Natural Born Analysts Podcast 001 – “The disappointment of Cee-Lo Green”
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Natural Born Analysts NBA Podcast
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Natural Born Analysts NBA Podcast
Round 2 HERE WE COME!!
Westbrook winning? the fashion playoffs…
Round 2 is about to begin, with your Bulls pulling out a gutsy victory over Brooklyn on their home court. Only to be rewarded with a matchup with the King and his South Beach Cavalry. So with the games starting tomorrow its time to pick them again.
East:
Indiana VS New York
Chicago VS MiamiWest:
Oklahoma VS Memphis
San Antonio VS Golden State
Who do you have? Who are you looking forward to seeing?-
naturalbornanalysts
Quickly I think we will see an Indiana vs Miami ECF.
Miami will just be too fresh for your boys to be honest. I see them winning in 5. I cant imagine the bulls have much left in the tank, but I will be rooting for them all the way.
Indiana and New York will be a grind. A very very good matchup. I see it going 7 but I think Indiana have that killer instinct…and David West.In the West I see Memphis vs San Antonio in the WCF.
Memphis and OKC I see as this:
Conley > Jackson
Allen > Thabo/Martin
Prince/Allen Ibaka
Gasol > PerkinsMEMPHIS > OKC
Spurs just have too much class and experience for the GSW… but I hope its an exciting series.
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Natural Born Analysts NBA Podcast
Award Season
Bill Walton- Winner of best Beard/Headband combination 1979
End of season awards will be handed out shortly, and while there seems to be a unanimous opinion that LBJ will win yet another MVP, there are still some awards up for grabs. So lets hear your thoughts on the traditional (and not so traditional) honours.
MVP:
DPOY:
MIP:
6th MAN:
ROY:
COACH:GAME WINNER:
CLUTCH PERFORMANCE:
BENCH SQUAD:
FOY (Foreigner of the Year):
BEST TRADE/ADDITION:
BEST SACKING/RELEASE:
BEST STATLINE OF THE YEAR:
FANTASY PLAYER OF THE YEAR:Feel free to add some.
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naturalbornanalysts
MVP: Lebron (Duh)
DPOY: Marc Gasol
MIP: Greivis Vasquez
6th MAN: Jarret Jack (was awarded to JR Smith today)
ROY: Lillard
COACH: Frank VogelGAME WINNER: Lillard announcing himself to the world and putting is name on the ROY trophy.
CLUTCH PERFORMANCE: I think we just saw it… ANDRE MILLER!!! 28 points, 18 in the 4th, Game Winner!BENCH SQUAD: Denver
FOY (Foreigner of the Year): Nikola Pekovic (Homer Pick)
BEST TRADE/ADDITION: Birdman!! He has helped the Heat A LOT!
WORST ADDITION/TRADE: Jason Terry… sucks!
BEST SACKING/RELEASE: Avery Johnson
BEST STATLINE OF THE YEAR: Curry vs New York – 48(mins) 18-28 (fg) 7-8 (3pts) .875 (3pt%) 11-12 (ft) 6 (rebs) 7 (asts) 3 (stls) 4 (TOs) 54 (pts)
FANTASY PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Durant
GAME OF THE YEAR: Denver @ Boston 3OT
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Natural Born Analysts NBA Podcast
Race to the Finish
Playoff Prediction.
It’s that time of year again, and while one of our teams made it and the other didn’t, its still the best time of the season.
So lets hear your predictions for the first round and maybe a little preview of the type of games you think you will see. Who are the keys? The X-factors? What are you most looking forward to seeing.EAST:
Miami vs Milwaukee
Indiana vs Atlanta
Brooklyn vs Chicago
New York vs BostonWEST:
Oklahoma vs Houston
Spurs vs Lakers
Clippers vs Memphis
Nuggets vs Warriors
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naturalbornanalysts
I will start even though we are already up to Game 2 of each of the series.
PS. Dont piss off the Lion
EAST:
Miami vs Milwaukee
-Lebron killed game one with an incredible stat line. I expected MIL to give the Heat a bit of trouble, because they always seem to trouble them for some reason. But the Heat are better than last year and this will be a sweep… nothing gentlemanly about it. MIAMI 4-0Indiana vs Atlanta
-Paul George started off with a bang, and Larry Drew has seemingly given up already (Al Horford only 28 mins?). I think Indiana take this series in 5. INDIANA 4-1
For note: I’m on the Indiana bandwagon… its small… I may be driving, but I will ride hard.Brooklyn vs Chicago
-No Noah? Big Problem! I can’t imagine Deng playing much worse than he did in Game 1, so its only up from here! I think that Chicago manage to grind out a couple of games at home, but Brooklyn look very good. BROOKLYN 4-2New York vs Boston
-Carmelo was good. Boston was terrible in the fourth and have no bench. Im not that impressed with the Knicks. I think Boston just find a way. Boston 4-3WEST:
Oklahoma vs Houston
-Woah boy… OKC look good… and that sea of blue is going to wash all over Houston. OKC in the gentleman’s sweep. OKC 4-1Spurs vs Lakers
-Ugly shooting in game 1, but I think that the Spurs are just using this to round into a bit of form for Round 2. Spurs take this in 5, because Pop is a gentleman. SPURS 4-1Clippers vs Memphis
-Memphis cant play much worse can they? And I still think they get this series. I dont trust Del Negro and I dont trust the Clippers. Im looking forward to Mike Conley adjusting to the bright lights of Hollywood, and Lionel Hollins out-coaching Chris Paul… I mean Vinny Del Negro. MEMPHIS 4-3Nuggets vs Warriors
-Lee done for the season really hurts the Warriors. Faried playing in Game 2 really hurts the Warriors. The perimeter length of the Nuggets really hurts the Warriors. Nuggets in six because Andre Miller has overtaken Billups as the most underrated player in the League. DENVER 4-2
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jk41
West Coast Courtside Notes Tour (WCCNT) Preview
I’m excited!
