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  • Natural Born Analysts NBA Podcast 9:34 am on April 21, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: NBA, Playoffs, Predictions   

    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 Boston

    WEST:
    Oklahoma vs Houston
    Spurs vs Lakers
    Clippers vs Memphis
    Nuggets vs Warriors

    NBA-playoffs-2013-bracket

     

    • naturalbornanalysts 11:12 pm on April 22, 2013 Permalink | Reply

      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 4-0

      Indiana 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 4-2

      New 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 4-3

      WEST:

      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 4-1

      Spurs 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 4-1

      Clippers 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 4-3

      Nuggets 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

  • jk41 6:41 am on March 4, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Brooklyn Nets, , Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, , NBA, New Orleans Hornets, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards   

    West Coast Courtside Notes Tour (WCCNT) Preview 

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    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 Warriors

    And 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 Knicks

    And 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?

     

    • naturalbornanalysts 11:02 pm on March 5, 2013 Permalink | Reply

      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.

      Heat vs Celtics

      • jk41 6:55 am on March 8, 2013 Permalink | Reply

        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

  • jk41 2:45 am on January 31, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Bill Simmons, , , NBA,   

    Homer Talk 

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    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 😉

     

    • naturalbornanalysts 12:22 am on February 4, 2013 Permalink | Reply

      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!

      • jk41 8:07 am on February 4, 2013 Permalink | Reply

        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?

        • naturalbornanalysts 9:59 am on February 7, 2013 Permalink

          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.
          Go.

        • jk41 7:01 am on February 8, 2013 Permalink

          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?

        • naturalbornanalysts 3:36 am on February 11, 2013 Permalink

          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.

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

    Best of the Rest 

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    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 2:53 am on January 16, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Earl Clark, Keon Clark, mistaken identities, NBA, refs   

    Trading Places 

    tumblr_m3tl12gsf21rsfmm8o1_500

    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!

     

    • jk41 2:55 am on January 16, 2013 Permalink | Reply

      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.

      • naturalbornanalysts 3:21 am on January 21, 2013 Permalink | Reply

        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

      • jk41 4:02 am on January 21, 2013 Permalink | Reply

        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.

  • jk41 3:13 am on November 29, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Chris Bosh, , , Miami Heat, NBA, Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen   

    See no evil, Hear no evil… 

     

    Anyone there in South Beach??

    One of the surprising turns for me this season is just how little attention the Miami Heat are getting. Or maybe I just block them out in my head.

    But with all the big headlines: the Harden Trade, Lakers coaching kerfuffle, Clippers & Memphis laying down their intentions as contenders, Knicks not sucking, Wizards sucking terribly, Bobcats surprisingly not. Where is the chatter on the Miami Heat?

    I know it’s early but here are some stats and why I find it amazing that people aren’t talking more about their back-to-back hopes:

    • 10-3 overall, 6-0 at home and are currently on a 4 game winning streak. 1st is points per game, 1st in 3PT%, 1st in FG%, 4th in assists and 5th in points differential.
    • Lebron is averaging about 25-8-6-1-1, 53% FG (!), 44% 3PT. The only fault in his season is his FT% at 67%.
    • Ray Allen is at 12 points a game making 53% on 3’s. Rashard Lewis is averaging just over 7 points, 54% on 3’s.
    • Oh and they also have two guys called Wade and Bosh who are putting up their usual All-Star numbers with Wade slowing down a slightly as expected.

    So are the Heat really that impressive and equally impressive at flying under the radar at the moment? Or is it a case that the Knicks/Clippers/Memphis genuinely have a chance at unseating the defending champs? What are the other stories currently flying under the radar?

     

    • naturalbornanalysts 12:11 pm on November 29, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      The Heat really are that impressive, and surprising nobody, which equates to no headlines. If they were losing then there would be all kinds of talk. But everyone is playing at a reasonably high level, and they are just going about their business like everyone expected them to.

