Dukies in the NBA: 2012-13 edition

[JasonEvans]

The very first game of the regular season and Kyrie is off to a fairly decent start. 29 points on 11-20 shooting including 3-6 from three-point land. He also grabs 6 rebounds and dishes out 3 assists. Best part, Cleveland wins!

Side note-- Anderson Varejao had a crazy line -- 9 points, 9 assists, and 23 rebounds. I'd say that is a dude who was involved in the flow of the game!

-Jason "Shane and the Heat also making their debut tonight with positionless basketball -- at the half, Shane has hit both of his 3s for 6 points" Evans

[sporthenry]

In other NBA news, Nolan Smith's option for the 2013-14 year was not picked up by Portland. He also had an option for 2014-15. With McMillan being out, I expected Nolan to get some more burn but apparently Portland is looking at free agency next summer. Haven't heard about much being available next summer but perhaps they are pieces they want.

This is probably good and bad for Nolan as now he can shop around and find not only the best offer but the best situation. I think he is more in need of a place to get playing time for 2-3 years then he can worry about a nice contract after that. The bad is that with him not being in Portland's plans means he might lose more PT especially with them bringing in Lillard who looks to be the starter from day one.

[Double DD]

In other NBA news, Nolan Smith's option for the 2013-14 year was not picked up by Portland. He also had an option for 2014-15. With McMillan being out, I expected Nolan to get some more burn but apparently Portland is looking at free agency next summer. Haven't heard about much being available next summer but perhaps they are pieces they want.

This is probably good and bad for Nolan as now he can shop around and find not only the best offer but the best situation. I think he is more in need of a place to get playing time for 2-3 years then he can worry about a nice contract after that. The bad is that with him not being in Portland's plans means he might lose more PT especially with them bringing in Lillard who looks to be the starter from day one.

There's really no good part of this for him. Not getting your 3rd year option picked up is a kiss of death and almost always an indication that a player has no real NBA future.

[hq2]

There's really no good part of this for him. Not getting your 3rd year option picked up is a kiss of death and almost always an indication that a player has no real NBA future.

Maybe not in Portland, anyway. Didn't think he quite fit their style, lack of 3 point shooting notwithstanding. Another
go some place else might work better. Remember, he has all year to play better and impress some other team.

[hq2]

And speaking of playing better...Nice Miles read here.

http://www.staceypageonline.com/2012/10/30/plumlee-perfect-for-pacers/

Think he's well on the way to establishing himself as a quality NBA role player.

[JasonEvans]

Portland did not pick up the options on 3 players - Nolan, Luke Babbit, and Elliot Williams (who's career has been shattered by injuries so far). The move is partially an indication of a lack of confidence in those players, but it is also a salary cap move. By declining the option on those 3, Portland frees up something like $6 million of extra cap space for the next off-season. It gives them over $12 mil of cap space, which would allow them to be a player in trying to get a top-tier free agent. I think the move has a lot to do with their desire to be active in free agency.

But, it is unquestionably not a good sign for Nolan's career. I am certainly wishing him the best. He should get some chances to play a bit of backup PG while Ronnie Price is out at the start of the season. It is unclear how much time Price will miss, but it may not be long. Nolan needs to play well when he gets his chances to show he can be a player in the league moving forward, whether with Portland or someone else.

-Jason "getting a chance is half the battle in the NBA" Evans

[bob blue devil]

looks like austin will be starting tonight, unfortunately due to lingering knee problems for gordon. congrats to austin, nonetheless.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8576622/eric-gordon-new-orleans-hornets-indefinitely

[Dev11]

looks like austin will be starting tonight, unfortunately due to lingering knee problems for gordon. congrats to austin, nonetheless.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8576622/eric-gordon-new-orleans-hornets-indefinitely

Good luck to Austin. Eric Gordon makes a ton of money, by the way.

[Double DD]

Maybe not in Portland, anyway. Didn't think he quite fit their style, lack of 3 point shooting notwithstanding. Another
go some place else might work better. Remember, he has all year to play better and impress some other team.

That's the issue. The odds are against another team giving him much of a shot. It's uncommon to decline a third year option and give up on a player this quickly and the few players it has happened to have been unsuccessful. Maybe Nolan can break the trend but it's not likely.

Here are the statuses of the 2010 1st rounders who didn't have their third year option picked up.

James Anderson - Not on an Opening Day roster
Craig Brackins - Not on an Opening Day roster
Damion James - Not on an Opening Day roster
Daniel Orton - Not on an Opening Day roster

Here are the 1st rounders from the 2005-2009 drafts who didn't have their third year option excercised and the amount of NBA games they played after their rookie contract ended.

2008
Joe Alexander - 0
JR Giddens - 0

2007
Morris Almond - 4

2006
Patrick O'Bryant - 50

2005
Yaroslav Korolev - 0
Julius Hodge - 0

[hq2]

Doesn't look promising, does it? Well, he can still play in Europe next year if it doesn't work out.
He was always kind of a 'tweener; too small to play 2, not a good enough passer or playmaker to
play 1. Still not convinced no one else in the NBA will pick him up, (might be a decent off the bench
combo guard) but if they don't he made some money anyway.

[Acymetric]

That's the issue. The odds are against another team giving him much of a shot. It's uncommon to decline a third year option and give up on a player this quickly and the few players it has happened to have been unsuccessful. Maybe Nolan can break the trend but it's not likely.

Here are the statuses of the 2010 1st rounders who didn't have their third year option picked up.

James Anderson - Not on an Opening Day roster
Craig Brackins - Not on an Opening Day roster
Damion James - Not on an Opening Day roster
Daniel Orton - Not on an Opening Day roster

Here are the 1st rounders from the 2005-2009 drafts who didn't have their third year option excercised and the amount of NBA games they played after their rookie contract ended.

2008
Joe Alexander - 0
JR Giddens - 0

2007
Morris Almond - 4

2006
Patrick O'Bryant - 50

2005
Yaroslav Korolev - 0
Julius Hodge - 0

Well Julius Hodge was shot, which may have affected his career. Other than that a lot of the guys don't sound familiar, but I will be surprised if he can't find a place to be a back up. Don't know enough about the other guys and their careers before and in the NBA to compare any of them to Nolan as a player...hope the best for him its awful hard for me to imagine he will be out of the NBA after 3 years.

[blazindw]

Kyle Singler, playing for my Pistons, has 8 points in 8 minutes so far in the opening game against the Rockets (currently in the 3rd). He's looked very smooth so far and you can tell that he's going to work his way to even more playing time as the season progresses!

[1 24 90]

Does anyone know why Miles isn't listed in the Pacers boxscore at all?

[timmy c]

Does anyone know why Miles isn't listed in the Pacers boxscore at all?

"Indiana head coach Frank Vogel said none of the rookies on the roster will be part of the rotation unless a veteran gets hurt. As such, Plumlee, Orlando Johnson and Ben Hansbrough can expect to be assigned to Fort Wayne at various points in the season, particularly when practice time is limited in Indiana." - Per ESPN.

Looks like it's Miles turn in Fort Wayne.

[roywhite]

Does anyone know why Miles isn't listed in the Pacers boxscore at all?

D-league for now, I believe, though it's part of the Pacers plan to use the D-league to rotate their rookies.

Unfortunately, looks like a second Hansbrough on the Pacers squad for now, and not Miles.

[theAlaskanBear]

I watched the Rockets vs Pistons tonight to get a look at Kyle Singler. I wasn't disappointed! Singler played 15 minutes and looked great out there -- 4-5 from the field with 10 points and 2 rebounds 1 block. He was always doing the right thing...tracing shots to the glass to rebound, defense, good passing, good shooting. He had an exceptional block. I think he will end up as the primary backup for Tayshaun Prince.

[Acymetric]

Nolan in! Maybe too early to write off his NBA career.

[sporthenry]

Nolan in! Maybe too early to write off his NBA career.

He is getting some burn but hasn't done a whole lot. 1-2 for 2 points and 2 assists with a turnover. Important thing to note is that Ronnie Price is out with an injury. He is expected to be ahead of Smith in the rotation but PT is still encouraging as Babbitt hasn't gotten off the bench.

Obviously Smith not getting his option picked up isn't a bode of confidence but I do think Portland is a unique situation and I wouldn't exactly compare Smith with the other guys whose 3rd year option wasn't picked up. Last year Portland was the youngest team in the league (can't find numbers for this year) and next year they will keep their draft pick if it is top 12 which will add more money. The thinking is they already have a lot of young talent on the cheap so they don't need much more and need veterans. They also have 2 second round picks next year who they can either use on foreign guys or other guys not expected to be on the roster to use that money for others.

As I type this, Smith is giving Lillard a breather and added another assist but almost had a turn over which led to a bad possession. Not sure if Smith will continue to get as much time when Price is healthy but I think he can at least be a journeyman NBA type.

As for the rest of the Dukies:

Singler had a good first game 4-5 (2-2 from 3) for 10 points in 16 minutes with 2 rebounds, 1 block and 1 turnover. (Daye had a DNP-CD which is good news for Singler)

As mentioned earlier, Miles didn't suit up for Indiana and will probably open the season up in the D-league. Apparently he was thinking too much and with Indiana expected to contend (at least as much as a team not named the Heat can contend) I don't see too much time for Miles.

Deng had one of those games 3-13 for 7 points but added 12 boards, 2 assists, 1 block and 4 turnovers.

Boozer was 8-13 for 18 points and 8 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 3 turnovers. (Expect these 2 guys to have very good years at least while Rose is out).

Rivers had a rough start going 1-9 for 7 points but just like at Duke shows a knack for getting to the line so if he ever finds a way to up his shooting % he could be a very efficient scorer. Also added 1 board, 2 assists and 3 turnovers.

Lance Thomas was a DNP-CD

Brand had one of his underrated stat stuffing game and could become a nice pickup for Dallas. Only went 2-8 for 5 points but added 7 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks with 2 turnovers.

Dahntay Jones added 2 points on 1-4 shooting in 8 minutes

Duhon will probably finish with 4 minutes, no shots and 1 assist. He should get some PT behind Blake and possible ahead of Meeks at times. If he can defend, he'll get some PT especially if Nash is injured for any amount of time but Blake has looked good.

Smith will finish with 14 minutes shooting 1-2 for 2 points with 2 assists and 1 turnover.

And Grant Hill is injured.

[hq2]

As mentioned earlier, Miles didn't suit up for Indiana and will probably open the season up in the D-league. Apparently he was thinking too much and with Indiana expected to contend (at least as much as a team not named the Heat can contend) I don't see too much time for Miles.


Not yet anyway. No one seems too concerned about it right now. They're a good team with some depth at his position, so
he can have time to develop. McBobs (who had better overall skills, BTW) took a year or so in the D league to develop too.
I'd say by mid-late season we'll see him getting some P.T. with the Pacers.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Short of running through ESPN or NBA.com, is there a site that compiles box scores for Dukies in the NBA? I can watch a game or two a week and prefer to see Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, and my hometown Chicago Bulls. I would like to get an update on what all the alumns are doing. Does such a site exist?

-- Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana
- Groucho Marx

[Bluedog]

Short of running through ESPN or NBA.com, is there a site that compiles box scores for Dukies in the NBA? I can watch a game or two a week and prefer to see Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, and my hometown Chicago Bulls. I would like to get an update on what all the alumns are doing. Does such a site exist?

-- Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana
- Groucho Marx

Somebody set up a Yahoo! Fantasy site tracking all the top colleges alumni and comparing their total output. Here is the link for Duke today (i.e. no games yet played today):
http://basketball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/nba/41159/1?stat1=S&stat2=D
You can also change it to last 7 days, last 14 days, etc. or click a player's name to get their individual game log.

Here is the leaderboard:
http://basketball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/league/tobaccoroad

[1 24 90]

Short of running through ESPN or NBA.com, is there a site that compiles box scores for Dukies in the NBA? I can watch a game or two a week and prefer to see Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, and my hometown Chicago Bulls. I would like to get an update on what all the alumns are doing. Does such a site exist?

-- Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana
- Groucho Marx

There's also an app that I have on my Android phone called "Blue Devils in the NBA". I look at it every morning to see how everyone did the night before. Someone mentioned this in another thread and I highly recommend it.

[moonpie23]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/937861-25-worst-nba-draft-picks-of-the-last-decade/page/32


we've got two........

[sporthenry]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/937861-25-worst-nba-draft-picks-of-the-last-decade/page/32


we've got two........

Never a big fan of them putting injured players on the list especially when the injury was not basketball related. With Oden, injury concerns were always there so I can understand that being a bad pick but I'd liken calling Jay Williams a bust to calling Len Bias a bust. Some people have had the audacity to do it but for the most part, people don't consider Bias a bust but a tragic story. I'd consider Jay Williams a similar tragic story with a better ending.

[sporthenry]

Somebody set up a Yahoo! Fantasy site tracking all the top colleges alumni and comparing their total output. Here is the link for Duke today (i.e. no games yet played today):
http://basketball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/nba/41159/1?stat1=S&stat2=D
You can also change it to last 7 days, last 14 days, etc. or click a player's name to get their individual game log.

Here is the leaderboard:
http://basketball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/league/tobaccoroad

Very cool, great idea. I'd say that finishing 3rd would be the ceiling for Duke unless something crazy happens. Perhaps we can surpass UNC but it would take a few players stepping up and UK will probably be pretty tough to beat especially when Wall comes back.

[grad_devil]

Short of running through ESPN or NBA.com, is there a site that compiles box scores for Dukies in the NBA? I can watch a game or two a week and prefer to see Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, and my hometown Chicago Bulls. I would like to get an update on what all the alumns are doing. Does such a site exist?

-- Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana
- Groucho Marx

I wrote something a couple of years ago that compiles all of the Dukies stats every night - http://huckleberry.mhc.edu/devilStats.html. It's not real time, but it updates after all of the games for the day are finished.

--grad_devil

[DavidBenAkiva]

I wrote something a couple of years ago that compiles all of the Dukies stats every night - http://huckleberry.mhc.edu/devilStats.html. It's not real time, but it updates after all of the games for the day are finished.

--grad_devil

Thanks, everyone!!!

[Reisen]

Never a big fan of them putting injured players on the list especially when the injury was not basketball related. With Oden, injury concerns were always there so I can understand that being a bad pick but I'd liken calling Jay Williams a bust to calling Len Bias a bust. Some people have had the audacity to do it but for the most part, people don't consider Bias a bust but a tragic story. I'd consider Jay Williams a similar tragic story with a better ending.

Yup, that list basically reads like a list of players whose careers have been hobbled by injuries. Williams, Livingston, Wright, Oden, etc. etc.

[Greg_Newton]

Very nice night for our alums tonight. JJ Redick had an efficient 21, 6 and 5, and Henderson and Boozer also scored around 20. Even McRoberts had a solid all-around game for the Magic, along with the #5 play on SC.

As for the rookies, Kyle was 5th on the Pistons in minutes and played the entire fourth quarter before nailing a three with 4.2 seconds left to bring them within 2 (they lost by 3, though). Austin only had 2 points, but had 6 assists and did a decent job playing within the offense as a combo guard. Miles is currently in the NBDL.

[1999ballboy]

Agree, great night for Dukies. However, is Miles in the NBDL or not? He appears to have been listed on the 13-man roster unlike the Pacers' opening night- just got a DNP - Coach's Decision. I expect to see him in some games this year.

I'm especially encouraged by Kyle's continual minutes with the Pistons, and by J.J.'s strong performance tonight. G was the Bobcats' best player last year, but no one noticed since the team was so bad. Hopefully Kemba Walker, who I've always liked a lot, will help to get them both noticed a little more.

[sporthenry]

Agree, great night for Dukies. However, is Miles in the NBDL or not? He appears to have been listed on the 13-man roster unlike the Pacers' opening night- just got a DNP - Coach's Decision. I expect to see him in some games this year.


From my brief parsing of the CBA, you can have 15 players on your roster and can dress up to 13 on any given night. Miles was inactive the first night (thus leading many to assume he will be going to the D-league) but was active tonight because Jeff Pendergraph is injured. The D-league doesn't start til the end of November and they just had their draft tonight. I expect that Miles will be sent down as soon as the season starts and perhaps earlier for their preseason equivalent (of which I'm not familiar but I assume they practice together at least a bit). Either way, don't expect Miles to make much in terms of waves in the NBA this year. He is too far behind the depth chart (unless Pendergraph has a nagging injury) but he will prove to be a cheaper role player going forward perhaps replacing Hansbrough as he looks for a bigger contract.