We’re heading to the US soon, initially we were planning just the West Coast but now basically all over to watch some NBA, get some good R&R and bro time.
Here’s some of the games I’ll be catching with my friend at Natural Born Analysts:
24th March, 2013: Chicago Bulls @ Minnesota Timberwolves
3rd April, 2013: New Orleans Hornets @ Golden State WarriorsAnd a couple of others I’ll be catching myself or with others:
22nd March, 2013: Brooklyn Nets @ Los Angeles Clippers
23rd March, 2013: Washington Wizards @ Los Angeles Lakers
27th March, 2013: Memphis Grizzlies @ New York KnicksAnd I’ll know there’ll be others Natural Born Analysts will be catching around the country as well.
So which ones are we most hyped about? Any BOLD predictions?? Who are you most looking forward to seeing in real life?
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naturalbornanalysts
THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN. 3 Working days left before I jump on the A380 and head to LAX/CVG.
Obviously the game I am most excited to see is 24th March Bulls @ Timberwolves! Yeah Boi. We will be two rows back from the court, Backcourt Club entry, walking past the bulls bench to get to our seats, and hoping that our boys DROSE and KLOVE are back in action. I’m honestly excited to see both Rubio and Noah do their things the most I think.
PREDICTION: Triple OT with Rose and Love having triple doubles- is that too much to ask?Im also looking forward to visiting Oracle Arena, as that is the supposed to be a fantastic venue with a great crowd. And watching Steph Curry do his thing will be a bit of fun!
You missed one that we are doing together, when we go to Staples Centre to see Lob City vs Indiana on 1st April (No fools here). Hopefully a few dunks will be thrown down by BG and Paul George can have another casual trip dub.
Memphis and NYK will be nice on your schedule, especially at MSG. Im hoping to catch either the Raptors or Magic there.
The biggest game on my schedule is undoubtedly the March 18 match up in Boston between the Celtics and the HEAT! Wowee… Cant wait to hit some of the bars in front of the stadium and mix with the locals.
PREDICTION: Paul Pierce with a game winner sending the crowd into raptures.The other game I’m hoping to get to if we are in the area is the Portland vs Dallas game on April 7th, because the Rose Garden seems like it would be a great place to see a game.
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jk41
The Bulls v Minny game is definitely going to be a highlight. Watch out for a bright red DROSE Bulls tee I’ll be rocking to make it easier to spot on TV! haha. Not sure if Rose will play, but will be massively exciting if he does, along with KLOVE. Not sure how nasty the Minny crowd is either, but you got my back right? right?!?
Lob city will be something to watch, just a few of these will do:
Love the C’s / Heat matchup, the Garden will be rocking. The Boston vets always seem to come up BIG in these games, especially at home, so I’m down with your prediction. I also think this game has the biggest Honey Nut Cheerios kind of potential!
One thing I’m looking forward to is just being in all the different arenas. I’ve only ever been to Chicago games, and they do have a very tame kind of crowd, so it’ll be great to get mad atmosphere going.
And also seeing Kobe Bryant. Mamba,#Vino, I’m glad I do get to watch him before he retires because he’s definitely up there in my book. Like Chuck says, ‘if Michael’s driving, Kobe Bryant is in the back seat’!
These are my winners (in bold) for the games:
Chicago Bulls @ Minnesota Timberwolves – Gotta represent!
Indiana Pacers @ Los Angeles Clippers – Don’t think George Hill is ready to contain CP3, and the Clipper bigs can run rings around West and Hibbert
New Orleans Hornets @ Golden State Warriors – The Warriors will be hungry for games like these to make the playoffs
Brooklyn Nets @ Los Angeles Clippers – Again, I think the pace of the Clippers will be too much, I don’t rate the Nets
Washington Wizards @ Los Angeles Lakers – #Vino will be hungry to stay in the playoff race, looking forward to #GoodJohnWall if he shows up
Memphis Grizzlies @ New York Knicks – Not sure who Memphis will put on Melo, while the Knicks have Chandler to combat either Z-Bo or Gasol.
Miami Heat @ Boston Celtics – CELTIC PRIDE!Beyond excited, it’s gonna be a hell of a trip!
JK
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jk41
Homer Talk
We’re almost at the All-Star break, so a good half way through the season. And I want to be a HOMER! I want Bulls and Wolves talk! If Bill Simmons can talk an hour and a half about Rondo and still have 5 million Twitter followers I see no harm in us doing the same!
Also, we’re both big fans of our teams and although we have become well-rounded NBA fans more so over the recent years, I think it’s also interesting to know how much the fortunes or successes of our teams affect our view of the league.
- What has been the best game your team has played this year?
- What have been the low points?
- Where do you think your team will finish?
- Who’s the team you’re rooting for, should your team fall short?
- Have you found your excitement levels dictate your view of the league, as an NBA fan?
