant that opposing teams had to get most of their points outside of the paint. If you can force a team to try and beat you with jump shots, it will be very difficult for them to win. Basically, the debate boils down to a stylistic difference. Do you want a go-to scorer, or would you rather have a lock-down defensive game-changer? I would take the latter. Sure, MJ was also a great defender. But an awesome wing defender is very different from a shut-down paint presence.
Shots in the paint are always much higher percentage shots. If you can force a team to take lower percentage shots, you will have a great chance of winning. While MJ could score and guard opposing perimeter scorers, he couldn't patrol the paint the way Russell does. MJ may take away a team's perimeter scorer, but Russell can take away the WHOLE team. He will negate all shots at the rim. Additionally, he boards incredibly well and also tapped out rebounds to his teammates to initiate fast breaks. Lastly, Russell's scoring average isn't bad at all. If you consider the fact that Red Auerbach's Celtics always emphasized ball movement instead of having one player score all of the points, it's easy to see that Russell could have easily scored much more points if he played on a different team. At the end of the day, basketball is about winning. Russell doesn't disturb a team's offensive movement, and on defense, he fits in perfectly. He can affect a game from an all-around standpoint. Instead of hoping for jump-shot heroics (a-la MJ), your team can depend on a consistent flurry of blocked shots. Russell's defensive presence, efficiency, and impact, especially considering he went against some very talented centers, shows that he can affect the game in a greater manner than MJ. For that reason, I believe Bill Russell is the GOAT.
P.S. I could have included other aspects in the debate. However, I'm writing this during my lunch break. Read some of these articles to get an even better picture:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/325822-bill-russell-is-better-than-michael-jordan
http://nba.si.com/2013/05/23/phil-jackson-michael-jordan-bill-russell-comparison-bulls-celtics-lakers-first-pick-start-franchise/
Shots in the paint are always much higher percentage shots. If you can force a team to take lower percentage shots, you will have a great chance of winning. While MJ could score and guard opposing perimeter scorers, he couldn't patrol the paint the way Russell does. MJ may take away a team's perimeter scorer, but Russell can take away the WHOLE team. He will negate all shots at the rim. Additionally, he boards incredibly well and also tapped out rebounds to his teammates to initiate fast breaks. Lastly, Russell's scoring average isn't bad at all. If you consider the fact that Red Auerbach's Celtics always emphasized ball movement instead of having one player score all of the points, it's easy to see that Russell could have easily scored much more points if he played on a different team. At the end of the day, basketball is about winning. Russell doesn't disturb a team's offensive movement, and on defense, he fits in perfectly. He can affect a game from an all-around standpoint. Instead of hoping for jump-shot heroics (a-la MJ), your team can depend on a consistent flurry of blocked shots. Russell's defensive presence, efficiency, and impact, especially considering he went against some very talented centers, shows that he can affect the game in a greater manner than MJ. For that reason, I believe Bill Russell is the GOAT.
P.S. I could have included other aspects in the debate. However, I'm writing this during my lunch break. Read some of these articles to get an even better picture:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/325822-bill-russell-is-better-than-michael-jordan
http://nba.si.com/2013/05/23/phil-jackson-michael-jordan-bill-russell-comparison-bulls-celtics-lakers-first-pick-start-franchise/
Bill Russell is the GOAT (Part 2: Leveling the Era Differences)
Okay, before we get into this comparison between Bill Russell and Michael Jordan, I need to explain a few things. First of all, this isn't a definite comparison. Opinions are simply opinions. There is no greater basketball being telling us "Jordan is better" or "Russell is better". There are no definite metrics on ranking the 2 players. I will merely be offering my own opinion and insight.