      I dont see ANY TEAM IN THE NBA challenging the Heat in a best of 7… I just dont.

      I still don’t think Memphis are getting their dues. Playing some great basketball, and have legitimate All-Star possibilities in 4 of 5 positions (yes I think Mike Conley is that good).

      Eastern Sleepers…
      Somebody talk about Philadelphia and dont mention Andrew Bynum. This strange assemblege is being lead by an incredibly underrated Jrue Holiday, who IS DEFINITELY playing at an all star level. They are sitting at 9-6, without arguably the best big man in the league….
      And what about Atlanta? Haven’t heard any headlines about this team. but their record (9-4) is one of the best in the East, and they are doing it after getting rid of their best scorer. Have to love the way these guys are playing…. especially our boy Teague… loves to dunk. (I don’t care if this was a charge)

      The only under the radar story in the West (other than the Spurs being 13-3 again) is that there is absolutely nothing in the west….2.5 games between 4th and 12th at the moment. And then Portland another half game behind.

    • jk41 8:54 am on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Miami unbeatable in 7 this season? What about OKC?

      1 year of growth from KD, Westbrook, Serge. Not sure what you get out of Kevin Martin but couldn’t be worse than Harden last year right? I still like OKC out of the West and even though the Lakers are sucking now, it seems like they would have the star power to combat the Heat but their depth and chemistry are a problem.

      Hawks have a nice little team when Josh Smith and Al Horford are on their game like they had against the Bobcats (still counts) with basically identical lines: 17-13-6-3-5 and 17-11-6-1-3 respectively. Strong games. Plus they surround those two with Korver, Lou Williams, Jeff Teague–they’re a nifty little team. But again, worry about their depth and Josh Smith being able to put it up every night.

      Spurs will be a sleeper as long as the Pop/Duncan era exists. It’s just their nature. Never happy:

      Take that David Aldridge. LOL.

    • naturalbornanalysts 1:06 am on December 3, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      But we aren’t talking about the same Miami team either remember. They have improved a lot on last year’s team. Norris Cole has the extra year. Battier is playing better. Mike Miller is Mike Miller. But Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis have come in and contributed. Watching the end of games now, when LBJ attacks and gets doubled or tripled, who does he kick it out to for the game winner? Only the best 3pt shooter in the history of the game (and he’s healthy). Its formidable.

      OKC are nice, but if you are worried about the Lakers depth, worry about OKC’s as well. While Collison is awesome off the bench, I’m not sure about Eric Maynor coming off surgery, and Jeremy Lamb and PJ3 arent getting minutes. Im not convinced OKC can beat the Heat unfortunately.

      Where do you think your bulls will be sitting by the time Rose gets back?

      • jk41 3:31 am on December 4, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        That’s true. I guess that gets back to my point that they’ve been sneakily dominating. Contradiction much?

        I think Kevin Martin could surprise. All he’s being asked to do is come off the bench and jack ’em up for some scoring. I like him as that energy scorer off the bench a bit better than Harden, even though Harden is the light years away better player.

        Right where I think they’ll be all season, which is .500. I’m tipping he comes back maybe a couple of weeks after the All-Star break in March. But til then…..go Kirk?

        Sigh….kill me….

        JK

  • jk41 2:18 am on November 20, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: David Lee, Dirk Nowitzki, Evan Turner, fantasy basketball, , NBA, Pau Gasol, Roy Hibbert   

    NERD ALERT: Courtside Notes Fantasy Showdown! 

    Get out your laptops, your thick rim glasses, fire up your basketball-reference.com because this week we’re showcasing the fantasy showdown between Courtside Notes vs. Natural Born Analysts!

    So this is an actual fantasy league we do with our friends, and we just happen to be playing each other this week. We thought we’d let you look in on the battle and we’ll drop in comments throughout the week.

    For some background, we’re both doing very, very average this year. We currently sit 6th (Courtside Notes) and 7th (Natural Born Analysts) in a 10 deep league. Ouch! It’s a head-to-head Yahoo league measuring on the standard categories.