Fire away! And any irrational ranting is welcome 😉
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naturalbornanalysts
I’m glad I waited until this past weekend, before posting this, because one of our best games game on Sunday (Saturday stateside) against the soon to be Pelicans of New Orleans. The other great game was the win at home against OKC.
In both games we hit from the outside which is a key to drawing teams off the double team of Pekovic. If he has the chance to work one-on-one he is incredibly efficient. The OKC game we relied heavily on Barea to carry our scoring in the fourth quarter, as we have done on numerous occasions. But the most encouraging aspect of this weekends games (inlcuding against the Lakers), and the previous few, has been the resurgence of Ricky Rubio’s confidence. He has begun to look like the guy the league fell in love with last year.
The low points are obviously all the injuries. The loss of Love again, Budinger, Lee, Howard, Roy, has really hurt our depth, and forced our hand into signing a number of 10 day contracts, including Lazar Haywood, Mickael Gelabale and Chris Johnson. The latter two, actually showing some decent form, and being signed for the remainder of the season. Im especially impressed with Johnson, who has shown the type of hustle and effort on both ends that our other bigs like Steimsma and Lou Admundson have lacked.
I cant pick a single point that is a low point, rather just the slow deflation of the high expectations that we had during training camp, where we saw pieces coming together, excited by the return of Brandon Roy, and the eventual return of Ricky Rubio.
Unfortunately I don’t see us making the playoffs again this year. I think the West is too stacked, and without our franchise guy (unlike the bulls), we dont seem to have the ability to close out games. Our defense has dropped from top ten to almost last in the last month, and we still suffer from 7 minute droughts where cant find the rim to save ourselves.
Positives though…
Shved – excited by what he can do. Has no fear of the big moment, and while he doesn’t always make the right decision, and needs to handle the ball a lot, he is an exciting prospect for a backcourt with Rubio in the future.
Kirilenko – I was against this signing before the season began, but man has he proved me wrong. We would be dead last without this guy. He still has it, and he has it all. The only thing I could ask more from him is the three ball, but I will ignore that due to the brilliance he shows in other areas.
Cunningham – This guy is a keeper. Deadly mind range shot, unbelievable hustle on defense, and the type of lead by example guy every team needs. While he is probably confused by the European music, fashion, and food he is being exposed to, he goes out and does his job every night.Negatives…
Pekovic – We need to sign him… or do we? I’ m unsure. We have made a qualifying offer of $6.5M, but surely that is not enough to keep him. Teams will be after a true scoring and rebounding centre. He is playing some fantastic ball, and showing that he doesn’t need to have another dominant big alongside him to put up big numbers. This will really test Kahn and our front office. Pay him? Trade him before the deadline? Or let him walk….shudder.
Derrick Williams – He just doesn’t have it. Shows flashes of brilliance, and by all accounts is working hard with coaches to get better, and put in extra hours, but I think more than the physical attributes, its the mental side of the game (he is a mouth breather for damn sake – ask me about this theory sometime). I think he will end up being part of a package if we make a move, but at the moment I just don’t see how he fits in our system, and its easy to see Adelman being constantly frustrating with him.Who am I rooting for?
I would be happy with an OKC MIA rematch, with OKC getting that title.
But I would love to see your boys get there too, the work that Thibs has done by getting that misfit bunch to buy into the system and play hard night in night out has honestly amazed me.I think that what your own team does, definitely dictates your enthusiasm for the league to some degree, but as life long NBA fans, I think we both find stories and players that spark our interest and cause us to follow certain teams and situations more closely. For example, I’m loving Portland this year, and have found myself watching a lot of their games. This also goes for GSW, and my interest in watching Marc Jackson work that team into a formidable force in the West…. oh and did I mention that the Lakers struggles have made the disappointment of the wolves season that much easier to swallow?
Enough Homerism for you?
GO RAVENS!
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jk41
Excellent Homerism, I hope you typed that with a slice of pizza on your belly as well!
High points:
- The Miami win in Miami was pretty impressive. This was still near the beginning of the Boozer renaissance so I was still sceptical about if he would fold like a house of cards against the Heat. But we slaughtered them on the boards and came out with a tough, strong win.
- Just this weekend’s Hawks game was also an impressive one. Without Noah, Boozer and Hinrich, off a back to back, in Atlanta, and handing them a double digit beating. Double-doubles for Taj, Deng and Butler, and #GoodNate showing up.
Low points:
- The injuries have hit just recently, which I can feel your pain about just having your starters wiped out basically. The one that really worries me in Noah with plantar fasciitis, because the last time that came up he really struggled.
- The giving up leads against the Bucks, Charlotte were also very low points. This brings up questions of playing down to competition, inability to finish games etc that should be staples of a good team. You can’t be giving up 20, 30 point leads regardless if your injured or not.
Finishing point:
- I think we’ll end up with the 3rd seed. Although tomorrow’s game against the Pacers will be the litmus test because they are coming hard in equal 4th in the east. If we can hold on through this spate of injuries, we have a chance to make a run.
Backup team:
- I like OKC as well over the Heat. Although they haven’t looked tip top lately. Is it me or do they pretty have no offensive sets other than ‘your turn-my turn’ amongst Durant and Russ?
- Also pulling for Golden State for entertainment value and because I like how they built their team.