Era Differences
Russell played in an era where centers were much taller. In that time, the league was very small, only about 8-9 teams (I think). The talent in the league, while smaller, was very condensed. People always cite the 1960's Celtics as having multiple HOF players. Well, if you take a good look at the league at the time, many teams had multiple HOF players on their teams. The talent was so condensed that teams were all very talented. It wasn't like the 90's where there would be some teams that were simply awful. Jordan played in an era where the league was exploding in popularity, mainly thanks to Magic and Bird. During Jordan's era, teams were much more physical. The "Bad Boy" Pistons consistently beat on other teams. But as I mentioned earlier, the talent was much more diluted.
Rivals
During Russell's era, he had a consistent rival: Wilt Chamberlain. Wilt is considered one of the greatest, and during his time, absolutely dominated his opponents...except Bill Russell. Russell admitted that Wilt could overwhelm him offensively, yet Russell still did a great job defending him. In head-to-head match-ups, Russell almost always won. It wasn't until Wilt went to a loaded Lakers squad did he finally dethrone the Celtics. Wilt and Russell met over 140 times in their career. Even when you compare that to Magic and Larry (met 37 times), the number is much greater. That means Russell always had to play against the best of the best.
On the other hand, Michael never had a true rival in the league. Michael never had to play against a player that was as dominant as him. Magic was already on the downside of his career. There also weren't many SGs who were dominant. Sure, there was Clyde Drexler, who was a great player. But you never had a dominant force emerge. Some people may say "well that's because Michael was so dominant that no other player could mess with him". I disagree. Regardless of how good you are, there CAN always be another player that can make you better. A player who can challenge you. Russell had to face on the greatest in Wilt. He had to face him over 140 times. Magic had to duel with Larry all the time, and in fact, they met in the Finals several times. Who challenged Michael?
Part 3 is coming up next...
Era Differences
Russell played in an era where centers were much taller. In that time, the league was very small, only about 8-9 teams (I think). The talent in the league, while smaller, was very condensed. People always cite the 1960's Celtics as having multiple HOF players. Well, if you take a good look at the league at the time, many teams had multiple HOF players on their teams. The talent was so condensed that teams were all very talented. It wasn't like the 90's where there would be some teams that were simply awful. Jordan played in an era where the league was exploding in popularity, mainly thanks to Magic and Bird. During Jordan's era, teams were much more physical. The "Bad Boy" Pistons consistently beat on other teams. But as I mentioned earlier, the talent was much more diluted.
Rivals
During Russell's era, he had a consistent rival: Wilt Chamberlain. Wilt is considered one of the greatest, and during his time, absolutely dominated his opponents...except Bill Russell. Russell admitted that Wilt could overwhelm him offensively, yet Russell still did a great job defending him. In head-to-head match-ups, Russell almost always won. It wasn't until Wilt went to a loaded Lakers squad did he finally dethrone the Celtics. Wilt and Russell met over 140 times in their career. Even when you compare that to Magic and Larry (met 37 times), the number is much greater. That means Russell always had to play against the best of the best.
On the other hand, Michael never had a true rival in the league. Michael never had to play against a player that was as dominant as him. Magic was already on the downside of his career. There also weren't many SGs who were dominant. Sure, there was Clyde Drexler, who was a great player. But you never had a dominant force emerge. Some people may say "well that's because Michael was so dominant that no other player could mess with him". I disagree. Regardless of how good you are, there CAN always be another player that can make you better. A player who can challenge you. Russell had to face on the greatest in Wilt. He had to face him over 140 times. Magic had to duel with Larry all the time, and in fact, they met in the Finals several times. Who challenged Michael?
Part 3 is coming up next...
I Think Bill Russell is the GOAT!!! (Part 1: Stats)
Man, I've been doing some research, and to be honest, I think that Bill Russell is the Greatest Player of All Time. Now, I know that everyone is thinking "Dude, Michael Jordan is the best". Yes, they will bring up MJ's scoring titles and scoring ability. But, I'll bring up some interesting counter points. This is going to be a long blog post, so get ready.
Total Career Stats
Michael Jordan: 32,292 pts, 6,672 rebs, 5,633 ass., 2,514 stls, 893 blks
Bill Russell: 14,522 pts, 21,620 rebs, 4,100 ass.