[Acymetric]

From my brief parsing of the CBA, you can have 15 players on your roster and can dress up to 13 on any given night. Miles was inactive the first night (thus leading many to assume he will be going to the D-league) but was active tonight because Jeff Pendergraph is injured. The D-league doesn't start til the end of November and they just had their draft tonight. I expect that Miles will be sent down as soon as the season starts and perhaps earlier for their preseason equivalent (of which I'm not familiar but I assume they practice together at least a bit). Either way, don't expect Miles to make much in terms of waves in the NBA this year. He is too far behind the depth chart (unless Pendergraph has a nagging injury) but he will prove to be a cheaper role player going forward perhaps replacing Hansbrough as he looks for a bigger contract.

People didn't assume he was going to the D-league. The Pacers have said that none of the rookies will be part of the regular rotation, and to get them some work in they will rotate between the Pacers and their D-league affiliate. Of course, he can't go to the d-league until it actually gets started, as you mentioned. Expect him to be on the game roster occasionally but he probably won't get many minutes this season barring injury to the frontcourt.

[theAlaskanBear]

Let me tell you, just three days in and NBA League Pass might be my favorite purchase ever. If I am found dead one morning it is because I have ODed on basketball!

Wanted to post a couple of notes from watching both Bulls games. The ball movement of Chicago is tremendous, and Boozer has started the season at a high level. The pick and roll game between him and Heinrich against the Cavs was just deadly. There is more of a conscious effort to play through Boozer on the elbows, and he rewarded the Bulls with 19pts, 7rebs, and 6ast!

I have to wonder, from what I have seen from the season so far if Rose might might deserve more criticism a la Westbrook for his style of play. Or maybe it is just the quality of the Bulls opponents so far.

I think that the Bulls should rest Rose as long as possible, and that Thibs is probably the best coach in the league.

Also, non-Duke related, but can we talk about the Rockets, HOLY COW. I was skeptical of Lin's ability translated to a full season and starting minutes. Harden and Lin might just be the best back court in the league. No, I can't believe those words just left my mouth.

[sporthenry]

People didn't assume he was going to the D-league. The Pacers have said that none of the rookies will be part of the regular rotation, and to get them some work in they will rotate between the Pacers and their D-league affiliate. Of course, he can't go to the d-league until it actually gets started, as you mentioned. Expect him to be on the game roster occasionally but he probably won't get many minutes this season barring injury to the frontcourt.

Well the assumption was that Miles will be the first to go to the NBDL and that he had already gone to the D-league. I know Vogel said they'll all see some time but the assumption was that Miles would be first and that he was already there.

[nmduke2001]

Turkoglu underwent surgery today on the hand he broke last night. Magic likely will go small with Afflalo at the 3 and JJ at the 2.

http://nba.si.com/2012/11/02/magics-hedo-turkuglo-breaks-left-hand-in-season-opener/#more-24040

If they go big, Josh McRoberts will likely see more PT.

btw, they looked great last night. Maybe it was Dwight holding them back....

[hq2]

Turkoglu underwent surgery today on the hand he broke last night. Magic likely will go small with Afflalo at the 3 and JJ at the 2.

http://nba.si.com/2012/11/02/magics-hedo-turkuglo-breaks-left-hand-in-season-opener/#more-24040

If they go big, Josh McRoberts will likely see more PT.

btw, they looked great last night. Maybe it was Dwight holding them back....

I think J.J. can have some fun this year. I mean, the team is gonna be lousy anyway, so there's no
expectation or pressure for him to win. He can go out and just bomb away with virtual impunity,
without having to worry about being accused of being a gun or a ball hog. I think we'll see some 30
point games from him this year. Why not? Hey, he can still shoot lights out!:cool:

[Jim3k]

Dun, 29. Kyrie, 27. Both involved in plays with less than a second on the clock. Dun's pass to Jennings was the winner, but the tape is being sent to the league office.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/jennings-3-buzzer-lifts-bucks-041421857--nba.html

Two Blue Devils in the spotlight. Fun times.

[hq2]

Josh McRoberts played 27 minutes off the bench on Friday against the Nuggets, scoring nine points on 4-of-4 shooting with seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block.

Pretty good line for McBobs; think he'll get some more P.T. with Turkoglu out. J.J. went for
24 today in another Magic win. Hey folks, this could be the year of J.J.; he's got the green light
(and the ball) now! They have no pressure down there; they can just go out, play and have fun!
Who knows, they might even win some more games too!

[Greg_Newton]

JJ Redick is currently averaging 22.5 PTS, 6 AST, 2.5 RBS and 1 STL for the undefeated Magic on 64% FG (75% 3PT) with a 4.0 AST/TO ratio.






Granted, it's only two games, but still. :cool:

[Billy Dat]

JJ Redick is currently averaging 22.5 PTS, 6 AST, 2.5 RBS and 1 STL for the undefeated Magic on 64% FG (75% 3PT) with a 4.0 AST/TO ratio.
Granted, it's only two games, but still. :cool:

I have seen a lot of speculation that JJ will be prime trade-deadline fodder as contenders look to add an important cog and the Magic continue their post-Dwight rebuild. He's in the prime of his career and I want to keep watching him in the playoffs.

[COYS]

I have seen a lot of speculation that JJ will be prime trade-deadline fodder as contenders look to add an important cog and the Magic continue their post-Dwight rebuild. He's in the prime of his career and I want to keep watching him in the playoffs.

He really does continue to add to his game, too. He's turned himself into a solid defender and, starting last season, has really added to his passing skills. He's actually a pretty dang good facilitator at this point. Personally, I hope he gets traded as I too would like to see him play in the playoffs rather than languish on a terrible Orlando team that does not look like it will improve much in the near future.

[MIKESJ73]

After week 1, Duke has taken over 1st place on the Alumni Fantasy link above. UNC is Second and Kentucky 3rd...

I have a fantasy team that includes Kyrie, Loul, Brand, JJ, Hendo and Dunleavy. I am kicking myself for starting Eric Gordon over JJ last week, it cost me the win. I picked up Dunleavy on waivers after he had a big week, hopefully he keeps it up.

[mike88]

I was prepared for the Magic to approach 2011-12 Bobcat-level play this year, but after the first two (home) games, they are looking very good, even without Turk and Jameer last night. JJ is a big part of this- his passing last night was every bit as good as his shooting, and the whole team is playing unselfish and aggressive basketball. If you have a chance, check out the third quarter from last night's game - it was some of the best team play you will see. In addition to JJ, E'twan Moore, Afflalo, Vucevich and BB Davis all stepped up; even McRoberts seems to have found his groove. Props to Coach Vaughn for getting his guys on the same page so quickly. We will see if they can carry it over to the road, as they are at Chicago for an election night game with the Bulls (a 4 Duke player night!)

[OldSchool]

As for the rookies, Kyle was 5th on the Pistons in minutes and played the entire fourth quarter before nailing a three with 4.2 seconds left to bring them within 2 (they lost by 3, though).

On the last play in which Detroit had an opportunity for a three to tie, during the inbounds play Kyle successfully lost his man thanks to a down screen and got himself open in the corner. The inbounder (I think it was Tayshaun) stiffed him and held the ball for a while longer before finally throwing it in to Knight who was double-teamed and threw up a hopeless shot. I hope for Kyle's sake that this is not a continuation of the bad old dysfunctional Pistons of recent years.

[hq2]

they are looking very good, even without Turk and Jameer last night.

Or should we say, because they're without Turk and Jameer! Now they're playing guys who will actually pass the ball,
so J.J. actually gets it when he's open now. What a change!

[flyingdutchdevil]

No one is surprised that JJ is lighting it up. I love his game right now - solid D, really good passing, and exceptional shooting.

For these three reasons, I think that JJ is the perfect 6th man in the NBA. We will never be a franchise-type player (because how many franchise players are exceptional three-point shooters and mediocre at getting to the rim), but he can play a Jamal Crawford-type player. I see JJ as Harden-light, minus the ability to get to the rim that effectively.

I know it will never happen, but I would love to see JJ on the Lakers as a super-sixth man. The Lakers need depth, and JJ can close out games with Nash, JJ, Bryant, Gasol, and Howard on the floor. Plus, Howard and JJ made each other better when they were playing together in Orlando and already have great chemistry.

Anywho, my two cents.

[hq2]

Kyle getting good press in Detroit (for a bad team).

http://www.rantsports.com/nba/2012/11/05/detroit-pistons-like-what-they-see-in-kyle-singler-2/

That year overseas working on his shooting was just what he needed!

[gep]

Also on the same page as Kyle's article, a link to JJ... :cool:

http://www.rantsports.com/nba/2012/11/05/j-j-redick-is-more-than-just-a-shooter/

[moonpie23]

watching orlando/chicago game....i'm beginning to see the magic dwight-less...they are scrappy...

jj just missed back to back 3's...but the guy is in phenomenal shape... he's got a great bb iq

[wk2109]

http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/outside-shot/Luol-Deng-to-Represent-Home-Country-During-Intros-177530921.html


"I love Duke, it's nothing against Duke," Deng said to ESPN Chicago after practice on Monday. "Me and Coach K are friends, everything is fine. I just felt like I didn't get to do it last year, but after we got our independence, being from South Sudan, I wanted people to recognize South Sudan. A lot of times we'll still say South Sudan and a lot of people say you're in Sudan, but we're our own nation now. So (as a way) of recognition, whoever's sitting in the crowd, or listening at home on TV and hears that, they can go and Google it. South Sudan is its own nation, so I'm proud of that."

[nmduke2001]

http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/outside-shot/Luol-Deng-to-Represent-Home-Country-During-Intros-177530921.html

Thank you for posting this. I was wondering why they didn't say Duke last night. Now, I know.

[Jderf]

http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/outside-shot/Luol-Deng-to-Represent-Home-Country-During-Intros-177530921.html

Hard to argue with that line of reasoning. It's good to see that Luol is representing Duke well, whether or not they announce the school's name.

[COYS]

Hard to argue with that line of reasoning. It's good to see that Luol is representing Duke well, whether or not they announce the school's name.

This only makes me respect Luol, more. Good for him and way to represent the right shade of blue!

[JNort]

So far Irving is killing it and its now halftime. 12 pts 4 boards 4 assists to Barnes 3 points 1 board 1 assist and they have played about the same amount of time (16 to 13 min)

[jimrowe0]

So far Irving is killing it and its now halftime. 12 pts 4 boards 4 assists to Barnes 3 points 1 board 1 assist and they have played about the same amount of time (16 to 13 min)

Kyrie finished with 28 pts, 6 boards, and 7 assists. Without Varejao and Zeller they couldn't pull out the win.

If Kyrie stays healthy he will be an All Star this year.

[TheDukeCreed]

Shane Battier: “I’m undersized every night, but I like to think I’m quicker in the mind,” Battier said. “If we’re playing Jeopardy, I like my chances against any power forward in the league. Print that.”

I just love Shane Battier!! ;)

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/15707/small-lineup-set-for-big-challenges

[hq2]

Shane Battier: “I’m undersized every night, but I like to think I’m quicker in the mind,” Battier said. “If we’re playing Jeopardy, I like my chances against any power forward in the league. Print that.”

I just love Shane Battier!! ;)

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/15707/small-lineup-set-for-big-challenges


Hey, Battier found out something a long time ago: he's smarter than almost all the guys in the league! He learned something; he can
use his smarts to figure out how to help his team win games (hey, how about that!). Which is why he was the winningest player in Duke
history. And that's why, at age 34, he's still starting, for the best team in the league. When you look at last year's finals and the year
before, what was the difference? I knew, once he went to the Heat, he was at absolutely the right place for his skills. Hats off to Battier
for maintaining his relevance, even late in his career.

[Billy Dat]

ESPN's highly respected, by me at least, David Thorpe has Kyle ranked #8 in his Rookie Rankings. Nice write-up:

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/players/rookies/rankings

For those not paid subscribers, he basically says that Singler is one of the lone bright spots, shows that he can be an NBA rotation player (no small praise, that basically means he's a top 8 guy on the team), and says he's got big upside on his shooting. Singler is turning heads!

[Neals384]

ESPN's highly respected, by me at least, David Thorpe has Kyle ranked #8 in his Rookie Rankings. Nice write-up:

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/players/rookies/rankings

For those not paid subscribers, he basically says that Singler is one of the lone bright spots, shows that he can be an NBA rotation player (no small praise, that basically means he's a top 8 guy on the team), and says he's got big upside on his shooting. Singler is turning heads!

Right now Kyle is rated #1 among all NBA rookies in "true shooting percentage" at .686. Anthony Davis is second at .660 but has only played 2 games.

Not a bad start and if there's upside from this I'll take it!

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/statistics/_/position/rookies/sort/trueShootingPct

[TheDukeCreed]

Nice article about Kyrie Irving. :D

Something to read before game time.

offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/irving-may-be-under-the-radar-but-not-for-long/ (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/irving-may-be-under-the-radar-but-not-for-long/)

[hq2]

Saw Mike Dunleavy play a couple of times against the Celtics this week. Could
see why he never became a star in the NBA; too slow to play D at three, not
strong enough to play D at 4. Pierce scored on him repeatedly; when he played
up, he drove around him, when played off, he shot over him. Oh well; at least
the C's actually beat a decent (not great) team.

[NSDukeFan]

Saw Mike Dunleavy play a couple of times against the Celtics this week. Could
see why he never became a star in the NBA; too slow to play D at three, not
strong enough to play D at 4. Pierce scored on him repeatedly; when he played
up, he drove around him, when played off, he shot over him. Oh well; at least
the C's actually beat a decent (not great) team.

You may be right, but Dunleavy is in his 11th year as a solid player and Pierce can score on LeBron, so I don't think that's an indictment of Dunleavy's D.

[FerryFor50]

Don't see much mention of it, but Kyle Singler is really making the most of his playing time with the Pistons. Shooting well, making sound decisions...

Good to see!

[1999ballboy]

Kyle earned a starting spot today, played 40 minutes and scored 16, and the Pistons got their first win. That has to bode well for him. I haven't had the chance to watch him play with them yet, but it sounds like he's doing great.

[hq2]

Kyle earned a starting spot today, played 40 minutes and scored 16, and the Pistons got their first win. That has to bode well for him. I haven't had the chance to watch him play with them yet, but it sounds like he's doing great.

That year in Europe was absolutely the perfect thing for him. Kyle has always had an all-around floor game, but his shooting until recently wasn't quite good enough. Now, with a year over there to work on it (where a lot of guys shoot lights out) he has gotten it up to the level of the rest of his game. Much better than sitting on the bench with the Pistons last year or bouncing around the D-league. Now, looks like he's on his way to the NBA career we thought he would have a few years ago.

[Billy Dat]

Kyle earned a starting spot today, played 40 minutes and scored 16, and the Pistons got their first win. That has to bode well for him. I haven't had the chance to watch him play with them yet, but it sounds like he's doing great.

Here's an excellent write up of the game with a focus on Kyle:
http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/2012/11/detroit_pistons_pleased_by_kyl.html

For whatever reason, it amuses me that Corey Maggette is one of the team sages. When a kid leaves our program early, especially after one year, it's hard not to think of him always being a freshman.

Also, it looks like Kyle picked up some new nicknames. Sounds like he's team really appreciates him.

[Billy Dat]

Zach Lowe on Miami's defense with some great praise of Battier.
http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/42920/unit-watch-the-heats-problem-on-defense

Lowe is really a gifted NBA writer. He is always teaching the deeper X&O game to his readers.

[Greg_Newton]

Kyle ballin':


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWcXTX5vQXE

[Greg_Newton]

Beautiful:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prtVUM9CAkw

[Jderf]

What Kyrie does at the 1:52 mark of that video should be illegal. Straight-up disrespectful. Watch the eyes of Childress after Kyrie dishes the ball -- he has absolutely no idea where that orange round thing went.

[Big Pappa]

JJ continues to impress with an 18 point, 7 assist, and 4 rebound game on Tuesday. He is now averaging 31.7 MPG, 14.7 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 2.4 RPG while shooting over 48% from the floor through 7 games. He has really adapted his game to the NBA and worked his butt off to make an impact. He will always be my favorite Dukie, but the way he has worked and the effort he has put in during his time in the NBA makes me appreciate him even more.

[moonpie23]

bucket man and uncle drew......loving it....


I love seeing jj command respect...

[Dev11]

I went to the Nuggets-Heat game yesterday, and Shane Battier was doing all the Shane Battier things you might expect. The Heat had a comfortable lead going into the fourth, and Spoelstra took out most of the starters, allowing the Nuggets to come back. Once they were within 4 or 5, the starters came back, and Shane proceeded to make a bunch of threes and take a brilliant fast-break charge on Ty Lawson (side note: I enjoy watching Ty Lawson much more when he's slicing to the hole in arenas not called Cameron) that had the Nuggets fans irate. It was evident that Battier was also directing traffic on defense a lot. The Heat are really a sight to behold.