Yeah, I was definitely feeling down on NBA in general while the Bulls were starting slow. And that’s part of why I watched a lot of early Warriors games to feel some of their winning glow! The Lakers thing was pretty fascinating too, but I’m getting tired of their story, especially when they arrogantly declare they don’t want big money back in return for Gasol. I forgot we were talking to the almighty Lakers here! Gimme a break! #LakersRant.
Where do you think the Wolves end up? Just missing the playoffs or lottery bound?
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naturalbornanalysts
The Lakers story just got more interesting with Gasol down and out for a while. The emergence of Earl Clarke (always liked him in college) as a possibly decent to good player has also been an interesting side note.
I think the Wolves finish 10th or so in the West, which is really a waste of a season. The only thing to be thankful for is that this year’s draft is predicted to be incredibly shallow, and it has allowed us to see what we have in Shved, Cunningham, etc, who havent been injured and got a lot of time as a result.
Time to put your teacher’s hat on and give your players report cards for the season so far.
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jk41
Alright, here’s my report card on my beloved Bulls:
Joakim Noah: A
All Star Season. Heart of the team and leading the way. Enough said, we win most of the time when he plays and that’s all that matters.Luol Deng: A
2nd time All Star. So much respect from Thibs and filling in where needed. And still playing with torn ligaments in his wrist that now doesn’t even get mentioned.Carlos Boozer: B
Started slow and we didn’t really expect much. But late December and January we saw a Boozer we’ve never seen before in Chi-town. He’s still only a B for all the previous years of heartbreak!Rip Hamilton: Incomplete
Injured again, and on a minutes restriction now so he’s ready for the playoffs so very hard to judge. Is he on a minutes restriction or just not earning the minutes? Maybe Thibs already knows what he has in Rip and wants to use him as a surprise scorer in the playoffs? Time will tell.Kirk Hinrich: C
He sure didn’t learn to shoot in his years away from the Bulls, it’s been horrific. But as a floor leader and defender he has been pretty good, although gets into early foul trouble a lot. Injuries have hurt his grade too.Taj Gibson: C
Even though he’s been hot lately, he’s been thrust into that role with Boozer getting hurt. Yes, his minutes are limited when coming off the bench, but he still wasn’t getting it done. Hopefully he has turned the corner.Nate Robinson: B+
Good Nate / Bad Nate. Pick your poison with this kid. But he is explosive and can score, I’ll give him that. I’d love to see him off the bench just going at it for 10 minutes, giving DRose rest.Marco Belinelli: C+
Had a horrific start and then Rip went out and he was, like Taj, thrust into the starting job. And then he started playing great! He has cooled off since going back to the bench but that’s understandable.Jimmy Butler: B
The new favourite of Bulls fans. Not sure if he is the shooting guard we’ve always coveted, seeing as he doesn’t shoot that well, but I love the flexibility he gives when paired with Deng on the floor. His emergence could be an x-factor come playoff time.Marquis Teague: Incomplete
It ain’t fair to judge the kid cos he’s played so little, and Thibs is naturally slow to bring rookies on (see Jimmy Butler). He’s still young, and has shown a few skills to get to the rim on layups, a lot like his brother.Nazr Mohammed: F
Unfortunately, I think he’s past it and this will be his last season.Vladimir Radmonovic: F
He’s seen very little time, but why I don’t give him an Incomplete is because we desperately need 3’s. And that is what he does.Daequan Cook: Incomplete
I like the signing, he’s young and shoots 3’s. Hopefully can be someone to use going forward once a lot of these spare parts leave next season. I don’t think he cracks the rotation this year.Tom Thibodeau: A+
I was frustrated with him when we started slow. And wrongly so. The players just need time to pick up his system and play to it. I’m a pretty harsh critic, but there’s no denying that at 9 games over .500 at this point is way further along that I would have thought. The Bulls are battling a top 4 spot instead of the last 4, which is a credit to Thibs given the injuries and new additions.That was a pretty fun exercise. And even more pleasing is that we’ve still got an MVP to come back. And I can’t wait!
What’s the skinny on your Wolves?
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naturalbornanalysts
Kevin Love : NA
Really hasn’t played enough this season to have any accurate gauge of how he fared coming back from a successful summer Olympic campaign.Ricky Rubio: B
After a slow start working his way back from the knee injury, Rubio has shown his old self again. The last two weeks he has been that same energetic ball wizard we fall in love with last year. The downside? His shooting has regressed again… and we have no legitimate 3 point threats on the wings for him to kick to.Nikola Pekovic: A
Time and again he is showing that last year’s numbers were not a fluke, but that he doesnt need a dominant 4man next to him to deflect attention. He has been efficient and consistent. Our only issue now is figuring out how to resign the big bear.JJ Barea: B+
JJ has really carried us through some games. He is one of our only real options in the fourth quarter, and never looks scared to shoot. Sure he takes a lot of contested shots among the trees in the paint, but you have to live with it when nobody else is doing much.AK: B+
Despite injuries, this guy has been a rock for us on the defensive end. By far the most intelligent guy we have on the court, he seems to be everywhere. The only disappointing aspect of his return to the NBA has been his 3point shooting which has been pretty dismal.Alexey Shved: C
The inconsistency of a rookie as you would expect. However, they obviously raise them with the ‘NO FEAR’ gene at CSKA because this kid will shoot without hesitation, and has made some clutch plays in his short career thus far.Luke Ridnour: C
Still the same Luke. You know what you are going to get. Sometimes its enough and sometimes its not. The one thing you can always rely on is that he will be out on the court giving you everything he has, and knocking down baseline jumpers.Dante Cunningham: A
This guy has been the surprise of the season so far for me. Wasn’t expecting much out of him, but his defensive hustle is inspiring, and has a surprisingly efficient stroke from the elbows… I would guess 95% of his FGA (other than dunks) are from the elbows.Greg Steimsma: D
This guy has brought very little to the table. For a legit 7-footer, he rebounds horribly, whines a lot, and has no inside post moves. The only positive is that he blocks shots on a team that is notoriously poor at it.Derrick Williams: D
I wish I could give this guy a higher grade, but he is just showing so much inconsistency again this year, and that was reflected in a bunch of DNP-CD’s earlier this season. He is yet to develop any threatening moves off the dribble, highlighting his previous reliance on athleticism alone to get him his baskets in the past. The one bonus is that he seems to play a lot better when Rubio is on court, and with his health and flair returning, at least Williams will be around for some big alleys.Mickaël Gelabale: NA
I like him, and his frenchness, but I haven’t seen enough of him yet to really get a good baseline reading.Chris Johnson: B
I love this kid! He is long and stringy. Bounces all over the place. Gives everything he has. And genuinely looks like he loves playing basketball. Its early days, but the fact that we waived Lou Admundson to keep him around says a lot.Lou Admundson: Waived… Which is a good thing.
