Tagged: Kevin Garnett Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • jk41 8:20 am on January 18, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: All-Star, Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, , , Kevin Durant, Kevin Garnett, , , ,   

    Best of the Rest 

    hi-res-140248193_crop_exact

     

    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 Rondo

    WEST:
    F: Dwight Howard
    F: Blake Griffin
    F: Kevin Durant
    G: Kobe Bryant
    G: Chris Paul

    The 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!

     

    • jk41 9:20 am on January 18, 2013 Permalink | Reply

      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…

        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…

    • naturalbornanalysts 2:52 am on January 21, 2013 Permalink | Reply

      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 5:48 am on January 22, 2013 Permalink | Reply

      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.

      • jk41 8:39 am on January 23, 2013 Permalink | Reply

        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..

      • jk41 2:47 am on January 25, 2013 Permalink | Reply

        Alright we got the announcements:

        East Reserves:
        Jrue Holiday
        Paul George
        Chris Bosh
        Tyson Chandler
        Kyrie Irving
        Luol Deng
        Joakim Noah

        West Reserves:
        Tony Parker
        Russell Westbrook
        James Harden
        LaMarcus Aldridge
        Zach Randolph
        David Lee
        Tim Duncan

        I’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?

    • naturalbornanalysts 2:51 am on January 25, 2013 Permalink | Reply

      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 me

      WEST– 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 3:03 am on January 25, 2013 Permalink | Reply

        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 = -2

        West:
        You missed on Curry = -1
        I also missed on Curry = -1

        Funnily 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!

  • jk41 5:49 am on January 7, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Kevin Garnett, , Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Vince Carter   

    Old Man Renaissance 

    9900VinceCarterSupermanDunk[1]

     

    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% FG

    Kevin Garnett:
    14.7ppg, 7.0rpg, 1stl, 51.4% FG

    Tim 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% FT

    Vince 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!

     

    • naturalbornanalysts 9:37 am on January 9, 2013 Permalink | Reply

      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, 3.9apg

      What 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 apg

      Last 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?

      • jk41 10:27 am on January 9, 2013 Permalink | Reply

        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!

        • naturalbornanalysts 12:11 pm on January 14, 2013 Permalink

          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 2:46 am on January 16, 2013 Permalink

          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!

c
Compose new post
j
Next post/Next comment
k
Previous post/Previous comment
r
Reply
e
Edit
o
Show/Hide comments
t
Go to top
l
Go to login
h
Show/Hide help
shift + esc
Cancel