[Big Pappa]

I went to the Nuggets-Heat game yesterday, and Shane Battier was doing all the Shane Battier things you might expect. The Heat had a comfortable lead going into the fourth, and Spoelstra took out most of the starters, allowing the Nuggets to come back. Once they were within 4 or 5, the starters came back, and Shane proceeded to make a bunch of threes and take a brilliant fast-break charge on Ty Lawson (side note: I enjoy watching Ty Lawson much more when he's slicing to the hole in arenas not called Cameron) that had the Nuggets fans irate. It was evident that Battier was also directing traffic on defense a lot. The Heat are really a sight to behold.

Incredible game by Shane! I'm jealous that you got to see it in person. He finished with 18 points on 6-7 shooting, 3 boards, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal. He and LeBron carried the Heat.

[moonpie23]

you think lebron has earned shane's cell number yet? i'm guessing he's pretty close... :rolleyes:

[Greg_Newton]

Not sure if anyone caught the end of the Pistons-Magic game tonight, but it was like a Duke fan's dream - starting NBA SGs JJ Redick and Kyle Singler literally going back and forth to decide an NBA game. The final minute:

0:47 - Singler rips Redick, gets fouled on fast break layup, hits 2 FT for 102-101 lead
0:42 - Redick hits a three in Singler's face (104-102)
0:17 - Detroit misses, Redick handles ball whole possession, runs pick and roll against Singler and passes to Davis, who scores. (106-102
0:09 - Singler scores at rim (106-104)
0:07 - Redick fouled, hits both FTs to seal game (108-104)

Redick finished with 23 points and 5 assists and Singler had 14 with a +17 +/- (the only other Piston with a positive +/- was +3).

Also, is it just me, or does Kyle look twice as fast as he used to?

[mr. synellinden]

Not sure if anyone caught the end of the Pistons-Magic game tonight, but it was like a Duke fan's dream - starting NBA SGs JJ Redick and Kyle Singler literally going back and forth to decide an NBA game. The final minute:

0:47 - Singler rips Redick, gets fouled on fast break layup, hits 2 FT for 102-101 lead
0:42 - Redick hits a three in Singler's face (104-102)
0:17 - Detroit misses, Redick handles ball whole possession, runs pick and roll against Singler and passes to Davis, who scores. (106-102
0:09 - Singler scores at rim (106-104)
0:07 - Redick fouled, hits both FTs to seal game (108-104)

Redick finished with 23 points and 5 assists and Singler had 14 with a +17 +/- (the only other Piston with a positive +/- was +3).

Also, is it just me, or does Kyle look twice as fast as he used to?

Here's the box score (http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400277843). I think it is worth looking at just to see how much that +17 by Singler stands out.

[basket1544]

Thanks for the recap Greg_Newton. I'm at my parents' for the weekend and was unable to see the game. Just read the end of the game play-by-play from ESPN and started laughing my head off. Sounds like it was even better than what I read.

[dukejim1]

Here's the box score (http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400277843). I think it is worth looking at just to see how much that +17 by Singler stands out.

The really significant piece of that stat sheet was that Singler got his first start and the Pistons first win when Stuckey was hurt. Stuckey returned tonight and came off the bench. Singler was plus 17 and Stuckey -19.

[JBDuke]

Here's the box score (http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400277843). I think it is worth looking at just to see how much that +17 by Singler stands out.

Also noteworthy that McRoberts came off the bench for Orlando to score 7 points (including 1-1 from 3!) and grab 2 boards in just 9 minutes. His +7 number was second on the team.

[hq2]

Got a chance to see Kyle some last night against the Cs. Looked pretty good; started, had his usual all around floor game,
scored 14 points in 24 minutes in a win. His shooting, the one deficiency in his game, is clearly at an NBA level now. He
really looked in place out there. That year in Europe really helped him out a lot.

[nocilla]

Uncle Drew out 4 weeks with a broken finger.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8654173/kyrie-irving-cleveland-cavaliers-month-broken-finger

[Billy Dat]

Battier torching the nets from 3, guarding huge monsters in the post
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/19/3104119/small-ball-nets-big-results-for.html

[NSDukeFan]

Battier torching the nets from 3, guarding huge monsters in the post
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/19/3104119/small-ball-nets-big-results-for.html

I like this quote from Battier, sounding kind of K-like:

History has proven if you’re shooting open three-pointers, then you’re going to shoot a higher percentage than on contested ones.

[moonpie23]

Battier 2020!!!!

[hq2]

Battier 2020!!!!

I'm guessing closer to 2028. Hope to be at his inaugural!

[Billy Dat]

Knicks vs Hornets tonight - I was disappointed that the unibrow was not playing but I got to watch Austin and Lance (and Greivous). First off, sans Davis and injured Eric Gordon, the Hornets are really weakened. Austin looked OK...if you haven't seen him play in the NBA, yet, he's not quite as confident and ball dominant. He played 36 minutes and had 14 and 4 assists...he's coming along. Lance was tough, 8 points and 3 boards in 22 minutes and he had to guard Melo at times - and Melo had it rolling tonight.

Hey Starter - are you feeling any better about the Knicks right now? You have to admit they look better then we thought they'd look. The Amare injury was a blessing.

[Billy Dat]

Interesting video critique of Austin's young NBA career from TrueHoop TV - Henry Abbott and Amin Elhassan (5 minutes in length)

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:8656198

[sporthenry]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--carmelo-anthony-s-improved-defense-makes-him-legit-mvp-candidate-200105942.html

I'll put this here. Interesting article about Melo finally playing defense and some liken it to the Olympic experience and watching players like Kobe and Lebron buy in. I know it doesn't mention K specifically but I don't think it is a stretch to recognize how K was influential in this. The Olympics were probably one of the first places where a coach was willing to sit him if he didn't buy in (granted it is much easier at the Olympics with 12 all stars on the bench) along with seeing other players as good or better be willing to play defense. I also know that K loved what Melo brought despite many thinking his defense left a lot to be desired.

[hq2]

Interesting video critique of Austin's young NBA career from TrueHoop TV - Henry Abbott and Amin Elhassan (5 minutes in length)

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:8656198

Kind of early to say how Austin will do in the pros. IMHO, he came out a year early. He really
needed another year to work on both his defense and passing. Now, he'll have to learn on the
job. However, I do have my doubts about how much better he's going to get at either, since he's
already had more than 10 years to learn them from his dad, who was pretty decent at both.
My bet is he will get better at them because he will have to, otherwise he won't play; but whether
he improves enough to be a good NBA player remains to be seen. Also, he isn't shooting well enough;
right now he's at only 32%, which is clearly not good enough.

He sort of reminds me a little of Corey Maggette, who came out too early as a freshman and took years to mature as an NBA player. However, Austin does not have Maggette's athleticism, and as stated earlier, has already had time with Doc to work on his passing and defense. Consequently, it doesn't appear that he has as much upside as Maggette. I therefore don't think the pros will be as patient with him. We'll see what happens.

[juise]

Nice night for JJ tonight and Lance was solid. Austin has lost his starting spot. What really interests me is the trash talking that's been flying between former Duke roommates (http://www.foxsportsflorida.com/11/22/12/Battiers-claim-prompts-different-trash-t/landing_heat.html?blockID=824297&feedID=3720) (well, at least I think they were in 2001).

[OldSchool]

Nice night for JJ tonight and Lance was solid. Austin has lost his starting spot. What really interests me is the trash talking that's been flying between former Duke roommates (http://www.foxsportsflorida.com/11/22/12/Battiers-claim-prompts-different-trash-t/landing_heat.html?blockID=824297&feedID=3720) (well, at least I think they were in 2001).

They're lucky Gminski is no longer in the league. The G-man would school all those guys at Jeopardy.

[1 24 90]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/video/2012/11/21/OffTheCourtBucketsmp4-2300674

Kyle gets buckets - NBA edition

[Dukeblue91]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/video/2012/11/21/OffTheCourtBucketsmp4-2300674

Kyle gets buckets - NBA edition

That was pretty neat.

[ChillinDuke]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/video/2012/11/21/OffTheCourtBucketsmp4-2300674

Kyle gets buckets - NBA edition

He does it on the court too. Had 16 today with 3 boards and an assist on 5 of 7 shooting all while limited due to foul trouble (he was subbed out in the 3rd when he found a nice groove).

- Chillin

[FerryFor50]

Kyle dropped 16 again, with 10 boards and 5 assists. Really developing well!

[Billy Dat]

John Hollinger ‏@johnhollinger
I was so wrong about Singler. Fantastic first half tonight. Bargain of a contract too.

Amazing Line...36 mins, 16 pts, 10 boards, 5 assts, 2 steals, 1 blk, +13....and a W!

[sporthenry]

Kind of early to say how Austin will do in the pros. IMHO, he came out a year early. He really
needed another year to work on both his defense and passing. Now, he'll have to learn on the
job. However, I do have my doubts about how much better he's going to get at either, since he's
already had more than 10 years to learn them from his dad, who was pretty decent at both.
My bet is he will get better at them because he will have to, otherwise he won't play; but whether
he improves enough to be a good NBA player remains to be seen. Also, he isn't shooting well enough;
right now he's at only 32%, which is clearly not good enough.

He sort of reminds me a little of Corey Maggette, who came out too early as a freshman and took years to mature as an NBA player. However, Austin does not have Maggette's athleticism, and as stated earlier, has already had time with Doc to work on his passing and defense. Consequently, it doesn't appear that he has as much upside as Maggette. I therefore don't think the pros will be as patient with him. We'll see what happens.

I'm very intrigued to see how AR develops. As you mention, I think the fact he has been with Doc his whole life actually decreases his potential a bit since he already has been taught much of the game. His biggest weakness is his shooting. While he shot fine in college, it still wasn't a strength and I wondered if his chicken wing shot would catch up to him. Seems to be very off and on. Hitting FT at 72% clip which isn't terrible but against the Knicks he was 2-7 from the stripe and tonight he was 1-4. I think FT shooting is usually a good indicator of a shooter and he obviously needs to work on consistency.

The last two games he has been coming off the bench and he seems to be doing a bit better with that. Last game he was only 2-10 from the floor for 5 points but did a little bit of everything with 6 boards, 6 assists, 1 block, 2 steals, and 3 TOs. Tonight, he was 5-9 from the floor and 3-4 from beyond the arc for 14 points, 6 assists, and 1 board and only 1 TO.

His assists seem to be going up and TOs coming down, so I think that aspect will be better going forward. Additionally, scouts love his freeze moves and although I wouldn't call him the quickest guy, his ability to get to the rim is among the best with young players. So he will buy some time in the NBA with his ability to break guys down and get to the rim.

Defense will probably be his ticket to a long fruitful career as a starter/combo guard and that is one thing K could have helped teach him. Additionally, he will have to become a more consistent shooter but he still has a future.

[Neals384]

John Hollinger ‏@johnhollinger
I was so wrong about Singler. Fantastic first half tonight. Bargain of a contract too.

Amazing Line...36 mins, 16 pts, 10 boards, 5 assts, 2 steals, 1 blk, +13....and a W!

Kyle's most important stat:

Pistons with Kyle coming off the bench: 0-8
Pistons with Kyle starting: 4-3

[gumbomoop]

Singler.... Amazing Line...36 mins, 16 pts, 10 boards, 5 assts, 2 steals, 1 blk, +13....and a W!

Friendly amendment to S's line: FG - 6 for 7, and 3pt-FG - 3 for 3. Super efficient 16 pts.

[COYS]

I think a lot of the basketball world besides Duke fans are probably a little surprised at Kyle's success, so far. At Duke, he was the focus of opposing defenses on the offensive end and a vastly underrated defender. Granted, it was probably difficult to say with certainty that he was ever the absolute best player on any of his Duke teams, but, even at the outset of his freshman, he was always in the running for best Duke player. Now that he's in the NBA, he's surrounded by other players that take a little bit more of the defense's attention (although, that is not as true in Detroit as it would be on another, better NBA team). The one thing I worried a little bit about his transition to the NBA was that his shooting was never consistent in college, despite his excellent mechanics. That, however, has not been a problem, so far, as he's actually been shooting better in the NBA than he did in Spain or in college. Kyle probably won't become an All Star, but I think he will sneak up on people and have a long and successful NBA career. Just as his place in the Duke record books will probably be difficult for casual fans to recall when trying to answer trivia questions twenty years from now, in 5 years I bet Kyle will be the most underrated Dukie in the NBA who probably deserves to be starting on any Dukies in the NBA starting five.

[g-money]

He does it on the court too. Had 16 today with 3 boards and an assist on 5 of 7 shooting all while limited due to foul trouble (he was subbed out in the 3rd when he found a nice groove).

- Chillin

It's awesome to see Kyle, a kid that gave everything he had to Duke, doing well in the Association. Four-year guys like Singler and Shane make me proud to be a Duke alum and fan.

But to me his outstanding game last night was tempered a bit by his former Duke teammate riding pine on the other end of the court.

Does anybody know what's up with Nolan? I guess I'm amazed at how differently things appear to be turning out for the stars of our 2010 championship team, particularly based on where they were drafted.

Is Portland some sort of black hole for young players?
Or, do NBA scouts have no idea what they're doing?
Or, is Europe that good at developing players?

I'm puzzled.

[ice-9]

I think a lot of the basketball world besides Duke fans are probably a little surprised at Kyle's success, so far. At Duke, he was the focus of opposing defenses on the offensive end and a vastly underrated defender. Granted, it was probably difficult to say with certainty that he was ever the absolute best player on any of his Duke teams, but, even at the outset of his freshman, he was always in the running for best Duke player. Now that he's in the NBA, he's surrounded by other players that take a little bit more of the defense's attention (although, that is not as true in Detroit as it would be on another, better NBA team). The one thing I worried a little bit about his transition to the NBA was that his shooting was never consistent in college, despite his excellent mechanics. That, however, has not been a problem, so far, as he's actually been shooting better in the NBA than he did in Spain or in college. Kyle probably won't become an All Star, but I think he will sneak up on people and have a long and successful NBA career. Just as his place in the Duke record books will probably be difficult for casual fans to recall when trying to answer trivia questions twenty years from now, in 5 years I bet Kyle will be the most underrated Dukie in the NBA who probably deserves to be starting on any Dukies in the NBA starting five.

For me it's his shooting. If Kyle shot well his senior season he would've contended for NPOY honors. For whatever reason he just seemed to be in a season-long slump. Now that his shooting is back he's the devastatingly good glue-guy player we all projected him to be in the NBA.

[Billy Dat]

This episode of ESPN's True Hoop TV focuses on John Henson and Kyle Singler
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/51983/truehoop-tv-thorpe-on-rookies

The Kyle part starts at the 3:30 mark. David Thorpe lauds Singler and makes an interesting critique of Duke players. He says that K is the best motivator in the world, and that kind of motivation doesn't happen in the NBA. You have to have the fire burning inside to make it happen in the NBA. He says that Kyle has that fire and someone like Shelden did not. I've also heard him say that C-Well lacked that fire when he had his shot at the NBA. Anyway, the Kyle stuff is great.

Speaking of Henson, I watched a little of the Bucks last night as they played the Knicks. The DBR depth denizens should root for the Bucks because Scott Skiles is currently playing 12 players 10 minutes or more per game - a 12 man rotation. It's insane. Mike Dunleavy is still over there and looking good, coming off the bench, putting up double figures each game.

[sporthenry]

Well Shane Battier is going to miss some time with a knee injury and right when he goes down, the Heat fall apart against the Spurs second stringers.

Popovich sent home Parker, Manu, Duncan, and Danny Green after being forced to play 4 road games in 5 nights while the Heat were fully rested. This is Pop's little barb to the NBA so naturally Stern gets upset and threatens "substantial sanctions."

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8692304/san-antonio-spurs-sit-4-top-5-scorers-vs-miami-heat

Wonder what happens if they pull this game out against the Heat? Not sure how you can sanction someone for resting players which amounts to accusing them of throwing a game that they ultimately win. Maybe Pop should just send those 4 home for the rest of the year? Of course I'm not serious but Stern might jump into Roger Goodell territory here.

[hq2]

But to me his outstanding game last night was tempered a bit by his former Duke teammate riding pine on the other end of the court.

Does anybody know what's up with Nolan? I guess I'm amazed at how differently things appear to be turning out for the stars of our 2010 championship team, particularly based on where they were drafted.

Saw him play last night against the Cs'. Took five shots, missed 'em all. Doesn't look like he has much
future in Portland; may be in Europe next year. We'll see.