Josh Howard: Injured and released.
Brandon Roy: Injured and retired.
Chase Budinger: Injured, but promising.
Malcolm Lee: Injured, but showed flashes.
Coach Adelman: A
With what this guy has had to go through this year both on and off the court, he has to be commended.So that is the skinny on an incredibly disappointing season so far.
Half way there.
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jk41
Best of the Rest
The All-Star Starters votes were released today and here’s how the popularity contest (yeah, I’m hating) shaped up:
EAST:
F: LeBron James
F: Carmelo Anthony
F: Kevin Garnett
G: Dwyane Wade
G: Rajon RondoWEST:
F: Dwight Howard
F: Blake Griffin
F: Kevin Durant
G: Kobe Bryant
G: Chris PaulThe All-Star reserves are set to be selected by the coaches and announced next week, so this will need to be quick:
- Who of the starters based on their actual season ans stats should NOT be voted in as an All-Star?
- Who are your next 7 All-Star reserves on each team?
Take it away….and quickly!
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jk41
Ok, first up the guys who I don’t think would have been voted as starters if it was a coaches decision:
- KG
- DWade
- Blake
with Rondo and Dwight juussst making it ok for me to have them in. This is not to say these guys don’t deserve to make the team, it’s just that if it weren’t for their popularity I’m not sure they get the START.
My reserves…
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EAST:
F: Joakim Noah (total homer pick, but one of the best passing centers out there averaging 4.1 assists at center!)
F: Tyson Chandler (haven’t always been the biggest fan but he’s made an impact on the Knicks)
F: Paul Pierce (The Truth, still putting it up as we discussed in our last post)
F: Brook Lopez (when he plays, the Nets win. Averaging 18ppg, 7rpg, 2bpg. I don’t love it but didn’t really like anyone else in the East. I would’ve put Tony Parker in if there were no conferences.
G: Jrue Holiday (been playing great for a terrible team, lots of triple double near misses)
G: Kyrie Irving (I love this kid. Period.)
G: Paul George (carrying Indy and they’re on a nice stretch lately after a terrible start)WEST:
F: Tim Duncan (should’ve gotten the start based on the season he’s having)
F: LaMarcus Aldridge (another guy I like, and putting in serious numbers for the one of the best starting 5’s in the league)
F: Zach Randolph (Z-Bo has been a beast in Memphis. They’ve been cooling off lately but he deserves a nod)
F: David Lee (my fantasy boy! only big man to average a 20-10 this season or something. He’s sitting at 19.7 and 10.9 as of writing, but damn close enough!)
G: Russell Westbrook (easy pick for me here, he ain’t the smartest cookie out there but it comes and goes. #GoodRussBadRuss)
G: James Harden (he makes the Rockets relevant)
G: Steph Curry (was thinking of Tony Parker as well, but Curry beat him in almost every hard and % stat and the Warriors record has been pretty good this year)That’s it! And the West feels so loaded to me after that exercise…
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naturalbornanalysts
Agreed that I don’t see those three guys making it if the starting positions weren’t a popularity contest. Having said that, I’m glad that KG made it because that’s my homer pick!
I’m also throwing Dwight out there. I think the Lakers having two starters with a 17-23 record doesn’t sound right.
As for the rest:
East:
Josh Smith – I think he is deserving, considering how well the Hawks have played this year after completely revamping.
Kyrie Irving – Just watch his outburst against the Knicks earlier in the season.
Joakim Noah – Agreed he deserves to be in… he is really playing well this year.
Paul George– After a rought start, Mr. Everything is doing everything… he could be a lock for the next 5 years.
Jrue Holiday – MIP in my opinion. Playing out of his skin.
Brook Lopez – He has really started to get back to some of his old form
Anderson Varejao – I dont care if he is injured, he deserves to be an all star this year.West:
Russell Westbrook – Lock. Enough said.
Tony Parker– This guy has been unbelievable this season, and I think he is deserving of a spot with the Spurs playing so well.
Tim Duncan – Playing some of the best basketball of anyone in the league and doing it in his usual understated way.
David Lee – As you said he has been a double double beast this season.
Zach Randolph – Every All-Star team needs a dark alley guy and this is it!