    Also to help you out, here are our teams as they stand as of the Monday 19th November games:

    Courtside Notes (Kuoka’s Team):

    • Kyrie Irving
    • Kobe Bryant
    • Evan Turner
    • Danilo Gallinari
    • David Lee
    • Joakim Noah
    • DeMarcus Cousins
    • DeAndre Jordan
    • Brandon Knight
    • Jeremy Lin
    • Nikoli Vucevic
    • AJ Price
    • Ray Allen
    • Samuel Dalembert

    Natural Born Analysts (Rubioballs):

    • Steve Nash
    • Paul George
    • Chris Paul
    • Gordon Hayward
    • Thaddeus Young
    • Al-Farouq Aminu
    • Pau Gasol
    • Roy Hibbert
    • Shawn Marion
    • Danny Green
    • Andrea Bargnani
    • Tristan Thompson
    • Marcus Thornton
    • Wes Matthews

    I’ve just realised I’ve forgotten to rotate my team for today. Great start…anyhow, take it away!

     

    • naturalbornanalysts 4:56 am on November 20, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Day 1 is over, and despite you not starting your team the scoreboard looks like this:

      Rubioballs had a nice turnout from Hibbert finally.. .after a shocking start with 20/12/4blk on .800 shooting
      Also CP3 wasnt bad with a 19/8 game, but thats kind of the expected standard… I wish this guy wouldnt coast so much during the regular season. I think he is overrated as the 3rd best fantasy guy. I know what GM’s feel like when they get trapped in the draft now…

      Kuoka’s Team ( I appreciate the grammatical correctness) had a beast of day from David Lee who is showing signs of his old self after a slow start. Put up 17/19 today in the OT win over DAL. Dano actually caught some form in the surprise Nuggs win over MEM… with a 25/5/3 and not shooting horribly.
      Your accidental bench didnt cost you too badly with Dalembert and Price not doing much at all.

      I have been trying to make some deals, but we have a bunch of dead fish in our league.. there is nobody in my list who isnt on the block.

      Also… Thanks to Houston for really sucking in the 4th and getting my multi over the line! Appreciate it James.

    • jk41 9:53 am on November 20, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Hibbert finally doing something! I thought he got paid, guest starred on Parks & Recreation and that was the end of it!

      CP3 is a tough one. I had him last year and he was good, but I think Love or Westbrook we go ahead of him these days.

      Yeah those guys on the bench didn’t really matter in the end. Although that might say more about having them in the first place!

      And hang on a minute, Kyrie is out for 4 weeks with a fractured left index finger!! Come on!

    • naturalbornanalysts 11:55 pm on November 20, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Glad to see you set your lineup today… although I have 4 players (no nash) vs 2 players but you have Kobe so that is like 2 players. I hate Kobe as much as you hate Lebron, but I have to admit he is absolutely killing it this year. I need a big game from Pau against that soft Brooklyn front line.

      Yeah that hurts with Kyrie out. I saw you added Boobie… hoping for a few streaky games?

      • jk41 8:34 am on November 21, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        The Black Mamba is ballin’ so far this year! His averages so far this year: 26.3/5.5/5.4/1.5 on 52.8% FG, 39.1% 3PT and 88.2% FT! He had about that today.

        Evan Turner is a funny one. He had 12-5-4 on 35%FG. I really thought he would break out a bit more this year, especially with Bynum out to start the year. Last playoffs vs. the Bulls he had some great games, I was expecting more of 18-8-5 with a couple of threes and a steal in there, is that asking too much??

        Yeah, I’m hoping for some streakiness from the Boob. Hopefully, he comes through, cos I need it!

        Pau had a great day today: 17-11-7 and a block. Good on the Spaniard!

      • naturalbornanalysts 11:23 pm on November 21, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Today sees full line ups… So a lot will be told today. Especially with Thanksgiving happening tomorrow in the USA and the sports landscape being dominated by football.