[mike88]

In what was perhaps the biggest upset of the NBA regular season so far, the Magic came into LA last night and handed their former teammate Dwight Howard and his Laker cronies their 9th loss of the season. JJ had 14 points and 7 assists; Afflalo put up 30, and BB Davis and Jameer turned in solid performances as well. The Magic came from 7 down and scored 40 in the 4th quarter to pull out the win, aided by Hack-a-Howard (Dwight went 7 of 14 from the line)

[COYS]

This episode of ESPN's True Hoop TV focuses on John Henson and Kyle Singler
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/51983/truehoop-tv-thorpe-on-rookies

The Kyle part starts at the 3:30 mark. David Thorpe lauds Singler and makes an interesting critique of Duke players. He says that K is the best motivator in the world, and that kind of motivation doesn't happen in the NBA. You have to have the fire burning inside to make it happen in the NBA. He says that Kyle has that fire and someone like Shelden did not. I've also heard him say that C-Well lacked that fire when he had his shot at the NBA. Anyway, the Kyle stuff is great.


I saw this, too. I like Thorpe a lot but I think he's a little off. I do think Coach K is an amazing motivator, but he's also just about the best at exploiting his teams' (and individual players') strengths and minimizing their weaknesses. Shelden was very good at Duke, but that's in large part because Coach K kept him close to the basket where his size relative to most college forwards and centers allowed him to shoot right around the basket area. Similarly, on defense, Shelden did not need to guard out on the perimeter very often. He was very good at hedging and recovering, but otherwise, Shelden did not switch off of his man. Shelden didn't need to shoot jumpers (he wasn't particularly good at them) and didn't need to move around perimeter on defense (where he was a liability). In the NBA, however, he didn't have the size or hops to play center and he didn't have the mobility or jump shot to play PF. I'm not sure that it was purely motivation that prevented Shelden from becoming a mainstay in the NBA. I'm a Hawks fan as well as a Duke fan and obviously love Shelden, but I was surprised and a little apprehensive when the Hawks drafted him 5th overall in '06. While he is in Europe now, he could still be in the NBA as a reserve, which I think is the role he probably should have been projected to fill from the start. Shelden should probably have been a late first rounder or second rounder, in which case no one would call him a bust. He is handed the bust label only because the Hawks terrible (at the time) management valued him as a top 5 pick. Coach K put Shelden in the perfect spot to shine in college, but that doesn't mean those same strengths would translate to the NBA. I'm not sure motivation has anything to do with that.

Now, I agree that Kyle has a fire that not everyone has. And that certainly helps him. But Kyle also has the essential skill of shooting ability, which he's improved since college. Right now, his value to the Pistons is primarily tied to his excellent TS%. The knock on Kyle was that he was good at everything but not outstanding at anything, which would only be exacerbated once he moved the NBA where he'd be mediocre at everything but not particularly good at anything. So far, he's been pretty good all around but his shooting has been outstanding. Is desire and fire the only difference here? I don't think so. Kyle always had excellent shooting mechanics but for whatever reason never got to be completely automatic in college. Now that he's in the pros, he's finally started to show achieve the level of consistency that is more in line with what you'd expect given his mechanics. Yes, that takes lots of work, but he was far better at shooting than Shelden ever was. While both Shelden and Kyle face(d) challenges in the NBA with regard to quickness and leaping ability, Kyle also has the advantage of having good size for his position, while Shelden did not. Kyle was also used to guarding quicker, smaller guys, while Shelden was used to hanging out in the paint while the NBA requires PFs to be able to roam the perimeter more frequently.

Bottom line: Fire and desire might have something to do with Kyle's early success and Shelden's lack of success. However, I maintain that Shelden's physical disadvantages (his lack of height and leaping ability compared to other NBA centers and his lack of mobility and quickness compared to NBA power forwards combined with his lack of a jump shot, which is probably somewhat related to his physical makeup) are greater than Kyle's relative to their positions in the NBA. Ultimately, Kyle has become a lights out shooter (so far), which was far more likely to happen for Kyle than for Shelden to suddenly become significantly more mobile and an excellent jump shooter or for him to grow 3 inches and sprout longer arms regardless of the fire in their respective hearts.

[hq2]

I saw this, too. I like Thorpe a lot but I think he's a little off. I do think Coach K is an amazing motivator, but he's also just about the best at exploiting his teams' (and individual players') strengths and minimizing their weaknesses. Shelden was very good at Duke, but that's in large part because Coach K kept him close to the basket where his size relative to most college forwards and centers allowed him to shoot right around the basket area. Similarly, on defense, Shelden did not need to guard out on the perimeter very often. He was very good at hedging and recovering, but otherwise, Shelden did not switch off of his man. Shelden didn't need to shoot jumpers (he wasn't particularly good at them) and didn't need to move around perimeter on defense (where he was a liability). In the NBA, however, he didn't have the size or hops to play center and he didn't have the mobility or jump shot to play PF. I'm not sure that it was purely motivation that prevented Shelden from becoming a mainstay in the NBA. I'm a Hawks fan as well as a Duke fan and obviously love Shelden, but I was surprised and a little apprehensive when the Hawks drafted him 5th overall in '06. While he is in Europe now, he could still be in the NBA as a reserve, which I think is the role he probably should have been projected to fill from the start. Shelden should probably have been a late first rounder or second rounder, in which case no one would call him a bust. He is handed the bust label only because the Hawks terrible (at the time) management valued him as a top 5 pick. Coach K put Shelden in the perfect spot to shine in college, but that doesn't mean those same strengths would translate to the NBA. I'm not sure motivation has anything to do with that.

Now, I agree that Kyle has a fire that not everyone has. And that certainly helps him. But Kyle also has the essential skill of shooting ability, which he's improved since college. Right now, his value to the Pistons is primarily tied to his excellent TS%. The knock on Kyle was that he was good at everything but not outstanding at anything, which would only be exacerbated once he moved the NBA where he'd be mediocre at everything but not particularly good at anything. So far, he's been pretty good all around but his shooting has been outstanding. Is desire and fire the only difference here? I don't think so. Kyle always had excellent shooting mechanics but for whatever reason never got to be completely automatic in college. Now that he's in the pros, he's finally started to show achieve the level of consistency that is more in line with what you'd expect given his mechanics. Yes, that takes lots of work, but he was far better at shooting than Shelden ever was. While both Shelden and Kyle face(d) challenges in the NBA with regard to quickness and leaping ability, Kyle also has the advantage of having good size for his position, while Shelden did not. Kyle was also used to guarding quicker, smaller guys, while Shelden was used to hanging out in the paint while the NBA requires PFs to be able to roam the perimeter more frequently.

Bottom line: Fire and desire might have something to do with Kyle's early success and Shelden's lack of success. However, I maintain that Shelden's physical disadvantages (his lack of height and leaping ability compared to other NBA centers and his lack of mobility and quickness compared to NBA power forwards combined with his lack of a jump shot, which is probably somewhat related to his physical makeup) are greater than Kyle's relative to their positions in the NBA. Ultimately, Kyle has become a lights out shooter (so far), which was far more likely to happen for Kyle than for Shelden to suddenly become significantly more mobile and an excellent jump shooter or for him to grow 3 inches and sprout longer arms regardless of the fire in their respective hearts.

Shelden was probably overrated coming out of Duke, but actually, the draft that year wasn't all that great; the #3 was Adam Morrison, who is already out of the league, as I believe are #s 10 and 11. Don't think all the guys around him did that much better. If Shelden had had a decent jumper, I think he could have been a starter for a long time; he was still good enough as a rebounder and defensive player to be an adequate NBA player, but the lack of a good open look mid range jumper was fatal for someone at his size and position.

Kyle always had two problems in college; one was his unreliable jumper, and the other was that he was not a go-to scorer; he simply could not always get his shot when it was really needed. He usually scored throughout the game with hustle and ability to move well away from the ball, but when it was one-on-one crunch time, he had problems.

Now, in the pros, the fact that he's fixed one part of his game (his jumper) means that he doesn't have to excel at the other (go to scoring) as long as he's not considered a primary scorer. The rest of his floor game (hustle, full court ball, passing, good positioning on D, movement away from the ball) are all so good that he now shows the kind of all around game that he always had. As long as he doesn't have to be a crunch-time go to scorer, the rest of his game as at a good NBA level, so hopefully he can have a long and productive NBA career, maybe a little like Jack Marin a (sort of) similar player.

[Billy Dat]

COYS and hq2...I appreciate your thoughtful replies. All that being said, though, if Shelden worked as hard as JJ, could he not have become a knock down 15 foot jump shooter and better defender? JJ made himself a more than capable NBA defender through years of work. Antawn Jamison and Jared Dudley, two guys who took very few shots outside of 15 feet in college, became 3 point specialists. Patrick Ewing became a knock down jump shooter. Thorpe wouldn't have used Shelden as an example if he didn't think, with a little more fire in the belly, he could have been a much better pro.

[hq2]

COYS and hq2...I appreciate your thoughtful replies. All that being said, though, if Shelden worked as hard as JJ, could he not have become a knock down 15 foot jump shooter and better defender? JJ made himself a more than capable NBA defender through years of work. Antawn Jamison and Jared Dudley, two guys who took very few shots outside of 15 feet in college, became 3 point specialists. Patrick Ewing became a knock down jump shooter. Thorpe wouldn't have used Shelden as an example if he didn't think, with a little more fire in the belly, he could have been a much better pro.

Hard to say. He clearly worked at it, but never got good enough at it to be reliable. Who knows if he didn't try hard enough. He
was certainly a decent pro defender, as good as anyone his size could be.

[sporthenry]

Somebody set up a Yahoo! Fantasy site tracking all the top colleges alumni and comparing their total output. Here is the link for Duke today (i.e. no games yet played today):
http://basketball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/nba/41159/1?stat1=S&stat2=D
You can also change it to last 7 days, last 14 days, etc. or click a player's name to get their individual game log.

Here is the leaderboard:
http://basketball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/league/tobaccoroad

Duke is 3rd. The difference between 1-4 is about 300 for each so they have a decent lead. Obviously Kyrie getting injured and Gerald being out for so long will hurt Duke. I think finishing 3rd is still their ceiling especially missing Kyrie for so long. But here is to a healthy Kyrie sooner rather than later.

[theAlaskanBear]

COYS and hq2...I appreciate your thoughtful replies. All that being said, though, if Shelden worked as hard as JJ, could he not have become a knock down 15 foot jump shooter and better defender? JJ made himself a more than capable NBA defender through years of work. Antawn Jamison and Jared Dudley, two guys who took very few shots outside of 15 feet in college, became 3 point specialists. Patrick Ewing became a knock down jump shooter. Thorpe wouldn't have used Shelden as an example if he didn't think, with a little more fire in the belly, he could have been a much better pro.

Let me Take HQ's response a little further. As a big man, Shelden was over-matched physically. His wingspan and body-type is not one that makes an elite NBA defender. He always seemed bothered going against bigger/longer defenders on the court. Despite this he showed clear improvement year by year. He improved his FT% and his FG% over the course of his career. He had his best seasons according to Win Share/48 later in career. In fact, I would say that he peaked his two years in Boston and Toronto around age 26-27. Before declining with the Nets.

I don't think its fair to blame Shelden for his limitations as a player. Despite not being an elite big defender and with a limited offensive skill-set, he stuck around a brutal league for 6-7 years. I don't know if Shelden is still looking to play professionally in the NBA or if he has decided to spend the time with his children and take a supporting family role for Superstar Candice Parker. Can you imagine how difficult it would be to for two active professional athletes to raise a family? If that is in fact the case then it is not about "fire" or "work ethic" but about priorities.

[theAlaskanBear]

Let me Take HQ's response a little further. As a big man, Shelden was over-matched physically. His wingspan and body-type is not one that makes an elite NBA defender. He always seemed bothered going against bigger/longer defenders on the court. Despite this he showed clear improvement year by year. He improved his FT% and his FG% over the course of his career. He had his best seasons according to Win Share/48 later in career. In fact, I would say that he peaked his two years in Boston and Toronto around age 26-27. Before declining with the Nets.

I don't think its fair to blame Shelden for his limitations as a player. Despite not being an elite big defender and with a limited offensive skill-set, he stuck around a brutal league for 6-7 years. I don't know if Shelden is still looking to play professionally in the NBA or if he has decided to spend the time with his children and take a supporting family role for Superstar Candice Parker. Can you imagine how difficult it would be to for two active professional athletes to raise a family? If that is in fact the case then it is not about "fire" or "work ethic" but about priorities.

EDIT: I forgot that Shelden is playing in France...which renders my conversation on family a moot point.

[Greg_Newton]

Shelden had strange measurements. He actually has an insane wingspan (7'4.25"), but somehow he has a shorter standing reach than Kyle Singler - 8'8", which is really tough for an NBA PF unless you're a crazy athlete.

His main problem was that he was an NBA center in a college PF's body, IMO.

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

LMy mans gotten so good all around that I picked him up in my fantasy league. Pretty good utility and fill in player.

[mike88]

The Orlando Magic beat Golden State last night 102-94- impressive in that it was the second game of a back to back for Orlando. JJ had 22 for the Magic (including 15 in the second half) and 7 assists- he has become a master of the pick and roll with Glen Davis- and is making a strong early case for 6th man of the year honors right now.

[-jk]

So how important is Shane to the Heat? Not only can't they win the NBA without him, they can't even beat the Wizards.

Hope he gets well soon.

-jk

[hq2]

JJ and Magic rolling

The Orlando Magic beat Golden State last night 102-94- impressive in that it was the second game of a back to back for Orlando. JJ had 22 for the Magic (including 15 in the second half) and 7 assists- he has become a master of the pick and roll with Glen Davis- and is making a strong early case for 6th man of the year honors right now.



Pretty sure we're seeing J.J.'s peak right now. He's in incredible physical shape, knows the offense, and can play acceptable
NBA D. Now that Dwight Howard's gone, he can just bomb away and have fun. I think he's actually enjoying the situation now; no
one expects the Magic to win, so he's under no real pressure; he can just go out and score, and if they win, hey that's a bonus.
Maybe he'll get a trade to a contender; any suggestions?

[AIRFORCEDUKIE]

Pretty sure we're seeing J.J.'s peak right now. He's in incredible physical shape, knows the offense, and can play acceptable
NBA D. Now that Dwight Howard's gone, he can just bomb away and have fun. I think he's actually enjoying the situation now; no
one expects the Magic to win, so he's under no real pressure; he can just go out and score, and if they win, hey that's a bonus.
Maybe he'll get a trade to a contender; any suggestions?


Maybe the Thunder would be interested? Also how about the Celtics as a Ray Allen replacement. Could get interesting if Orlando even wants to trade him.

Better yet how about a trade to the Cavs. Would he be a good backcourt mate for Kyrie. Then they can contend next year.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

My mans gotten so good all around that I picked him up in my fantasy league. Pretty good utility and fill in player.

It's amazing that a player that was on such an "alarmingly unathletic" Duke squad can find a team in the NBA charitable enough to let him wear a jersey, isn't it?

[Billy Dat]

Excellent status update on all our guys from Blue Devil Nation
http://bluedevilnation.net/2012/12/update-blue-devils-in-the-nba-2012-13/

[Billy Dat]

The Knicks just got really lucky to beat the Bobcats on a JR Smith buzzer beater (yeah!) but Gerald was a BEAST in the 4th quarter. He had 18 for the game, but most of those were in the 4th quarter and he had a SICK rejection of Rasheed Wallace in the final few minutes. He is shaking the dust off pretty quickly after missing 14 games with an injury.

The Bobcats impressed me. Kemba Walker had a huge game, and Kidd-Gilchrest is just the kind of pro you think he'd be, scrappy and effective if not pretty. They play hard, a credit to coach Dunlap. Best of all was seeing MJ hanging in the owner's suite with Cam Newton...looking might angry after the Smith buzzer shot. The last 5 minutes of this game was really exciting, if the Bobcats weren't so young, they'd have won. They committed two turnovers on their last two possessions.

[hq2]

It's amazing that a player that was on such an "alarmingly unathletic" Duke squad can find a team in the NBA charitable enough to let him wear a jersey, isn't it?

Hey people, give Singler credit. He's not a great leaper, but Kyle Singler is actually a pretty good athlete. For someone 6-8,
he has excellent coordination, and not only that, he's an excellent endurance athlete too; he runs the floor well the whole
time he's out there, and unlike early in his career, he doesn't run out of gas down the stretch. Throughout the game he continues to move well without the ball, tire his man out, and get good looks. Endurance really does matter in B-ball, especially when it comes to playing well down the stretch and WINNING, which is what Kyle has always cared about (note the Pistons record before and after Kyle became a starter!). That's a part of B-ball athleticism which get overlooked, but really matters.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Hey people, give Singler credit. He's not a great leaper, but Kyle Singler is actually a pretty good athlete. For someone 6-8,
he has excellent coordination, and not only that, he's an excellent endurance athlete too; he runs the floor well the whole
time he's out there, and unlike early in his career, he doesn't run out of gas down the stretch. Throughout the game he continues to move well without the ball, tire his man out, and get good looks. Endurance really does matter in B-ball, especially when it comes to playing well down the stretch and WINNING, which is what Kyle has always cared about (note the Pistons record before and after Kyle became a starter!). That's a part of B-ball athleticism which get overlooked, but really matters.