*In Russell's time, blocks and steals weren't recorded. We could only imagine how monstrous his block numbers would be though.
Total Career Averages
Michael Jordan: 30.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.3 apg, 2.35 spg, .83 bpg,
Bill Russell: 15.1 ppg, 22.5 rpg, 4.3 apg.
Total Career Accolades
Michael Jordan: 6x NBA Champion, 6x NBA Finals MVP, 5x NBA MVP, 14x NBA All-Star, 10x NBA Scoring Champ, 3x NBA Steals Champ, 10x All-NBA First Team, 1x All-NBA Second Team, 9x All-NBA First-Defense, 1x NBA Defensive POY, NBA ROY, NBA All-Rookie Team
*I didn't include Jordan's all-star mvp accolades and slam-dunk awards, as those aren't really indicative of how good you are. Nobody tries in all-star games and the dunk contest is a fun event.
Bill Russell: 11x NBA Champion, 5x NBA MVP, 12x NBA All-Star, 5x NBA Rebounding Champ, 3x All-NBA First Team, 8x All-NBA Second Team, 1x All-NBA First Defense
*I don't know how many of these awards were first initiated during Russell's career. It's very possible that some of the accolades didn't come into fruition until midway through Russell's career. For example, when Russell played, the NBA Finals MVP wasn't a real award. Now it's named after him. Russell also won 2 more championships as a coach, but were aren't factoring that into this discussion.
Conclusion
Stats wise, Michael Jordan seems to have the upper hand in several categories. However, Russell ties him in MVPs and beats him in championships. These are the 2 awards, that in my opinion, are much more significant than things like "All-NBA". However, the stats never paint the full picture. If you are a stats geek, then you will probably go with Jordan as the GOAT, despite Russell having more championships. But the game is about much more than individual stats. In the next post, we'll start analyzing more nuances.
Total Career Stats
Michael Jordan: 32,292 pts, 6,672 rebs, 5,633 ass., 2,514 stls, 893 blks
Bill Russell: 14,522 pts, 21,620 rebs, 4,100 ass.
*In Russell's time, blocks and steals weren't recorded. We could only imagine how monstrous his block numbers would be though.
Total Career Averages
Michael Jordan: 30.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 5.3 apg, 2.35 spg, .83 bpg,
Bill Russell: 15.1 ppg, 22.5 rpg, 4.3 apg.
Total Career Accolades
Michael Jordan: 6x NBA Champion, 6x NBA Finals MVP, 5x NBA MVP, 14x NBA All-Star, 10x NBA Scoring Champ, 3x NBA Steals Champ, 10x All-NBA First Team, 1x All-NBA Second Team, 9x All-NBA First-Defense, 1x NBA Defensive POY, NBA ROY, NBA All-Rookie Team
*I didn't include Jordan's all-star mvp accolades and slam-dunk awards, as those aren't really indicative of how good you are. Nobody tries in all-star games and the dunk contest is a fun event.
Bill Russell: 11x NBA Champion, 5x NBA MVP, 12x NBA All-Star, 5x NBA Rebounding Champ, 3x All-NBA First Team, 8x All-NBA Second Team, 1x All-NBA First Defense
*I don't know how many of these awards were first initiated during Russell's career. It's very possible that some of the accolades didn't come into fruition until midway through Russell's career. For example, when Russell played, the NBA Finals MVP wasn't a real award. Now it's named after him. Russell also won 2 more championships as a coach, but were aren't factoring that into this discussion.
Conclusion
Stats wise, Michael Jordan seems to have the upper hand in several categories. However, Russell ties him in MVPs and beats him in championships. These are the 2 awards, that in my opinion, are much more significant than things like "All-NBA". However, the stats never paint the full picture. If you are a stats geek, then you will probably go with Jordan as the GOAT, despite Russell having more championships. But the game is about much more than individual stats. In the next post, we'll start analyzing more nuances.
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