James Harden – Shown that he can carry a team and almost lead the league in scoring.
Stephen Curry – I’m ignoring the fact that we have a ton of PG’s here… I’m running Adelman two PG fronts all game. -
naturalbornanalysts
Who are the snubs?
My number 1 guy is Nicholas (nut-punch) Batum. This guy is having a freakish season after signing his new contract. Proving he is probably worth every cent.
Another one could be David West, who is having a very solid season for the Pacers, picking up all the slack Hibbert is dropping.
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jk41
Batum has come on lately, but probably only the last month or so have I seen it in him. I think even Lillard could be more of a snub given what he’s been able to do for that team.
I snubbed Josh Smith for the opposite reason, being that he had a fast start but now that the Hawks are struggling is finding himself getting suspended and all that kind of stuff.
Boozer? Haha just kidding..
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jk41
Alright we got the announcements:
East Reserves:
Jrue Holiday
Paul George
Chris Bosh
Tyson Chandler
Kyrie Irving
Luol Deng
Joakim NoahWest Reserves:
Tony Parker
Russell Westbrook
James Harden
LaMarcus Aldridge
Zach Randolph
David Lee
Tim DuncanI’m surprised by Deng actually, but also happy he’s getting the respect from the coaches. I’m pretty happy with the East picks. Although, Bosh over Brook….ehhh I don’t really like either of them to be honest so I’m whatever really. Hahaha
The West was pretty much my picks except Parker for Curry which I should’ve got right in the first place.
All in all I’m pretty happy with them, what’s your take?
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naturalbornanalysts
EAST– So neither of us put Luol in – shame on you (will be play or still be injured?)
Josh Smith got snubbed again, which is becoming a yearly ritual.
The other massive snub is Brook Lopez… like you said, I don’t rate either of them so it doesn’t bother meWEST– Steph Curry got booted…. insert Parker/LA, which we knew was going to be a toss up between the three with all deserving.
Other than that it was steady as she goes.Who wins?
Whats the score?-
jk41
Massive shame on me, I guess I thought the legacy factor would come in with Pierce. He’ll play, he tweaked his hamstring about 5 days ago, and All-Star game is still a few weeks away. Otherwise Jimmy Butler is available!
I guess easiest way is to count the misses (i.e. guys we put in our team that aren’t in the actual team) between us.
East:
You missed on Josh Smith, Brook and Varejao = -3
I missed on Pierce and Brook = -2West:
You missed on Curry = -1
I also missed on Curry = -1Funnily enough, we had LaMarcus and Tony Parker in our respective teams to even that out.
So I took it out -3 to -4….or something, I dunno I just confused myself. Haha!
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jk41
Trading Places
Been thinking about this a while, and trying not to be too off-colour (no pun intended) about it.
But there’s always those names you hear in the game, could be players, coaches, refs, where you think they’re black, but they’re white. Or vice versa.
Or relatively new players in the league, that you mistake for really old vets.
Or guys you always associate with one team, when they clearly have played more with another.
Rapid fire some off!
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jk41
I’ll kick off:
- I get Keon Clark and Earl Clark mixed up all the time
- I thought referee Bill Kennedy was white.
- I thought Randy Whitman was black.
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naturalbornanalysts
I told you a few the other day:
- I always thought Billie King was white
- Portland Coach Terry Stotts was definitely black in my head.
Will have a think about some more
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jk41
Some more:
- I thought Larry Drew was white, I think because I got him confused with the immortal Bryce Drew who played a season with the Bulls
- I thought Memphis GM Chris Wallace was black.
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jk41
Old Man Renaissance
![9900VinceCarterSupermanDunk[1]](https://courtsidenotes.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/9900vincecartersupermandunk1.jpg?w=632&h=438)
Kobe. KG. TD. Nashty. Vinsanity.
Greats of the 90s and early 2000s. So much so that it would be understandable to expect a decline or shadows of previous selves to emerge. But not for this bunch! Take a look at these averages:
Kobe Bryant:
30.5ppg, 5.2rpg, 4.7apg, 1.6stls, 48.3% FGKevin Garnett:
14.7ppg, 7.0rpg, 1stl, 51.4% FGTim Duncan:
17.7ppg, 9.6rpg, 2.6apg, 2.5bpg, 51.3% FG, 81.2% FT (career high!)Steve Nash:
10.3ppg, 8.3apg, 52.8% FG, 42.1% 3PT, 100% FTVince Carter:
Actually giving a crap for the Mavs.Lots of questions here…
- Did we miss any other oldies?
- What is up with the longevity of these guys? Sports science? True greatness?
- Who has been the biggest surprise in terms of what they are producing?
- Who is closest to retiring? Who’s looking like they’ll hang on until they become UNproductive?
Take it away!
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naturalbornanalysts
Ah the years of Reggie, Hakeem, T-Mac, Shaq…
So what do we consider old man in the NBA game? You have guys like Kidd and Thomas who are OLD and then you have veterans over the age of 30 or so… Considering most guys peak performance is around 25-28 I would think, I will say 32 and over is worth of an NBA pensioner’s card.