99% sure the comment you are referring to is sarcasm.

[hq2]

99% sure the comment you are referring to is sarcasm.

More like 100%. However, the statement it referred to 3 years ago, which at the time also
included Mr. Singler, was not. And, I never saw him as being "alarmingly unathletic" back
then either.

[nocilla]

Kyrie Irving was cleared for practice Monday and is expected to play Tuesday against the Lakers.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/cavs-guard-irving-ready-return-185236585--nba.html

[mike88]

It will be great to see Kyrie back on the court - right now, he is my second favorite Duke player to watch in the NBA. JJ Redick, #1 on my list, had another amazing game last night as the Magic closed out their West Coast road trip with a 3-2 record by beating the Suns. JJ had 20 points and 9 assists (vs 2 turnovers). If you haven't seen JJ play this year, I would urge you to take a look - he is playing the best basketball of his career, mainly because he has become lethal in the pick and roll with Glen Davis or the rookie Andrew Nicholson.

[gep]

It will be great to see Kyrie back on the court - right now, he is my second favorite Duke player to watch in the NBA. JJ Redick, #1 on my list, had another amazing game last night as the Magic closed out their West Coast road trip with a 3-2 record by beating the Suns. JJ had 20 points and 9 assists (vs 2 turnovers). If you haven't seen JJ play this year, I would urge you to take a look - he is playing the best basketball of his career, mainly because he has become lethal in the pick and roll with Glen Davis or the rookie Andrew Nicholson.

I've been wanting to ask... isn't this the same Glen Davis from LSU who beat Duke and JJ in the NCAAT? But maybe not so wierd as Steve Blake and Chris Duhon on the same team. Oh well, I guess time moves on... :cool:

[Billy Dat]

It will be great to see Kyrie back on the court - right now, he is my second favorite Duke player to watch in the NBA. JJ Redick, #1 on my list, had another amazing game last night as the Magic closed out their West Coast road trip with a 3-2 record by beating the Suns. JJ had 20 points and 9 assists (vs 2 turnovers). If you haven't seen JJ play this year, I would urge you to take a look - he is playing the best basketball of his career, mainly because he has become lethal in the pick and roll with Glen Davis or the rookie Andrew Nicholson.

Agree, JJ is a beast. I hope he gets traded to a better team as I have gotten used to watching him in the playoffs.


I've been wanting to ask... isn't this the same Glen Davis from LSU who beat Duke and JJ in the NCAAT? But maybe not so wierd as Steve Blake and Chris Duhon on the same team. Oh well, I guess time moves on... :cool:

I love when the NBA creates awkward bedfellows like this. Even better, because I think these rivalries are more important to the fans, is when you root passionately for a pro team and have former hated rivals playing for them. As a Knicks fan, I root hard for Ray Felton and Rasheed Wallace, and have done the same for Hubert Davis and others, it's odd. Still though, when a Duke alum is sticking it to the Knicks, I always smile. Unconditional love is stronger than hate. Speaking of which...

Luol put it on the Knicks on Saturday night. He hit a bunch of big shots down the stretch to seal an ugly, hard fought, close win. He is playing more than 40 mpg for them in D.Rose's absence. Brutal. Like JJ, he is in the thick of his prime. On the other hand, C.Booz looks like he's coming to the end of the line. Injuries and miles have deprived him of his former springy legs. What's left is that rainbow fall away jumper that tends to be stuck to the bench during crunch time.

[mike88]

I've been wanting to ask... isn't this the same Glen Davis from LSU who beat Duke and JJ in the NCAAT? But maybe not so wierd as Steve Blake and Chris Duhon on the same team. Oh well, I guess time moves on... :cool:

Yep, same guy- he no longer prefers "Big Baby" -- I have come around to being a Glen Davis fan. After Howard went out last year, he really stepped up his game and has played pretty well this year, especially when he and JJ are working together - it is amazing how Davis can use his girth (and surprising quickness) to get his shot off despite having basically no vertical leap. I am enjoying watching this Magic team far more than last year's debacle - Jacques Vaughan is doing a great job and they have a much more exciting brand of basketball than they did with Dwight.

[hq2]

Yep, same guy- he no longer prefers "Big Baby" -- I have come around to being a Glen Davis fan. After Howard went out last year, he really stepped up his game and has played pretty well this year, especially when he and JJ are working together - it is amazing how Davis can use his girth (and surprising quickness) to get his shot off despite having basically no vertical leap. I am enjoying watching this Magic team far more than last year's debacle - Jacques Vaughan is doing a great job and they have a much more exciting brand of basketball than they did with Dwight.

...who is, not by the way having "too much fun" with his geriatric buddies in L.A. I seriously doubt whether he will be there when his current contract is up.

[elvis14]

Yep, same guy- he no longer prefers "Big Baby" -- I have come around to being a Glen Davis fan. After Howard went out last year, he really stepped up his game and has played pretty well this year, especially when he and JJ are working together - it is amazing how Davis can use his girth (and surprising quickness) to get his shot off despite having basically no vertical leap. I am enjoying watching this Magic team far more than last year's debacle - Jacques Vaughan is doing a great job and they have a much more exciting brand of basketball than they did with Dwight.

I wonder if during practice, Davis goes around grabbing JJ, pushing him, yanking on his jersey for 40 minutes at a time just for old times sake. Not that I'm bitter or anything.

[g-money]

A quick shout out to Nolan for scoring 11 pts in 21 minutes, and ending up a +12 in the +/- last night in a win over pitiful Toronto. Maybe this will crack the door just a little bit for him up in Portland.

Also, good to see Shane back out there knocking down threes for Miami. 9 points on 3-5 long-range shooting. And probably a bunch of other little things he won't get credit for until the next Michael Lewis article.

[rocketeli]

I wonder if during practice, Davis goes around grabbing JJ, pushing him, yanking on his jersey for 40 minutes at a time just for old times sake. Not that I'm bitter or anything.

Yeah, I remember that game. The LSU coaching staff figured that Davis could handle Sheldon Williams and Tyus Thomas could best Josh McRoberts, leaving them 3 people to put on JJ and dare Melchionni, Dockery and Paulus to beat them. It was a good strategy, especially since the game was very loosely called (perhaps that Duke gets all the calls meme was in effect) and JJ was held, hacked and pushed all night with very few calls, Still can see in my mind a potentially key breakaway JJ started late in the game, where a LSU player literally tripped him in front of a ref --no call. SMH. Oh well...

[nmduke2001]

Based on the boxscore, through three, Kyrie is dominating Chris Duhon. That's not nice.

kyrie 19-4-8
Chris 0-2-1

[JasonEvans]

Kyrie makes Dwight Howard just look silly.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPyS5-jTOI0&feature=youtu.be

-Jason "28, 11, and 6 for Kyrie tonight as they beat the Lakers... he's a stud!" Evans

[Newton_14]

Kyrie makes Dwight Howard just look silly.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPyS5-jTOI0&feature=youtu.be

-Jason "28, 11, and 6 for Kyrie tonight as they beat the Lakers... he's a stud!" Evans

So many things to like about that play, including finishing over Jamison, but my favorite 2 things, are 1. The legal double crossover dribbling with his right hand where his hand clearly stays on top of the ball the entire time, and 2. the beautiful finish with the left hand. I said this during his 8 game Duke career, but the guy is simply one of the best ever at finishing left handed layups even when drawing minimal contact or getting hammered.

I long ago became convinced that if Kyrie does not get hurt, Duke runs the table to take K's second back to back Natty's on the strength of an undefeated season... sigh

Kyrie would have tortured Ol'Roy's soul in 3 head to head matchups that season had the injury not occurred...

[JasonEvans]

All props to Grant Hill for a wonderful career (that continues to go), but I won't be shocked at all if Kyrie ends up as the best Dukie ever in the NBA. And we may be saying that about him in just a year or two more.

-Jason "heck, he's probably in the top 5 already... with Hill, Brand, Boozer, and Mullins" Evans

[licc85]

All props to Grant Hill for a wonderful career (that continues to go), but I won't be shocked at all if Kyrie ends up as the best Dukie ever in the NBA. And we may be saying that about him in just a year or two more.

-Jason "heck, he's probably in the top 5 already... with Hill, Brand, Boozer, and Mullins" Evans

Man . . . JWill should be on that list. Kyrie should take a hint and never go near a motorcycle . . .

But in all honesty, Kyrie is probably better than JWill, he's got a dizzying array of moves and crazy finesse with layups. He's probably the only Duke guy when I watch him play, I'm constantly like . . . how the F did he do that??

Cool Stats: Last rookie who shot 45% from the field, 40% from 3 and 85% from the foul line? Larry Bird. Crazy.

Also, the only other players who averaged 18 and 5 assists in their rookie year were Oscar, Lebron, Magic, and Iverson. Pretty good company.

[JBDuke]

So many things to like about that play, including finishing over Jamison, but my favorite 2 things, are 1. The legal double crossover dribbling with his right hand where his hand clearly stays on top of the ball the entire time, and 2. the beautiful finish with the left hand. I said this during his 8 game Duke career, but the guy is simply one of the best ever at finishing left handed layups even when drawing minimal contact or getting hammered.

I long ago became convinced that if Kyrie does not get hurt, Duke runs the table to take K's second back to back Natty's on the strength of an undefeated season... sigh

Kyrie would have tortured Ol'Roy's soul in 3 head to head matchups that season had the injury not occurred...

Kyrie is a joy to watch. He is a magician on the court and plays with beauty and poetry. I am proud that he chose to play at Duke and represents us in such a fine manner as an outstanding player and human being. And every time I watch him, I am saddened for what might have been.

Any tips on moving past this?

[JasonEvans]

Kyrie is a joy to watch. He is a magician on the court and plays with beauty and poetry. I am proud that he chose to play at Duke and represents us in such a fine manner as an outstanding player and human being. And every time I watch him, I am saddened for what might have been.

Any tips on moving past this?

I am hoping that the current team will help me move past it... some time during the first week of April.

-JE

[Jderf]

Kyrie is a joy to watch. He is a magician on the court and plays with beauty and poetry. I am proud that he chose to play at Duke and represents us in such a fine manner as an outstanding player and human being. And every time I watch him, I am saddened for what might have been.

Any tips on moving past this?

I've had some modest success with alcohol. :) On the positive side of things, between Kyrie's astonishing start to his career, Shane Battier's performance in the finals, JJ's ascendance, the Olympic Team, and many others, we've sure got a lot of good angles in the NBA for our coaches to recruit with.

[NSDukeFan]

So many things to like about that play, including finishing over Jamison, but my favorite 2 things, are 1. The legal double crossover dribbling with his right hand where his hand clearly stays on top of the ball the entire time, and 2. the beautiful finish with the left hand. I said this during his 8 game Duke career, but the guy is simply one of the best ever at finishing left handed layups even when drawing minimal contact or getting hammered.

I long ago became convinced that if Kyrie does not get hurt, Duke runs the table to take K's second back to back Natty's on the strength of an undefeated season... sigh

Kyrie would have tortured Ol'Roy's soul in 3 head to head matchups that season had the injury not occurred...

I feel like that wasn't fair for Howard to have to temporarily try to stay with Kyrie. Wow! On a tangent (that never happens in threads), another freshman who is completely unafraid to use his left hand is Amile. I think that is part of why he is able to score inside against bigger, stronger opposition. He understands how to use his body to shield the ball and will use his left if that is the best way to score. /Amile promo]

[Indoor66]

I feel like that wasn't fair for Howard to have to temporarily try to stay with Kyrie. Wow! On a tangent (that never happens in threads), another freshman who is completely unafraid to use his left hand is Amile. I think that is part of why he is able to score inside against bigger, stronger opposition. He understands how to use his body to shield the ball and will use his left if that is the best way to score. /Amile promo]

Subtle. A very subtle shift in the subject....:cool:

[hq2]

Saw old friend Dahntay with Dallas last night. Still looks pretty good; plays good D, good full court player.
He's had close to a 10 year NBA run. We weren't sure at the outset how his NBA career would play out;
a little short for 3, not quite a good enough shooter for 2. Still, his defense, full court play, and athleticism
have kept him in the league a long time. Nice to see him still being a factor.

[sagegrouse]

Saw old friend Dahntay with Dallas last night. Still looks pretty good; plays good D, good full court player.
He's had close to a 10 year NBA run. We weren't sure at the outset how his NBA career would play out;
a little short for 3, not quite a good enough shooter for 2. Still, his defense, full court play, and athleticism
have kept him in the league a long time. Nice to see him still being a factor.

Checked on Dahntay's contracts. He had some perilous moments. He was waived in the summer of 2007, then signed during the season with the Kings, and then waived again at the end of that season. Fortunately, Denver picked him up and he did well. The Pacers gave him a $10 million contract for three years plus an option -- the option was picked up last summer.

Not the highest paid player in the league, but he will have made $17.6 million by the end of this season. That plus a Duke degree. I am sorry we didn't get an NCAA champioship for him in 2002, although he was practicing with the team during the 2001 season, waiting to become eligible.

sagegrouse

[mr. synellinden]

Man . . . JWill should be on that list. Kyrie should take a hint and never go near a motorcycle . . .

But in all honesty, Kyrie is probably better than JWill, he's got a dizzying array of moves and crazy finesse with layups. He's probably the only Duke guy when I watch him play, I'm constantly like . . . how the F did he do that??

Cool Stats: Last rookie who shot 45% from the field, 40% from 3 and 85% from the foul line? Larry Bird. Crazy.

Also, the only other players who averaged 18 and 5 assists in their rookie year were Oscar, Lebron, Magic, and Iverson. Pretty good company.

Interesting reference to The Legend. One of the things that makes Kyrie so great is his ability to use and finish with his left hand. I think he's as good as anyone I've seen in that regard - and probably the best in the NBA since Bird.

[moonpie23]

i'm certainly no expert, but to me, kyrie has one of the most creative handles i've seen since pistol pete.....Kyrie is developing a method of body angle, motion and ball motion that is scary....He will be abusing defenders for a long time to come...

[Billy Dat]

Austin goes grocery shopping...from NBA.com's "Rooks" series
http://youtu.be/jx_Pd5gjBqc

[moonpie23]

actually kind of funny....

[sporthenry]

Austin goes grocery shopping...from NBA.com's "Rooks" series
http://youtu.be/jx_Pd5gjBqc

If only I drove a Porsche when my grocery shopping habits resembled that of a 20 year old. But rookie mistake in getting the ice cream first.

[Billy Dat]

Tom Haberstroh ‏@tomhaberstroh
Tiny sample size, but wanna guess who leads the NBA in post-up defense per Synergy, allowing just 4/21 FG? Shane Battier.

[OldSchool]

This posting at nba.com (http://www.nba.com/rookie-ladder) has Kyle ranked as the #3 rookie this year, behind Damien Lillard and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

How many saw that coming?

I would love to hear Kyle tell us frankly how his Real Madrid team that won the championship would fare against an NBA schedule.

[sagegrouse]

Austin with 19 at the half against the Wolves. JJ has 16 in the 4th against the Warriors, including 4-7 from 3-pt. land.

And Kyrie has 22 in the 3rd against the Bucks.

sagegrouse

[sporthenry]

Austin with 19 at the half against the Wolves. JJ has 16 in the 4th against the Warriors, including 4-7 from 3-pt. land.

And Kyrie has 22 in the 3rd against the Bucks.

sagegrouse

Hopefully this is a coming out of sorts for AR. 9-14 for 27 points including 5-6 beyond the arc and 4-4 from the line. Only 2 assists and no other good stats but I guess when you are shooting that well, there is no need for passing. But like to see a little more stat stuffing although scoring was always going to be his thing and like to see him get to the line. But in case you can't tell, excited to see Rivers finally go off.

[hq2]

This posting at nba.com has Kyle ranked as the #3 rookie this year, behind Damien Lillard and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

How many saw that coming?

Well, I don't think it's really all that surprising. Kyle would have been
a mid first rounder or so if his jump shot had been at an NBA level. He's always
had a good floor game, and after the way he shot much better in Europe last
year, it was clear he was poised to take a step up. Shouldn't surprise us all that
much.

[mike88]

JJ had another strong effort tonight (18 points, 7 assists) as the Magic won their third straight, erasing a double digit deficit in the second half to beat Minnesota. Highlight of the night for the Magic was a nice follow-up slam by Josh McRoberts, who also had a good game after being out of the rotation for the past few games.

[JBDuke]

JJ had another strong effort tonight (18 points, 7 assists) as the Magic won their third straight, erasing a double digit deficit in the second half to beat Minnesota. Highlight of the night for the Magic was a nice follow-up slam by Josh McRoberts, who also had a good game after being out of the rotation for the past few games.