        Big Pau did have a very nice day, his assists will stay high this year lobbing the ball to Dwight all the time.

        And I agree… I drafted Turner in one of my other leagues hoping for a nice year from him. He rebounds well for a SG.. and I thought with their shuffling he would be one of the main options on the offensive end. But I think he is a bit of a victim of the very strange 76ers… one day they scorre 70 and the next they score 110… very strange.

        • jk41 3:26 am on November 22, 2012 Permalink

          Oh man…halfway through today and I think we can safely say this about my team this week:

        • naturalbornanalysts 10:38 pm on November 22, 2012 Permalink

          I love that… but hate that its against my boys haha.

          Yeah you are going to need some big days… although Paul George and Hibbert might revert back to what they were.

        • jk41 8:13 am on November 24, 2012 Permalink

          Scoreline

          Alright the score is starting to look a bit more respectable now. I’m remotely close in rebounds, assists, steals. Damn, Hibbert and his blowout 10 blocks!

          Let’s see how tomorrow pans out!

        • naturalbornanalysts 12:25 pm on November 25, 2012 Permalink

          One day to go and there is still a battle for FG%, Points, Rebounds, Assists. So while the score says 7-2 it is definitely closer than that.

          May the nerdiest blogger win!

        • jk41 1:25 pm on November 27, 2012 Permalink

          What a comeback! I called it over on the Thursday, but looks like my boys still had some fight in them.

          Shout out to Robin Lopez a.k.a Sideshow Bob for hitting a 17 foot jumper which sealed the deal for me on points. Although the fact that Robin Lopez is winning me a fantasy week probably says a lot about my team as a whole…

          Great battle though, we’ll have a post for the revenge leg later in the season.

          null

          JK

  • jk41 7:53 am on November 9, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Daryl Morey, Houston Rockets, , Jeremy Lin, LaMarcus Aldridge, NBA   

    No Problems Here, Houston 

    The Rockets pulled the blockbuster trade of the season (?) right before its opening week and tipped their franchise hopes around.

    Enter Mr. James Harden. Who then proceeded to pour in a couple of stat stuffing games for good measure and show the world that he can be that superstar.

    So finally, Houston have their star. After an offseason of paying Jeremy Lin (with quiet murmurings against GM Daryl Morey) and Omer Asik (not so quiet murmurings), I’m of the opinion that the Houston Rockets are a star PF away from being a contender in the West.

    You’ve got Jeremy Lin: a young, rising star, who at the moment floats between a pass-first and scoring PG. Harden at the 2, who’s your star and crunch time guy. An excellent defender in Omer Asik who has potential to develop an opportunistic offensive game.

    Oh and their ages? 24, 23, 26.

    Which leaves the PF (and to a lesser extent SF) spot to fill with future year’s crop of free agents. Josh Smith is available after this season. How about a LaMarcus Aldridge returning to Texas?

    Who would you plug into Houston’s starting lineup to make them elite? And as an aside, was this Morey’s plan all along, or did he just get lucky?

     

    • naturalbornanalysts 10:40 pm on November 15, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Agreed that Houston pulled a move for the ages, picking up Harden and Lin in the off season.. arguably two of the most marketable stars (imagine if we combined them into a furious asian man with a mohawk and giant beard).
      Larmarcus is locked up for another couple of years, so they would have to trade for him which makes life a little tougher for Morey.
      I really think they do target a PF as they seem to have a nice series of young SF that can play the role. Im a massive fan of Parsons, and I think in a year or two Terrence Jones will be a significant contributor for that team.