Does Paul Pierce count as an old guy (he’s 35)? His numbers this year:
19.9ppg, 5,5rpg, 3.9apgWhat about Andrei Kirilenko (yeah I had to get a wolf in here) who is almost 32 and throwing up:
13.3ppg on 51.6%, 1.4bpg, 1.5spg, 6.8rpg, 3.1 apgLast one that I can think of is David West who is also 32:
16.8ppg, 8.0rpg … but more importantly I think he is keeping the Pacers afloat with Granger out, Hibbert just being flat out awful, and Paul George inconsistent at best.I cant tell you what this is down to, perhaps it was a bit of golden age for the NBA, or conversely (and probably more likely), there was a reduction in truly top quality players coming into the league?
Im sure sports science and medicine has a lot to do with it. 20 years ago, if you did your ACL you were almost done, but now you can come back and almost set a single season rushing record after minimal time off rehabbing (perhaps even lead your team into the ECF?).Biggest surprise to me? Tie between Kobe and Duncan. I thought Kobe’s production would slow with the signing of Dwight and Nash, and then when they went out, I thought his efficiency would drop, but he is being the most efficient of his career from the field.
And Duncan is just in beast-mode so far this season. I guess nothing should surprise anymore when you talk about San Antonio.Surely Kidd is just about done? He is having a nice year, but I have to think he is almost done after this year. KG was close to retiring, and I could see him hanging it up this year if Boston crumble and have an early exit. Kobe definitely hangs on to chase that 6th.
Is there anyone who you thought retired too soon from this era of ball?
Who of these guys is the most valuable to their team?
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jk41
Yeah I think 32 is a good figure for over the hill, for some guys the hill is just a higher so theyre still producing, just not what they were.
Pierce I’d take, although he’s lacking that little something so far this year. I haven’t watched much of the C’s but is he still carrying them to wins? I think the difference is that Kobe, TD can still carry their teams to wins, whereas your Kidds and Kurt Thomas’ are playing good for their age, but not dictating the W or L for their team.
Kidd is almost there. Even Nash as well in my eyes. There hasn’t been much to go on and it seems like his game is timeless (efficient, not relying on athleticism) but he just looks old. Maybe it’s the haircut!
I thought Sheed did leave early, and maybe why he came back in the end. He was keeping that Celtics team in that Game 7 of the Finals they lost to the Lakers. Thought Peja might have had more to give, given he is a shooter, although it could have been injuries. He had a great playoff run with Dallas and good that he finally got a ring.
I’d say Duncan. The way I’m thinking about it is: if you took that guy off their team, which would suffer the most? Lakers still have firepower in Dwight, Nash and could plug the SG spot with Jodie Meeks if they lost Kobe. KG is similar to TD. He’s just not putting up career like numbers but if they were to lose him, the effect is similar with having to plug Sullinger or whoever else in there. In fact, the Spurs could be better off than the Celtics having Splitter and DeJuan Blair around and seasoned.
Hard question the other way around, but which guys in their peak today seem like they’ll just keep going on and on? Lebron’s never had a major injury. Westbrook has missed like 6 competitive games since high school!
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naturalbornanalysts
Pierce is still so clutch though. He hits massive shots, and is still the go to guy in Boston. As much as the talk seemed to be of Rondo becoming more assertive on the offensive end, it has remained the Truth’s team. He isnt on Duncan or Kobe’s level, but he certainly is still in the top SF in the game.
Nash’s offensive stats are still nice, and he sees the floor well, but he cant guard anybody… he wouldnt be able to guard Jack Nicholas.
Peja is a good candidate for leaving the game too early. All he did was shoot 3’s, and if Mike Miller can still hobble around and do it, Im sure that Peja could have.
I wish I could put Brandon Roy in this group too.I think Kobe is most valuable to that team. I honestly dont know if they win half the games this season if they dont have Kobe going HAM. He is playing out of his mind so far this year, and I just cant see anyone else filling the 30+ pts a game he is putting up.
Agreed it is a close second with Duncan though. He does it all.Yeah if LeBron stays healthy, it probably isnt long before he passes Bird as the greatest SF of all time. Westbrook, less so because he relies on speed and athleticism, and father time seems to catch up with those guys quicker. What about Durant? Every year he gets better and better, as shown by his triple double this season. I really think there is a chance he enters the conversation for best player in the game in a few years.
I will hold my tongue on opinions of Rose/Love/Rubio as injuries are really killing our dreams right now. -
jk41
I think I was listening to too much Simmons expecting Rondo to break out into this nightly triple double and it hasn’t happened…anyway I digress. Yeah sometimes with these older guys they do take a while to ‘get into’ the season and come April and playoffs time they’re prime and hitting those big shots.
Even if Bron does lose his athleticism I could totally see him playing on the block the exactly same way as Karl Malone. Even their body shapes are kind of similar! That’s what makes him interesting because he’s positionless. And then does that makes his case to pass up other SFs like Bird because he’ll play PF later in his career? Something to watch and see how he approaches it.
Westbrook just plain needs to get smarter, and he better do it before his spring gives out.
Thing about Durant is that you can still see so much improvement available. Can you imagine him with a mid range post game a la second three-peat MJ? With that height he would be devastating! The Durant/Lebron battle over the next few years will be our version of Magic/Bird.
One thing that seems consistent over recent NBA history is that it does take that 6-8 seasons with the right progression (usually a ring) until you can put your hat into the ‘great’ discussion. MJ was drafted ’84 and didn’t get his first ring til ’91–Year 7. Bron was in the ’03 draft and with his ring last year it was the last hurdle to getting into the legit great discussion–Year 9 for him. KD was drafted ’07, so his time is slowly creeping up.