Looks to me like the two Blue Devil alums had the two best +/- rating for the Magic...

Oh, and Carlos had a good game (16 pts, 13 tbs) as well for the Bulls.

[Dev11]

Only 2 assists and no other good stats but I guess when you are shooting that well, there is no need for passing.

Kobe Bryant wants to hire you as the next Lakers coach.

Seriously though, I'm glad Austin is finding his way in the league.

[juise]

Looks to me like the two Blue Devil alums had the two best +/- rating for the Magic...

Speaking of, take a look at last night's Piston loss (http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400278072) and tell me who stands out in the +/- category. One of these is not like the others.

[nmduke2001]

You remember that Shane said that he likes his chances in Jeopardy against any power forward in the NBA. ESPN tests him here...
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8759669&categoryid=2378529

[FerryFor50]

http://nba.si.com/2012/12/19/video-bobcats-henderson-throws-down-spectacular-dunk-on-lakers-howard/?sct=hp_t2_a14&eref=sihp

SLAM!

[loran16]

You remember that Shane said that he likes his chances in Jeopardy against any power forward in the NBA. ESPN tests him here...
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8759669&categoryid=2378529

From that video: "I'm feeling slow and unathletic, so in other words, back to normal."

Love it Shane.

[sagegrouse]

Lakers win by one point. Gerald is +16 and Biyombo is +27 for the LOSERS! Duhon is -21 and Dwight Howard -17 for the WINNERS! I'm not sure I've seen a +27 for a losing team.

sagegrouse

[COYS]

http://nba.si.com/2012/12/19/video-bobcats-henderson-throws-down-spectacular-dunk-on-lakers-howard/?sct=hp_t2_a14&eref=sihp

SLAM!

Whoa! Not only did he get way up high, he jumped so quickly Howard didn't even have time to react other than to stick his arm out and foul Gerald for the and-one. Gerald jumps so high that Howard actually looks short in the replay.

[sporthenry]

http://nba.si.com/2012/12/19/video-bobcats-henderson-throws-down-spectacular-dunk-on-lakers-howard/?sct=hp_t2_a14&eref=sihp

SLAM!

Best part of the dunk was the Laker's bench reaction in the corner.

[sporthenry]

http://paniniamerica.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/off-court-artistry-panini-america-tests-the-illustrative-skill-of-young-nba-superstars/

Apparently, Panini had the NBA rookies draw "things" and put them on cards. The results were both amusing and sad. I'm sure we could make jokes about art being one of Henson's classes at UNC but Kyrie's drawing isn't exactly a work of art. But by far the worst had to be Kemba's thumb. Did anyone else see a phallic symbol in one of MKG's drawings?

[Greg_Newton]

http://nba.si.com/2012/12/19/video-bobcats-henderson-throws-down-spectacular-dunk-on-lakers-howard/?sct=hp_t2_a14&eref=sihp

SLAM!

I have to disagree with the front page (and about a zillion youtube commenters) here. This is absolutely a dunk, and actually a more difficult/impressive way to throw one down than by grabbing the rim for follow through. When was it decided that a "dunk" must include a grabbing of the rim?

[theAlaskanBear]

http://paniniamerica.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/off-court-artistry-panini-america-tests-the-illustrative-skill-of-young-nba-superstars/

Apparently, Panini had the NBA rookies draw "things" and put them on cards. The results were both amusing and sad. I'm sure we could make jokes about art being one of Henson's classes at UNC but Kyrie's drawing isn't exactly a work of art. But by far the worst had to be Kemba's thumb. Did anyone else see a phallic symbol in one of MKG's drawings?

To be fair, it looks like a whiteboard-type (slick) surface with markers. Not exactly conducive to great art. I like to draw as a hobby, but even I have trouble with markers on that surface.

[MChambers]

I watched the first half of the Cavaliers-Wizards game last night. Kyrie was amazing. Seemed like he could get his shot whenever he wanted. He's improved his handle and shot a lot in the last two years. He also wasn't driving the lane as much, which is good, because of the injury risk.

Tyler Zeller, on the other hand, looked lost.

[WillJ]

I watched the first half of the Cavaliers-Wizards game last night. Kyrie was amazing. Seemed like he could get his shot whenever he wanted. He's improved his handle and shot a lot in the last two years. He also wasn't driving the lane as much, which is good, because of the injury risk.

Tyler Zeller, on the other hand, looked lost.

I was at the game with my son last night and Kyrie was indeed a stud in the first half. Not so much in the second half, as he missed 9 out of 10 shots and 4 out of 6 free throws in the last few minutes. Still, he was clearly the best player on the court. His handle is unbelievable and he uses hesitation moves very effectively....which he needs because he's really not as explosive an athlete as some other NBA point guards (e.g. Russell Westbrook). Zeller did not look real good.

Not Duke related, but here's a plug for Nene as a really fantastic player. Skilled and just very smart in his passing and all-around game. Too bad the Wizards don't have more smart players like him.

[dukedoc]

Wasn't sure where to put this. Cal should go coach them. Has the Jay-Z connections and everything. If only wishing made it so.

SportsCenter ‏@SportsCenter
BREAKING - @BrooklynNets fire head coach Avery Johnson.

[juise]

Wasn't sure where to put this. Cal should go coach them. Has the Jay-Z connections and everything. If only wishing made it so.

SportsCenter ‏@SportsCenter
BREAKING - @BrooklynNets fire head coach Avery Johnson.

From the ESPN story:


Johnson, who was in the final year of his contract, was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for October and November following an 11-4 start. But the Nets have won just three of their last 13 games in December, prompting the team to go in another direction.

The Nets, at 14-14, currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

So one good month and one bad month... seems like a hasty decision. I wonder how much of this has to do with the Knicks' success.

[theAlaskanBear]

From the ESPN story:



So one good month and one bad month... seems like a hasty decision. I wonder how much of this has to do with the Knicks' success.

It may have been hasty, but it has everything to do with the disconnect between Avery and Deron. The Nets were playing too much iso ball on offensive half-court sets. The fact that Williams was not on the same page and called out his coach saying he wasn't comfortable running Avery's offense...well that's your star and you have tied your team to him. Also, some say this was a Prokhorov wake up call to the organization. I can totally see Mikhail watching the move to Brooklyn, all the new players and worried that a Knicks tsunami will destroy their nascent fan-base. The Nets have been pretty terrible under Johnson though, worse than their talent would seem to indicate, I don't think he needs any excuses.

[FerryFor50]

It may have been hasty, but it has everything to do with the disconnect between Avery and Deron. The Nets were playing too much iso ball on offensive half-court sets. The fact that Williams was not on the same page and called out his coach saying he wasn't comfortable running Avery's offense...well that's your star and you have tied your team to him. Also, some say this was a Prokhorov wake up call to the organization. I can totally see Mikhail watching the move to Brooklyn, all the new players and worried that a Knicks tsunami will destroy their nascent fan-base. The Nets have been pretty terrible under Johnson though, worse than their talent would seem to indicate, I don't think he needs any excuses.

Deron Williams wasn't happy with his coach? Weird. Where have I heard that one before?

[NSDukeFan]

Deron Williams wasn't happy with his coach? Weird. Where have I heard that one before?

Definitely not at the Olympics. :D

[NSDukeFan]

Whoever called JJ leading all Dukies in the NBA in total assists after thirtyish games, you may now claim your prize.

[Indoor66]

Whoever called JJ leading all Dukies in the NBA in total assists after thirtyish games, you may now claim your prize.

Me, me, me. I always want a prize. :cool: It is incredible how JJ has expanded his game. I seek out Orlando games just to watch. Here in my area I get to see all of Shane's games and many of JJ's. What a treat.

[hq2]

Me, me, me. I always want a prize. :cool: It is incredible how JJ has expanded his game. I seek out Orlando games just to watch. Here in my area I get to see all of Shane's games and many of JJ's. What a treat.

Folks, J.J. may not have liked Stan Van Gundy his first two years in the league, but let's give him and
J.J. credit; both insisted on J.J. really working at it and becoming a very good NBA player. History is full of college shooters who don't do anything in the pros (see Adam Morrision, his compatriot, or Jimmer
Fredette (who is playing better, BTW)), and for J.J. to make the transition to becoming the all around
NBA player he is now is a credit to him and SVG. Here's hoping he gets a trade to a contender, and maybe gets a ring.

[Billy Dat]

Rough tweet from NBA writer Zack Lowe:
Zach Lowe ‏@ZachLowe_NBA
Watching Hornets-Hawks, and Austin Rivers is having of those bad games that is almost disturbing in its type of badness. Hope it gets better

I haven't read this one yet but it looks like I should, soon.
"The making of Kyrie Irving"
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8766642/cleveland-cavaliers-point-guard-kyrie-irving-next-big-nba-star-espn-magazine

[Newton_14]

Rough tweet from NBA writer Zack Lowe:
Zach Lowe ‏@ZachLowe_NBA
Watching Hornets-Hawks, and Austin Rivers is having of those bad games that is almost disturbing in its type of badness. Hope it gets better

I haven't read this one yet but it looks like I should, soon.
"The making of Kyrie Irving"
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8766642/cleveland-cavaliers-point-guard-kyrie-irving-next-big-nba-star-espn-magazine

Awesome article. A must read. Just a special young man and special player. Multi-Year NBA All Star is his future if he sticks to breaking the other team's will vs breaking bones. :)

A healthy Kyrie Irving will be the NBA's best PG for years to come.

[Billy Dat]

There is only one player in NBA history to average at least 1 steal, 1 block and 1 three-pointer per game for their entire career.

Who's Your Daddy?

[doctorhook]

Kyrie with an incredible game against Charlotte 31 and the game winner with one second left. G played well with the game tying bucket before KI and almost a game winning three.

[sagegrouse]

Kyrie with an incredible game against Charlotte 31 and the game winner with one second left. G played well with the game tying bucket before KI and almost a game winning three.

Kyrie's line was 33-5-6-4-3. Yep, that's right, THREE blocks. I am intentionally overlooking his five TOs.

sagegrouse

[Jderf]

Boozer had a big game tonight as well. 27 and 12 in a win at Miami. It's been a good night for Duke alums.

[tommy]

There is only one player in NBA history to average at least 1 steal, 1 block and 1 three-pointer per game for their entire career.

Who's Your Daddy?

OK that is amazing. I quickly checked the career stats of LeBron, Scottie Pippen, Dirk, Gary Payton, Kobe, Clyde Drexler, Melo, Dwayne Wade, Jason Kidd, Michael Cooper, Manu, and Paul Pierce, and none of them have done it. Who else would even be close??

[sporthenry]

OK that is amazing. I quickly checked the career stats of LeBron, Scottie Pippen, Dirk, Gary Payton, Kobe, Clyde Drexler, Melo, Dwayne Wade, Jason Kidd, Michael Cooper, Manu, and Paul Pierce, and none of them have done it. Who else would even be close??

Marion is actually kinda close. 1.6 steals, 1.2 blocks and .7 3PM. Clifford Robinson was the closest I could find. .9 3PM, 1.0 steal, 1.0 block per game. Dirk is at 1.2 3PM, .9 steals and 1.0 blocks.

ETA: I think I found a winner. Sheed actually hits the average. 1 3PM, 1 steal and 1.3 blocks. Both he and Battier actually benefit from rounding b/c Sheed is below 1.0 on 3PM and steals likewise Battier is short on blocks.

[vick]

Marion is actually kinda close. 1.6 steals, 1.2 blocks and .7 3PM. Clifford Robinson was the closest I could find. .9 3PM, 1.0 steal, 1.0 block per game. Dirk is at 1.2 3PM, .9 steals and 1.0 blocks.

ETA: I think I found a winner. Sheed actually hits the average. 1 3PM, 1 steal and 1.3 blocks. Both he and Battier actually benefit from rounding b/c Sheed is below 1.0 on 3PM and steals likewise Battier is short on blocks.

I think Durant is the closest, if you're willing to count his shorter career in this discussion. 412 games played, 616 3P, 511 STL, and 406 BLK. I used Basketball Reference (http://bkref.com/tiny/6suWc) as my source.

[CameronBlue]

Kyrie's line was 33-5-6-4-3. sagegrouse

5-6-4-3, reminds me of the famous Franklin Pierce Adams line
"Steinfeldt to Tinker to Evers to Chance"

It was actually a rundown between 2nd and 3rd and the batter was picked off at first that Adams simplied into a routine double play...

....(just killing time folks until the Wake game)

[Billy Dat]

I watched the Knicks vs Magic last night. I am a Knicks fan so I was happy with the outcome, but I always want the Duke alums to play well. It was a really good game where it went back and forth for much of the second half before the Knicks rode Melo to the win. JJ had an bad game by his standards, -28 on the +/- which is not the whole story. Jacque Vaughn, to me, went away from what was really working - a Jameer Nelson/Aaron Afflalo backcourt - and the Knicks took advantage of the JJ line-up. The real interesting aspect from a Duke NBA perspective was Josh McRoberts. I haven't seen him yet this year and he looks a lot thicker, he has finally developed an NBA body. He also is rocking a remarkable Grizzly Adams look, thick beard and longish hair. Vaughn, for whatever reason, chose to use him as the primary defender on Melo and he got TORCHED! I have no idea why Vaughn didn't try something else but I felt bad for Josh. Maybe Vaughn thinks he has it in him to guard those elite big man scorers and wanted him to get some reps. It was ugly, though.

[Des Esseintes]

I watched the Knicks vs Magic last night. I am a Knicks fan so I was happy with the outcome, but I always want the Duke alums to play well. It was a really good game where it went back and forth for much of the second half before the Knicks rode Melo to the win. JJ had an bad game by his standards, -28 on the +/- which is not the whole story. Jacque Vaughn, to me, went away from what was really working - a Jameer Nelson/Aaron Afflalo backcourt - and the Knicks took advantage of the JJ line-up. The real interesting aspect from a Duke NBA perspective was Josh McRoberts. I haven't seen him yet this year and he looks a lot thicker, he has finally developed an NBA body. He also is rocking a remarkable Grizzly Adams look, thick beard and longish hair. Vaughn, for whatever reason, chose to use him as the primary defender on Melo and he got TORCHED! I have no idea why Vaughn didn't try something else but I felt bad for Josh. Maybe Vaughn thinks he has it in him to guard those elite big man scorers and wanted him to get some reps. It was ugly, though.

I've watched the Magic play pretty much zero this season, but I read a Zach Lowe article (http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/46032/can-the-orlando-magic-actually-make-the-playoffs) on Grantland about their surprising aspirations to mediocrity. It mentioned in there that McRoberts for the first time in his entire career has been playing some 3 this year, at Vaughn's behest. The article was generally high on Vaughn's work, who has orchestrated a sturdy defense in the wake of Howard's exit. Jameer Nelson comes across in his quotes as far more thoughtful than I would have previously given him credit.

[Billy Dat]

I've watched the Magic play pretty much zero this season, but I read a Zach Lowe article (http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/46032/can-the-orlando-magic-actually-make-the-playoffs) on Grantland about their surprising aspirations to mediocrity. It mentioned in there that McRoberts for the first time in his entire career has been playing some 3 this year, at Vaughn's behest. The article was generally high on Vaughn's work, who has orchestrated a sturdy defense in the wake of Howard's exit. Jameer Nelson comes across in his quotes as far more thoughtful than I would have previously given him credit.

Thanks for passing that along. I credit Vaughn in that those guys played hard all game, I just thought he failed to go with the hot hands. Whatever, he's the youngest head coach in the NBA so he's clearly a sharp cookie. I have been impressed by the young Montenegrian, Nikola Vučević. That kid is a rebounding machine!

[jimsumner]

Thanks for passing that along. I credit Vaughn in that those guys played hard all game, I just thought he failed to go with the hot hands. Whatever, he's the youngest head coach in the NBA so he's clearly a sharp cookie. I have been impressed by the young Montenegrian, Nikola Vučević. That kid is a rebounding machine!

Keep in mind that Vaughn learned his basketball from Roy Williams, who learned it from Dean Smith, who learned it from Phog Allen, who learned it from James Naismith.

So, he should be a sharp cookie. :)

[mike88]

I watched the Knicks vs Magic last night. I am a Knicks fan so I was happy with the outcome, but I always want the Duke alums to play well. It was a really good game where it went back and forth for much of the second half before the Knicks rode Melo to the win. JJ had an bad game by his standards, -28 on the +/- which is not the whole story. Jacque Vaughn, to me, went away from what was really working - a Jameer Nelson/Aaron Afflalo backcourt - and the Knicks took advantage of the JJ line-up. The real interesting aspect from a Duke NBA perspective was Josh McRoberts. I haven't seen him yet this year and he looks a lot thicker, he has finally developed an NBA body. He also is rocking a remarkable Grizzly Adams look, thick beard and longish hair. Vaughn, for whatever reason, chose to use him as the primary defender on Melo and he got TORCHED! I have no idea why Vaughn didn't try something else but I felt bad for Josh. Maybe Vaughn thinks he has it in him to guard those elite big man scorers and wanted him to get some reps. It was ugly, though.