      So i had a quick look at the possible Unrestricted Free Agent targets as far as Power Forwards:
      Josh Smith
      David West
      Paul Millsap
      Elton Brand
      Lamar Odom
      JJ Hickson
      Jason Maxiell
      Earl Clark

      Restricted:
      Boris Diaw
      Derrick Favours
      Carl Landry

      Houston’s obvious choices are Josh Smith and Paul Millsap, both can bring a lot to the table. My leaning is Millsap, because of the scoring and shot making ability. Although he is undersized. However is he worth a max deal? Or do you take a flyer at David West, who is a proven veteran for 2 years at maybe $7-10M a year until you can take a max offer to Aldridge and form your big three around Lin, Harden and Aldridge. With an athletic SF in Jones or a 3point all rounder in Parsons, and Asik plugging holes in the middle of the court?

      • jk41 7:09 am on November 19, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        For some reason I thought Paul Millsap was way older than Smith, but he’s actually the same age (27)! Just plays an old man game I suppose. I think Millsap being undersized could be okay given he has Asik behind him, and it hasn’t hurt his numbers too much as all the fantasy geeks know all too well. Although all that said, I’m not too happy giving him a max deal. He’s not a star, more a piece, which is the edge I’d give to Josh Smith.

        I don’t like West. He’s 32 and hasn’t looked the same since his better days with the Hornets before his knee injury. Waiting for Aldridge could be be risky as well, because a lot can happen in the time while you’re waiting, and before you know it you end up with Carlos Boozer instead of LeBron James (but I digress…).

        Of all the other names you have up there I’m not liking many of them over Smith. I think it’s time to put in the call to Mr. Morey.

        JK

        • naturalbornanalysts 10:47 pm on November 19, 2012 Permalink

          Just to play devil’s advocate…. what makes Josh Smith’s situation with two good players (Joe Johnson and Al Horford) in Atlanta, any different to having 1 1/2 stars in Harden and Lin? He still hasnt proven he can be that guy that tips a team over the edge? Are we trusting a max deal to him? What does he offer? We already have shot blocking and rebounding with Asik and Patterson. He is a horrible outside shooter, which seems to be both Lin and Hardens MO…drive kick…drive kick…

          Im not 100% convinced, but I dont have a better option.

        • jk41 2:48 am on November 20, 2012 Permalink

          I think Lin and Harden both being creators makes a pretty big difference. Not sure how many lobs JJ threw up to JSmoove, but I’m guessing it wasn’t all that many since he was too busy jacking up threes.

          He’s in his prime, 27. And they can let him go offensively in a faster paced system which you can run with Lin and Harden. You definitely already have shot blocking and boards with Asik and Patterson, but you can never have enough of that!

          His jumpshot sucks big time, but like we saw from your list, who else is out there? He just seems right for this team to really start getting them knocking on the door for top 4 of the West.

          So I think you have to roll the dice with him. You know you’re getting a guy who has the potential to shoot you out of a game, but also to win it by stuffing the stat sheet. Other option is to wait for other free agents (LaMarcus etc.) but you never know what might happen. Especially with Portland and big men!

        • naturalbornanalysts 11:56 pm on November 20, 2012 Permalink

          Ok you have convinced me. So we are calling Morey now?

          Oh and what happened to Kevin McHale? The rookies i think conspired to kidnap him so they could get some minutes.

        • jk41 8:38 am on November 21, 2012 Permalink

          Yeah, I’ll whatsapp him now, haha.

          I think it was just random cos they were getting blown out. Like Phil Jackson says: “You win with men“.

  • jk41 11:17 am on October 17, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Bill Russell, court vision, greatest, handle, hops, , Latrell Spreewell, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, NBA, Ron Artest, Vernon Maxwell   

    The Sum of Perfect Parts 

    20121017-191258.jpg

    A nuclear bomb just hit the NBA. Body parts are everywhere. Aliens have just arrived (mean ones) and challenge Earth to a game of 1 on 1. Your mission is to assemble the best basketball player out of any of the spare parts left, to create the one perfect basketball player.