I think our guys drafted in the 08-09 region will show their candidacy in the next few years. Which is great for us!
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Natural Born Analysts NBA Podcast
3 moves to fix your team.
Just a quickie….
We are a month into the season. We know what our teams have got, and what they lack.
You have 3 moves that you can make to fix your team (and I’m not talking about miraculous healing).
Amnesty? Trades (has to financially work/realistic)? Future draft? Rotations?GO!
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jk41
So I’m guessing we’re talking about short term, in season here…
If its this season, I’m not sure there’s much we can do! We’re hard capped thanks to the Hinrich signing which means we can’t sign any free agent til December or something because of the pro-rated salaries.
The only players of value we have are Luol Deng and Joakim Noah. These guys are on pretty big contracts and then who do you go for? Rudy Gay? But then Memphis are pretty settled. And Noah’s having a great season, there’s no need to get rid of him.
So I really think the moves to fix the team have to come from within, as boring as it sounds. But these are the things I would do:
1. Get the rotation right
Thibs is trying all he can to find the right combination off the bench. With last year’s Bench Mob, he usually left Deng in with the bench as that stabiliser. But I think now without Asik, he has to leave either Noah or Boozer along with Deng for that extra stability off the bench.2. Work in some new offensive sets
Scoring is such a nightmare on this team, as you’re well aware of with your gambling. But it’s not just the lack of scoring, but how they approach it. It’s a point guard dominated offense due to it being designed to have Rose running it. It relies on a lot of penetration and ball handling of the PG. And in case we haven’t noticed, Kirk is no Rose. So I would love it if they tweaked their offense to run more through Deng in the post or Boozer/Noah initiating passes, because what have you got to lose? And best outcome is that you find a killer Boozer or Deng play that you can rely on when Rose does eventually come back.3. Miscellaneous
- Play Marquis Teague. Find out what you have in him.
- Hit some 3s! At the bottom of the league and critical to success in today’s NBA
- Thibs to trust his bench. Management to provide personnel that Thibs will trust. Short and long term road here.
- Pray for Derrick to come back stronger than ever.
Wow…I really didn’t think I had that much to write, but then again we are 8-7…
OK, how about the T’Wolves?
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naturalbornanalysts
I agree that your offensively challenged Bulls need some spark off the bench. But at best I think you need to hope Jimmy Butler starts to shine and get some more minutes. Nate is too unreliable.
Also agree that Marquis Teague should get some more minutes so you can see what you have with the kid. He is young and I think the experience right now would be good for him.
And you might have your wish with Rose running around before games as of late.Ok so the Wolves…
We have obviously been hit probably the hardest of any club this year with injuries. To the point that we signed Josh Howard (who surprisingly hasnt been playing all that badly). We have a lot of young talent, and a sprinkle of vets.
Having said that I think there are only three untradeables at the moment:
Love/Rubio/Shved1. Package Luke Ridnour ($4M) and Derrick Williams ($5M) for something:
Orlando Magic – JJ Reddic ($6M) and Josh McRoberts ($3.5M)
Denver Nuggets – Wilson Chandler ($6M) and Corey Brewer ($3M)
Utah Jazz – Enes Kanter ($4.5) and Raja Bell ($3.5)I would love the Magic Trade. We need an outside shooter desperately and a guy to play the SG while Alexey continues to develop. And McRoberts can bang the outside shot as a big, which is something Lou and Steimsma cant do.
2. Run more small ball. When AK and Rubio come back I would love to see us running a three guard front, with a wing player like AK playing the 4 and Love/Pek playing inside. So far this year Pek and Love have struggled on the court together, and we have a young athletic team that could allow a team like Rubio/Lee or JJ/Shved/AK/Love to get up and down the court… and if you had Reddick at the 2 guard spot it would fit perfectly. Having said that I dont want Rubio to be rushed back- the same way you dont want Rose rushed.
3. TRADE KEVIN LOVE. Yeah I said it….
Hear me out. He has voiced his concern at not being in the playoffs and not being surrounded by enough talent. Our attempts this year have failed miserably (Budinger, Roy, Williams, Admunson, Steimsma do not inspire confidence) and there is a good possibility we wont be in the playoffs again this year with teams in the West out performing expectations. He is arguably a top 5 player? I would say easily top 10… was the best power forward last year. So what can we get for him? A LOT! Im not going to figure it out now, but definitely a guy with the calibre of Harden at least, and then add a pick or a young guy too. This stems out of the fear of him demanding a trade and us being forced to give him up on the cheap. So if it looks like we arent going to make it again this year… ship him to Danny Ainge in Boston.-
jk41
Wow…does number 3 mean you get lynched on arrival in Minny? I’m really not sure about that one. I think if you have a special talent, which Love is, you try your best to build around him. Players like him don’t come around everyday, and although there is the threat of him leaving, I think the guys you signed this offseason can be pieces to be turned into a higher level player. This was the thinking with Batum, a wing who can shoot threes.
I like ideas 1 and 2, definitely doable. There seemed to be a trend this year of teams trying to get as deep and possible with any ‘name’ players possible. Looking at Brooklyn and the Clippers here and to a lesser extent, your Wolves. But like I mentioned before, these guys are now in position to be traded as pieces for a bigger fish, and that’s a good position to be in. Not a luxury we have for the Bulls.
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![9900VinceCarterSupermanDunk[1]](https://courtsidenotes.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/9900vincecartersupermandunk1.jpg)
Courtside Notes 
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