The Magic (and JJ) were playing great until Glen Davis went down with an injured shoulder on Dec 19th. Since then, they have lost 8 straight. They had figured out a pretty good rotation before Davis went out, and were defending very well. Since his injury, their defense has fallen off. JJ is having a harder time getting good looks - he had been running the pick and roll well with Big Baby. Josh has given them some good minutes off the bench, but he was no match for Carmelo last night.

Jacque Vaughan has dome a great job, and despite losing 8 straight, they have continued to play very hard, including taking Miami to overtime last week.

[tommy]

There is only one player in NBA history to average at least 1 steal, 1 block and 1 three-pointer per game for their entire career.

Who's Your Daddy?

OK now that I had some time to take a look at it, the true answer to the question is that nobody in NBA history has done it for their entire careers, including Battier. If rounding up were to be permitted then yes, Battier would have it, as would Durant and Rasheed Wallace. Also with 1.0 or more on two of the stats and 0.9 on the third are Clifford Robinson, Tracy McGrady, and Nicolas Batum.

The one who is going to get there is Durant, as he is extremely close on blocks right now, and his blocks are going up every year. But he's likely to peak in terms of blocks midway through his career, and as they decline, who knows if he'll be able to maintain an overall average of over 1.0.

I'm sure there would've been more answers to this question, but really the use of the three-pointer as a regular part of one's arsenal is a relatively recent development. Very few players who started their careers before, say, 1990, have averaged more than a three pointer per game, and nobody before then is even close. Think if Larry Bird was starting his career now he'd average more than a three pointer per game? Uh, yes.

Interesting, but not really surprising that Battier, Durant, Robinson, McGrady, and Batum, and even Wallace (though he's a little taller) all have similar body types -- 6'8"-6'10" or so, long and lean.

[Billy Dat]

The Magic (and JJ) were playing great until Glen Davis went down with an injured shoulder on Dec 19th. Since then, they have lost 8 straight. They had figured out a pretty good rotation before Davis went out, and were defending very well. Since his injury, their defense has fallen off. JJ is having a harder time getting good looks - he had been running the pick and roll well with Big Baby. Josh has given them some good minutes off the bench, but he was no match for Carmelo last night.

Jacque Vaughan has dome a great job, and despite losing 8 straight, they have continued to play very hard, including taking Miami to overtime last week.

I forgot about Big Baby, that's a big loss (rim shot!).

As the Grantland article Des passed along illustrates, the Magic fans should be proud of their effort this year. Instead of post DH tanking. they are working hard trying to make the playoffs. The rookies are giving them good minutes.

[theAlaskanBear]

Keep in mind that Vaughn learned his basketball from Roy Williams, who learned it from Dean Smith, who learned it from Phog Allen, who learned it from James Naismith.

So, he should be a sharp cookie. :)

This reminds me so much of the way collections of Hadith are learned. Each Hadith is is two parts: the content, and then the chain of narrators back to the Companions of Mohammed to ensure validity.

Spoken to Jacques Vaughn:
"Name to us your narrators of this basketball game.
We demand renown, coaches of fortune and fame!
From Naismith the soothsayer to Roy Williams, "ol'
Huckleberry hound".

Relate to us, the philosophies of the three
tools of the fast break, and strategies of 'D'.
We will revel your wisdom, from tough losses
to cake-walks.

Insh'allah let us inherit your championship pedigree."

[Dev11]

Keep in mind that Vaughn learned his basketball from Roy Williams, who learned it from Dean Smith, who learned it from Phog Allen, who learned it from James Naismith.

So, he should be a sharp cookie. :)

As the only man to ever have a losing record as the head coach at Kansas, I wouldn't attest too much knowledge to James Naismith.

[Duvall]

As the only man to ever have a losing record as the head coach at Kansas, I wouldn't attest too much knowledge to James Naismith.

Though to be fair, Naismith was the only Kansas coach that never got to pad his record against Big Six/Big Seven/Big Eight/Big 12 "competition."

[Billy Dat]

Tom Haberstroh ‏@tomhaberstroh
Bosh's rebs per 36 mins in the Battier starting lineup: 11.0. In the Haslem starting lineup? 6.1. (via NBAdotcom stats)

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/16518/whos-to-blame-for-miamis-rebound-woes

A theory not included in this analysis - maybe Shane's effective boxing out makes it easier for Bosh to secure caroms?

[Billy Dat]

Speaking of Shane, words fail...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_FdalGa98M

[theAlaskanBear]

Speaking of Shane, words fail...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_FdalGa98M

Did I just see LeBron as Lil'Jon?

Hey, I would pay money to see them sing Karoake and act ridiculous for charity.

[Billy Dat]

Did I just see LeBron as Lil'Jon?

Hey, I would pay money to see them sing Karoake and act ridiculous for charity.

Your citing Lil' Jon made me think of Lil' Wayne and the recent beef between he and LBJ/DWade over lack of dap, for lack of a better term

http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2011/01/lil-wayne-is-mad-at-lebron-james-and-dwyane-wade/

[moonpie23]

just when you thought he would run for public office..........

yow!

[House G]

JJ with 29 points against the Trail Blazers last night with 6/10 three pointers. Nolan Smith assigned to the D-League Idaho Stampede.

[nmduke2001]

Grant makes regular season debut tonight...

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/8838156/grant-hill-make-regular-season-debut-los-angeles-clippers-saturday

[1 24 90]

Also in that game, JJ hits a 3 in a tie game with 42 seconds left to provide the winning margin. Nice

[HK Dukie]

Also in that game, JJ hits a 3 in a tie game with 42 seconds left to provide the winning margin. Nice

Here's the link...

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400278261

It's a JJ love fest in there. One quote, "It wasn't a letdown by us. Don't try to take anything away from them," Clippers guard Chris Paul said. "They made tough shot after tough shot. J.J. Reddick had a hand in his face half the time."

The smallest of consolations on a tough day. Still, nice to see.

[Billy Dat]

I watched the Knicks beat the Hornets yesterday afternoon and had a few thoughts:

-Austin played very little, and only in the first half. He was certainly looking to pass more than shoot, but he did get to the line once in his limited minutes. There are a lot of media people kicking this kid while he is down, and I think it is premature. He seems to be a tireless worker and he's got pro skills. He'll figure it out and become a rotation player at some point down the road.

-Anthony Davis looked really good to me. He played 33 minutes but I feel like he should play more on that team. Monty Williams uses a lot of players. With Robin Lopez on the team, Davis plays a lot of 4 and, therefore had to guard Melo a lot.

-I was glad to see Lance get 13 minutes of PT. He will likely have to scratch and claw to remain in the NBA as he gets older but most guys follow a similar path. Defense, rebounding and energy.

-I couldn't pick out a certain player off the New Orleans bench - he was vaguely familiar and then they said his name, Xavier Henry. He's now in his 3rd year after being drafted 10th by Memphis after a one-and-done year at Kansas. In fact, the game was full of one-and-dones including Henry, Davis, Rivers, Carmelo, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu (impressed with him, coming into his own now). Hearing Henry's name really hit me, though, because he was such a high profile recruit so recently and now is just fighting for wing minutes with the likes of Lance. It aint easy.

[Billy Dat]

This insane Ish Smith block on John Wall needs to be shared:
http://www.sbnation.com/2013/1/14/3877256/ish-smith-blocks-john-walls-shot-in-the-most-difficult-way-possible

[timmy c]

This insane Ish Smith block on John Wall needs to be shared:
http://www.sbnation.com/2013/1/14/3877256/ish-smith-blocks-john-walls-shot-in-the-most-difficult-way-possible

That's awesome. I get a tiny grin when I see Wall struggle to play the pg position at NBA level. I feel guilty for it, but I still do it.

[House G]

Nice first half by the Hawks tonight:
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400278278

[JBDuke]

Regarding last night's Wizards-Magic game:

I'm a Wizards/Bullets fan - is 20 years long enough to be "long-suffering"? - and watched the game last night eager to see both how the Wiz would perform with John Wall back in the lineup, and how Dukies Redick and McRoberts would perform for the Magic.

One of the more interesting elements of the pre-game was the focus of the Comcast Sports Net crew (the DC regional sports network) on JJ Redick. As the broadcast was beginning, it was "The Wizards take on the Orlando Magic with JJ Redick." And in the "keys to the game" or whatever they call it, JJ was the first Magic player discussed. Not leading scorer Afflalo, who went for 30 in the Magic's upset of the Clippers last Saturday. Not Glen Davis, who played last night for the first time in a month or so. Not even a starter. Nope - it was our own JJ.

As for the game itself, the first half was competitive, but it quickly became clear that the Wizards were playing much better than the Magic. It's not just the return of Wall - he's not starting yet, and they're limiting him to about 20 minutes a game. But the Wizards are relatively healthy, finally, and they were shooting and moving the ball well last night. In the second half, or, really, whenever Wall was in the game, the Wizards just seemed to be moving at a faster pace. The lead ballooned to 31 late in the game.

JJ had a decent game - 12 pts and 4 assists with no turnovers. He was 2-6 from deep and 2-2 inside the arc. He still moves without the ball as well as anyone not named Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, or Richard Hamilton. The Magic are obviously running more plays for him and he's taking more shots. Curiously last night, I thought he was reluctant to shoot on a couple of occasions when he got an opening, especially given that he made 2 of his first 3 attempts and looked to be shooting well. The Wizards have some long, quick guards, and they did a pretty good job as the game went on of sticking with JJ, keeping him from cleanly receiving the ball, and getting a hand in his face when he did. JJ's time in the second half, when the game was pretty clearly going the Wizards way, was more limited than normal.

McBob looked pretty good in his 13 minutes out there. He moves well and moves the ball well. He snagged 5 rebounds in those 13 minutes, including 2 on the offensive end of the court. And he had 5 points on 2-4 shooting with 1-2 from the line.

Overall, nothing special from our Magic boys. Interesting to note that they had did have two of the best +/- numbers for the Magic on the night: -7 for Redick and -4 for Josh. From what I've noticed in the box scores, this isn't that unusual.

As for the Wizards, they've now won 3 in a row. This is a very different team when healthy. Like him or not, Wall is a big difference maker. He's so fast with the ball that he just blows past some guys to get to the basket. His speed forces the defense to react, which opens up opportunities for his teammates. He moves the ball pretty well, and his shot seems to have improved a bit. I can now see why there were some rumblings about contending for a playoff spot back before they knew they'd be without Wall and Nene for months. I wouldn't be shocked to see them play .500 ball or so for the rest of the regular season.

[Billy Dat]

I'm a Wizards/Bullets fan - is 20 years long enough to be "long-suffering"?

Indeed, 20 years certainly qualifies. I am happy that the Wiz are showing signs of life. A question for you...the Wiz, esp. Ernie Grunfeld, are taking a lot of heat for picking Jan Vesely in 2011. What's your take on his development? He's still very young.

[JBDuke]

Indeed, 20 years certainly qualifies. I am happy that the Wiz are showing signs of life. A question for you...the Wiz, esp. Ernie Grunfeld, are taking a lot of heat for picking Jan Vesely in 2011. What's your take on his development? He's still very young.

I'm still undecided on Vesely. Generally, I think when you're picking at #6, you want someone that can contribute quickly, especially if you're in the talent deficit that the Wiz were/are in. At that position, you should be able to get someone to start or be in the rotation right away. Vesely isn't at that point, but there are several factors that have hindered his success. First, the lockout last year prevented him from getting in the normal summer/preseason work that rookies can get. Second, when he finally got in a full summer and training camp, his PG goes and gets hurt and misses the first 40% of the season. Vesely's style of play fits well with the uptempo running game that John Wall runs, and he's not going to be as good when you don't have Wall or an equivalent PG running the show. Also, Grunfeld added Nene, Okafor, and Ariza since that 2011 draft. Vesely is a different player from all of them, but they all are experienced veteran NBA forwards that weren't signed to sit on the bench, so it means less time is available for Jan.

Vesely has shown flashes of potential that would justify the #6 pick - most notably in the last couple of games. Now that Wall is back, I hope we'll see more of Jan on the court with him. The Wizards aren't going anywhere this season, so they might as well see what they've got in their tall Czech. If at the end of this year, he's still not showing signs of soon become a solid member of the rotation, I'll call him a bust.

That 2011 draft hasn't borne much fruit yet for the Wizards. I loved Chris Singleton's college game, but it just hasn't translated to the pros yet. He's been in Wittman's doghouse for the last couple of months. He's also suffering from Ariza's presence, as Ariza is a defense-oriented SF that can run and shoot some - pretty much the same niche as Singleton. I also loved Shelvin Mack's college game and thought his skills might allow him to contribute, too. Plus, I thought both guys were pretty high character types - something the Wizards were in short supply of at the time. Now Mack is gone. That's not huge - he was just a second rounder, and lots of #34 picks don't stick. But Singleton was a #18 pick. I still hope he'll stick around and develop to the point he can fill Ariza shoes and/or make him expendable.

The Wizards are looking at a future lineup of Wall, Beal, Singleton, Vesely, and Seraphin. That's a lineup with pretty good potential, but the likelihood is that one or more of the latter 3 are a bust. The team is likely to have another decent draft pick this year, so we'll see what the next piece of the puzzle is.

[roywhite]

Grant got 16 minutes tonight as the Clippers won another one, this one at Houston.

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400278287

What really stood out to me is that the Clips got this road win without Chris Paul, who sat due to a bruised knee. Eric Bledsoe came in and gave them 37 minutes with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals?

Is there a better backup PG in the league than Bledsoe?

Could be a special year for the Clips.
What a great way that would be for Grant to go out.

[licc85]

Hate to keep talking about Austin Rivers' struggles, but it's beginning to look like he may earn a trip to the D-League soon.

In his last 10 games: 2.4 points on 22.7% shooting, 14 assists to 12 turnovers in 17.6 minutes per game. He hasn't reached double figures in the last 9 games, and had five scoreless games in that stretch. He only played 9 minutes in the Hornet's last 2 games, and now that Eric Gordon is back healthy, his role has clearly been reduced.

Not looking too good for Sub Zero.


Grant got 16 minutes tonight as the Clippers won another one, this one at Houston.

http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400278287

What really stood out to me is that the Clips got this road win without Chris Paul, who sat due to a bruised knee. Eric Bledsoe came in and gave them 37 minutes with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals?

Is there a better backup PG in the league than Bledsoe?

Could be a special year for the Clips.
What a great way that would be for Grant to go out.

Bledsoe is in the Derrick Rose/Russell Westbrook category in terms of athleticism. He could start for quite a few teams right now. Interesting that he has turned out to just as effective a player in the NBA as his UK counterpart, John Wall thus far. My God, that UK team was LOADED . . . Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe, Patterson, Liggins, Darius Miller. I'm SO glad they lost before they had a chance to play us . . . we might still be sitting at 3 NCs right now if we ran into them.

[sporthenry]

Hate to keep talking about Austin Rivers' struggles, but it's beginning to look like he may earn a trip to the D-League soon.

In his last 10 games: 2.4 points on 22.7% shooting, 14 assists to 12 turnovers in 17.6 minutes per game. He hasn't reached double figures in the last 9 games, and had five scoreless games in that stretch. He only played 9 minutes in the Hornet's last 2 games, and now that Eric Gordon is back healthy, his role has clearly been reduced.

Not looking too good for Sub Zero.

I think it might be best for him to go to the D-league. With Gordon back and NO not willing to play him, it makes sense to let him get 25-30 minutes a game down there versus decent talent. He obviously has a lot to learn and staying in college would have been best from that perspective but he probably would have slid down the draft boards so with that in mind, I can't blame him for leaving.

But the kid really just needs to play/work on his game and I doubt the NBA practices provide anything unless he is specifically working on certain things with the coaches.

[theAlaskanBear]

I think it might be best for him to go to the D-league. With Gordon back and NO not willing to play him, it makes sense to let him get 25-30 minutes a game down there versus decent talent. He obviously has a lot to learn and staying in college would have been best from that perspective but he probably would have slid down the draft boards so with that in mind, I can't blame him for leaving.

But the kid really just needs to play/work on his game and I doubt the NBA practices provide anything unless he is specifically working on certain things with the coaches.

I was listening to the Hornets-Sixers game last night, and one of the things the radio announcers commented on was how Austin will play good defense - nice movement, harassment, good positioning, but then bail out his guy with a foul at the very end. He got fouled and went to the line for his only point of game. In just 5 minutes of play, Austin had 1pt 1ast 1reb and 2pf and a +2 while he was out there.