    So who’s…

    Head – basketball smarts/mind
    Eyes – court vision
    Mouth – leadership
    Arm – shooting stroke
    Torso – strength
    Hands – handle
    Thighs – vertical/hops
    Feet – speed/quickness

    from the current day NBA are you using to create the super NBA player? How about all time NBA players? What’s his temperament? Is he all team (Magic), quiet winner (Russell/Bird), maniacal competitor (Jordan), asshole (Kobe), a tad crazy (Vernon Maxwell/Spree/Artest)?

    Go!

     

    • naturalbornanalysts 9:49 am on October 18, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Well my first job is to make him look good (sorry LeBron’s receding hairline) … so Im taking my boy Ricky Rubio’s hair and putting it on. Now that we have that sorted here is my CURRENT superstar:

      Head – Kobe… he would eat these Aliens for breakfast. You cant be friendly to these creatures coming to take over your Hardwood, so you have to go Arnie on them… bring in Kobe and his purple and gold bazooka.

      Eyes – Nash… Im certain that even at the tender age of 57 or whatever he is, he still has 20-20 vision, and Im giving him the nod over guys like CP3 and Rondo here.

      Mouth – Who do I want barking orders? You know it…. KG. I want him screaming and doing knuckle push ups to intimidate these scared little ET’s.

      Arms – KD… no doubt about it… he has the sweetest stroke I have seen on a court… the release is perfection.

      Torso – Dwight Howard…. guy is on Ox… if he would just post up and stop trying to be the most popular man in the world he would do damage that would have SHAQ rolling in his grave.

      Hands – Rondo… this guys hands are huge… he does things with the ball you could only dream of doing in the backyard, except he is in front of however many million at the NBA Finals (can we add kahoonas too? because he would take out this category as well).

      Thighs – LeBron (Sorry Blake) … Im taking the tree trunks here… even when cramping.

      Feet- Rose Pre Injury… the ability to move laterally while barely letting his feet touch the court always amazed me and I think would be an ideal match up for the Alien’s teleporting abilities (yeah im pretty sure they could teleport.)

      So having said that…. This is what my alien destroying machine looks like… kind of like an alien.

      Ball is in your court.

      • jk41 1:43 am on October 19, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Alright if we’re gonna start with hair, I might go with the James Harden mohawk (beard optional). Although I’d love a Dr. J afro also!

        Head – Really can’t go past Kobe here…he’s shown how mentally tough he can be and has been over the years…through all the ups and downs he’s been smart about it (staying in LA, never ceding the alpha dog status etc.)

        Eyes – J-Kidd …I could’ve gone ol’ Steve here too. Kidd fits the same bill–even at 57 you can always get some Horace Grant goggles to correct your vision.

        Mouth – CP3…when you watch him on the court, he never shuts up! Talking to his teammates, his coach, the refs…just non-stop! And he’s got the Clips on a leash from Day 1 of showing up..

        Arms – RayRay…he’s getting old, but its just so beautiful. Jesus was meant to just hoist the rock all day.

        Torso – Lebron…I think pound for pound and for his size, he’s just too much for everybody. I agree on Dwight though, he’s overall biggest and strongest.

        Hands – DRose…love his crossover, its a combination of his speed as well, but he has great hands..

        Thighs – Gerald Green…Random, but he can get up there! And I just love this clip:

        Feet – Russell Westbrook…When he takes off down the court its an absolute blur, and he’s got this combination of quickness and fast that just makes him look even more quicker and faster!

        And if we’re including Kahoonas too I’m going with Kobe Bean Bryant. Since Jordan, I would say he’s hit the most game winners / go ahead baskets. Didn’t look it up but it just seems right.

        And just quickly with my All-Timers:

        Head – MJ (killer)
        Mouth – Gary Payton (trash talk)
        Arms – Bird
        Torso – Malone / Barkley
        Hands – Magic
        Thighs – Dr. J / MJ
        Feet – AI (practice?)

        Who you got All-Time?

    • naturalbornanalysts 12:07 pm on October 21, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Good one… I originally had Jesus Shuttlesworth but then scrubbed him for the Durantula.