Right now Rivers is in a terrrrrible shooting slump. I think his legs have deserted him, the dreaded rookie-wall. The slump began in January, at the 30 game mark for Rivers...his minutes have been cut back as the team adjusts to Gordon's return. Still, lets look at some positives. Rivers really improved in December, his second month in the league...his shooting improved, playmaking, etc...it seems like the game started to slow down for him. Now he has regressed a bit.

The question now is, can Rivers continue to improve in practice and seeing spot minutes, or his he someone who has to be out on the court playing to stay sharp.

[JBDuke]

A busy and mostly good night for Blue Devils in the NBA:

The Magic had a good game, beating the Pacers in Orlando. JJ's line was pretty good - 14 pts on 5-8 shooting (4-6 from 3FG), 4 boards, 6 asts, zero turnovers, AND A BLOCKED SHOT!!! (JJ doesn't get many of those.). McRoberts had a good game for him, tallying almost 20 mins of court time, 8 points (3-8 FG, 2-4 3FG), no rebounds, 3 assists, and a block. Once again, however, both Duke alums lead the Magic in +/-. JJ was +16 while Josh was +13.

The Bulls squeaked past the Raptors up in Toronto. Carlos had a monster night - 36 points on 16-24 shooting to go with 12 boards. Luol had 19 pts, 6 boards, and 7 assists for the stat-sheet stuffer of the night.

Austin Rivers may have started breaking out of an extended slump. He had 8 points on 3-6 shooting in 22:43 of playing time. That's more burn than he's seen in a while.

Elton had a double-double - 11 pts, 10 rbs - for Dallas. Dahntay got 5 points, all from the line, in 12+ minutes.

Kyrie went for 31, 3, and 5 with 4 steals in Cleveland's win over Portland in the Rose Garden.

Shane had a pretty negligible stat line for Miami in their win over the Warriors, but we all know that stats don't tell the story of his game.

[theAlaskanBear]

A busy and mostly good night for Blue Devils in the NBA:

The Magic had a good game, beating the Pacers in Orlando. JJ's line was pretty good - 14 pts on 5-8 shooting (4-6 from 3FG), 4 boards, 6 asts, zero turnovers, AND A BLOCKED SHOT!!! (JJ doesn't get many of those.). McRoberts had a good game for him, tallying almost 20 mins of court time, 8 points (3-8 FG, 2-4 3FG), no rebounds, 3 assists, and a block. Once again, however, both Duke alums lead the Magic in +/-. JJ was +16 while Josh was +13.

The Bulls squeaked past the Raptors up in Toronto. Carlos had a monster night - 36 points on 16-24 shooting to go with 12 boards. Luol had 19 pts, 6 boards, and 7 assists for the stat-sheet stuffer of the night.

Austin Rivers may have started breaking out of an extended slump. He had 8 points on 3-6 shooting in 22:43 of playing time. That's more burn than he's seen in a while.

Elton had a double-double - 11 pts, 10 rbs - for Dallas. Dahntay got 5 points, all from the line, in 12+ minutes.

Kyrie went for 31, 3, and 5 with 4 steals in Cleveland's win over Portland in the Rose Garden.

Shane had a pretty negligible stat line for Miami in their win over the Warriors, but we all know that stats don't tell the story of his game.

Don't forget that Luol hit the game-winning shot with 3 seconds left in OT. Boozer is having a great January -- 24pts, 11rpg, and 55% shooting. Season looks promising for the Bulls if Rose can come back healthy and reintegrate into the lineup. I am worried a touch about the on the court chemistry with Rose returning -- the Bulls have been excellent at ball movement, screening, pick-and-rolls. If Rose comes back and dominates the ball the offense could suffer.

[Billy Dat]

Don't forget that Luol hit the game-winning shot with 3 seconds left in OT. Boozer is having a great January -- 24pts, 11rpg, and 55% shooting. Season looks promising for the Bulls if Rose can come back healthy and reintegrate into the lineup. I am worried a touch about the on the court chemistry with Rose returning -- the Bulls have been excellent at ball movement, screening, pick-and-rolls. If Rose comes back and dominates the ball the offense could suffer.

They played really well without Rose last year, too. What's going on there, Alaska? Can we just chalk it up to their always great defense and the fact that they've been forced to play so many games without Rose over the past two years that they are used to it?

Great call hyping Boozer's recent play. I noticed that the national media has picked up that story and Carlos is getting some well deserved love. Imagine if he'd never tripped over that suitcase?

A pox on your Bulls, they own my Knicks! Heads-up for the Knicks v Pistons from Merry Old England starting at 3PM today on NBATV. Those Brits will probably think Singler just walked out of the local pub as his uber paleness and rain soaked Pacific Northwest origins are very anglo indeed.

[theAlaskanBear]

They played really well without Rose last year, too. What's going on there, Alaska? Can we just chalk it up to their always great defense and the fact that they've been forced to play so many games without Rose over the past two years that they are used to it?

Great call hyping Boozer's recent play. I noticed that the national media has picked up that story and Carlos is getting some well deserved love. Imagine if he'd never tripped over that suitcase?

A pox on your Bulls, they own my Knicks! Heads-up for the Knicks v Pistons from Merry Old England starting at 3PM today on NBATV. Those Brits will probably think Singler just walked out of the local pub as his uber paleness and rain soaked Pacific Northwest origins are very anglo indeed.

A couple of things concerning the Bulls re: Rose. (ps. any other Bulls observers feel free to dispute)

Rose is an exceptional player, but for all the criticism of Russell Westbrook, Rose deserves some of those same shots. For a guard, he shoots a low three-point %, so he can't doesn't space the floor. Teams will give Rose the 3 and play him to drive and distribute. This clogs up the lane for his bigs. His usage % last year was 30%...which isn't bad for a PG of his caliber, but this brings us to the second point -- his passing ability. He looks to drive on the pick and roll, and when he does pass its timing is often just too late or not in the sweet spot. And of course he dominates the ball at times, looking to break down his defender and drive. This stagnates team offense and player movement as others try to clear out and give him lanes.

The Bulls have such great passing from their forwards, that getting Deng, Boozer, and Noah more touches, getting everyone moving and cutting is still a darn good team. The flaw is that there is no longer a "go-to-guy" when you have to have some scoring or when players have a bad game.

[Jderf]

For a guard, he shoots a low three-point %, so he can't doesn't space the floor. Teams will give Rose the 3 and play him to drive and distribute.

What do you think about the recent reports that Rose has drastically improved his jump shooting in his time away? How do you see it affecting the bulls if we see a slightly-slower-but-more-accurate version of Rose when he comes back?

I hope Carlos and Luol can keep up their impressive play with Rose on the floor. Rose's return -- and the Bulls' surprising success in his absence -- is definitely one of the more interesting NBA story lines at the moment.

[Billy Dat]

Good god, look what Kyrie does to Damian Lillard in the clip posted 2/3rds down the page:
http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/47806/nba-shootaround-watch-the-throne

Also, Kyle looking good in this game from London. He had to check Melo for a stretch which is no picnic, a task that has fallen to many Dukies this year including McRoberts, Deng, Lance and Shane.

[Billy Dat]

I know the Lakers have been disappointing, but check out the 10 players on the floor for most of the last 5 minutes of this highly entertaining Lakers v Heat game:

Lebron, Kobe, D.Wade, Nash, D.Howard, Chris Bosh, Pau Gasol, Ray Allen, Ron Artest and, until he fouled out with under 2 to play...our Shane.

Man, that's a lot of current and recent All Stars on one court.

[Billy Dat]

Your starting 2010-11 backcourt, at least for part of the season
http://instagram.com/p/UnOMa7RGfo/

[sagegrouse]

Boozer, who scored 19 points with 20 rebounds in a win against the Celtics last night, is putting up big numbers. His average for the last ten games -- 23 points and 12 rebounds -- while a limited sample, are both better than any full season. Hubie Brown noted he was playing the best ball since joining the bulls.

sagegrouse

[Billy Dat]

Boozer, who scored 19 points with 20 rebounds in a win against the Celtics last night, is putting up big numbers. His average for the last ten games -- 23 points and 12 rebounds -- while a limited sample, are both better than any full season. Hubie Brown noted he was playing the best ball since joining the bulls.

sagegrouse

That was an incredible game. It is amazing that the Bulls went blow for blow with the Celtics after Luol pulled up lame with a re-injured hamstring in the middle of the 3rd. He wasn't scoring much, but he was locking down everyone he covered, including Paul Pierce. The defense on display when these teams go at it is incredible.

KG is such a punk, but we all knew that already. Aside from his usual post play cheap shot shenanigans, he pulled some additional bs at the buzzer. Marco Bellinelli hit an very tough fall away, falling down jumper to win the game with a few second left in OT. The Celtics, with no timeouts, rushed the ball up court and missed a half court shot. Bellinelli was defending the play and KG managed to hit him with a really cheap pick/forearm as the game ended. I can't stand that dude.

Meanwhile, Jared Sullinger is more then figuring out the NBA, this kid has the makings of an incredible rebounder. When he was in the game, it was rare that there was an available board that he wasn't at least getting his hand on. He has that Barkley knack for being an undersized guy who knows how to use his huge rear end, nimble feet, expert timing and intuition to dominate the glass.

[vick]

So not directly related to anything any of the Dukies did on the court, but related to "stats don't tell the story of [Battier's] game," I thought this recent interview with Battier (http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/53670/shane-battier-and-the-buzzer-beater-problem) about players shooting desperation heaves just after the buzzer was interesting, and his candor is just another thing I love about him.


"If you're a true shooter, those shots add up," [Battier] said, while making it clear that his view was also the opinion of most, if not all, NBA players. "It's not worth it (to shoot them). Even though statistically speaking, it's a positive – it's a plus-play (in terms of probabilities of success). If you shot every buzzer beater, you're going to make one out of - whatever the odds are.

"Even the heave is a plus-play. But unfortunately we're not judged on the plus-plays. We're judged on (shooting) percentages. I think they should take the heave out of the stat book. It's common sense."

And if they did change the rule book to reflect this stance?

"You'd have guys fighting to take that shot, because it's a hell of a fun shot," he said. "We shoot those shots every day in practice."

Interestingly, the NCAA doesn't record these as "field goal attempts."* From the NCAA statisticians manual (http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/Stats_Manuals/Basketball/2013%20Bsk%20Stats%20Manual%20easy%20print.pdf):


A FGA is not charged if an unsuccessful shot is taken near the expiration of time for a period or for the shot clock, and it is the statistician’s opinion that the shot was a desperation shot and not a reasonable attempt to make a field goal. One or more of the following factors should exist in order to classify a shot as a desperation shot. The shooter:
(1) Is outside the normal shooting range. A shot from just beyond the three-point line would usually be considered in normal shooting range while a shot at or beyond the division line would be outside normal shooting range.
(2) Uses an abnormal shooting motion, such as an overhand baseball toss.
(3) Rushes or hurries the shot to beat the expiration of time. A shot could be considered rushed or hurried if the shooter tries to control and shoot the ball in the same motion with not enough time to get into a normal shooting position (squared up to the basket).

I think the NCAA is definitely right here, and I love that Shane will come out and say that pro players are (probably rationally from a financial standpoint) avoiding a positive-EV play that looks bad in the box score.

* Found in the comments of the ESPN article, the first useful thing justifying the hundreds, maybe thousands, of crazy trolling posts I have read in there.

[roywhite]

Did Kyrie and the Cavs get some real help from this trade with Memphis (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8868058/memphis-grizzlies-cleveland-cavaliers-agree-multiplayer-trade)?


Memphis sent big man Marreese Speights, guard Wayne Ellington, guard Josh Selby and a future first-round draft pick to the Cavs for forward Jon Leuer.

The pick is the most valuable part of the deal for the Cavs. In 2015 or 2016, if the Grizzlies' first-rounder falls between picks 6-14, the pick goes to the Cavs. Starting in 2017, if the Grizzlies' pick falls outside the top five, the Cavs then get the selection. In 2019, the pick becomes unprotected. It is the sixth first-round pick the Cavs have traded for since 2010



The Cavs enter Tuesday night's home game against Boston with a 10-32 record -- second-worst in the Eastern Conference. Speights will help Cleveland replace center Anderson Varejao, who was leading the NBA in rebounding but will miss the remainder of the season after developing a blood clot in his right lung.

Varejao remains hospitalized at The Cleveland Clinic.


Darn shame about Varejao...wish him well.

[MChambers]

I think this is Ellington's third team already. Doesn't seem that he'll amount to much, although you never know. Kyrie will have been in the NBA quite a few years before that pick helps.

[roywhite]

Kyrie with 40(!) in a 95-90 win over the Celtics.

He got some help from Tristan Thompson, but that was about it.

ESPN boxscore (http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=400278334)

[doctorhook]

Kyrie goes off for 40 tonight on 67% fg shooting, incredible in win over Boston. JJ had 26 starting for Orlando. More Duke NBA busts.

[FerryFor50]

Did Kyrie and the Cavs get some real help from this trade with Memphis (http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8868058/memphis-grizzlies-cleveland-cavaliers-agree-multiplayer-trade)?





Darn shame about Varejao...wish him well.

Ok, I get the salary dump. But a 1st rounder, too? For Jon Leuer????

[grad_devil]

Kyrie had a great game, but don't forget about JJ! Mr. Efficient had 26 points on 10 FGA. 9/10 overall, 5/6 from 3-Pt land, 3/4 from FT.

Of course, the Magic dropped the game Kyle Singler's Pistons (6pts, 7Rebs).

http://huckleberry.mhc.edu/devilStats.html

[House G]

Kyrie had a great game, but don't forget about JJ! Mr. Efficient had 26 points on 10 FGA. 9/10 overall, 5/6 from 3-Pt land, 3/4 from FT.

Of course, the Magic dropped the game Kyle Singler's Pistons (6pts, 7Rebs).

http://huckleberry.mhc.edu/devilStats.html

And JJ only took 4 shots in the second half. Jameer Nelson (2/10 from beyond the arc) and Glen Davis (4/16 from the field with one assist) continue to treat JJ like the invisible man.

[toooskies]

Ok, I get the salary dump. But a 1st rounder, too? For Jon Leuer????

John Hollinger, part of Memphis' front office now, has always liked Leuer. It seems extreme to me too, though, because I see Memphis as a lottery team within 3 years. If the Cavs get the 10th pick, though, is that really a lot to pay?

The Cavs improve here on the court, which has its pluses and minuses. Speights will instantly start, as Zeller is only learning he needs time in the weight room in the offseason. But getting better means a worse draft pick. According to the OKC plan, this is their James Harden draft year.

[Matches]

I think this is Ellington's third team already. Doesn't seem that he'll amount to much, although you never know. Kyrie will have been in the NBA quite a few years before that pick helps.

Ellington's been pretty decent this season. Nothing special but he's okay. He will hang around as a rotation player for at least another couple of years. The trade was more about shedding salary than a commentary on his worth.

[sporthenry]

As mentioned in the Irving thread, both Kyrie and Luol are All Stars. By my count, Duke is tied with the most all stars at 2 with a handful of other schools.

Duke (Irving, Deng)
UCLA (Westbrook, Holiday)
Florida (Lee, Noah)
Wake (Paul, Duncan)
Texas (Durant, Aldridge)

Pretty crazy that half of the All Stars who went to college went to the same school and no UNC players.

[grad_devil]

JJ makes a 4 point play to tie the game with 53 seconds left!

Then Demar Derozan drains a highly contested shot at the buzzer to win the game for the Raptors :( Meh.

JJ finished with 14 pts.

[MIKESJ73]

Any chance JJ gets an invite for the 3pt contest? His scoring/minutes are up high enough now, but his % is lower than usual. I found this page:

http://redickforthree.com/

[Matches]

Supposedly the Celtics are interested in acquiring JJ. Gotta believe he gets moved somewhere with his expiring contract.

[House G]

Never gets old:
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400278355

[wgl1228]

Kyrie yet again with 30+ points and a 3 at the buzzer to defeat the raptors tonight. I'll take him over any PG in the league!

[sagegrouse]

Kyrie yet again with 30+ points and a 3 at the buzzer to defeat the raptors tonight. I'll take him over any PG in the league!

The Cavs were down two and Kyrie just nailed one from the top of the key. Whoa!! -- sage

[Greg_Newton]

Yup, just another night of Duke game-winners:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysIR7JJL7iQ

[Greg_Newton]

And:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysIR7JJL7iQ

[DBFAN]

Kyrie yet again with 30+ points and a 3 at the buzzer to defeat the raptors tonight. I'll take him over any PG in the league!

Ahh you guys beat me to it. Great day to be a Duke Fan!!!