      All time:
      Head – MJ agreed.
      Mouth – REGGIE… I want to be choke signing all of the Alien supporters.
      Arms – Im going really random here… Earl the Pearl Monroe… just watched the Black Magic documentary and its in my head. The guy never missed.

      Torso – Wilt… he was a bull… worked out with Arnie… enough said.
      Hands – Yeah I have to give it to Magic here to… the way he moved the ball was incredible
      Thighs – DR J as well… revolutionised getting to the rim.
      Feet – This one is tough… AI is a good pick. Nate Archibald? Nah stick with AI

      • jk41 12:13 am on October 24, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Well it’s good to know that we can always stitch together body parts of past and present players to……well, it’d be just a big mess really!

        Enough on this topic!

        JK

  • jk41 2:02 pm on October 8, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , NBA, preseason game   

    LIVE BLOG: Bulls @ Timberwolves – 13th October, 2012 

    Everyone loves a live blog! At least Brandon and Carlos do.

    And so will we for the preseason game between our rival teams here at Courtside Notes.

    Follow our Twitter (@CourtsideNotes) and we’ll shout out the link for you to follow our live comment-ary in the comments section. All you have to do is keep refreshing as we go, easy!

    If it works, we’ll do it more this season. If not, blame the Internet.

    See you on Saturday/Sunday!

     

    • jk41 11:57 pm on October 13, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Wow, too early this side of the world. Kirilenko out for the Wolves and Deng and Hamilton out for the Bulls. Looking forward to an ugly preseason game.

    • naturalbornanalysts 12:00 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      T minus 5 minutes.

      What are you looking forward to about this game, considering there is no Deng or Hamilton for your boys and no Kirilenko for mine.

      Personally Im looking forward to watching Shved and Roy… and Chase Budinger… he has been really nice in the previous two games and seems that he is the perfect fit for Adleman’s system.

      PS sign up for fantasy already!

    • jk41 12:03 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Um…I’m looking forward to getting used to ugly ball from the Bulls! They also have some work to do from the bench to get some chemistry going. It’s been rough.

      I’m interested in seeing Roy and Budinger. Yeah Chase has been a decent pickup. White Men Can Jump!

      Haha yeah I’ll get on that!

      Scoreline?

      • naturalbornanalysts 12:06 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Wolves 83- Bulls 78
        You?

        Low scoring… lots of turnovers.
        You know what else Im excited about? In a matter of months we could be sitting a few rows back (or courtside) in that building watching those two teams. Cant wait!

    • jk41 12:09 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      That sounds about right I might gived the Wolves more edge without any Deng or Hamilton there to score. Wolves 88-Bulls 72.

      I was just thinking that too! Nice shot of the Target Centre in the intro’s. Maybe we can run a live blog from our smartphones?? lol

      • naturalbornanalysts 12:11 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        No Love either… that changes things…
        I think some blogging and photos from courtside will be a very nice addition.

        Big Pek is going to be beasting again this year… he has lost weight and worked on his shot!

    • jk41 12:12 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Typical Boozer start. Foul. Travel.

      • naturalbornanalysts 12:13 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Hahaha Typical.
        Marco might be a good pick up for you guys. I think he is going to be better than Korver… and cheaper.

    • jk41 12:13 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Belinelli! Gotta get used to spelling that name! haha

      • naturalbornanalysts 12:14 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Noah… ugliest shot in the NBA? I think so
        Good block by Dante…

        We arent shooting well and our passing is terrible.. we were right about it being pretty ugly.

    • jk41 12:15 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      I like the Ridnour v HInrich matchup. Can you have a more whiter, reliable PG matchup?!

      Boozer with another foul. Hey, he’s in playoff form already!

    • jk41 12:18 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Roy looks fine to me. He’ll be more of a shooter now, but it’s not like he can’t shoot!

      • naturalbornanalysts 12:20 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Roy can still shoot and he is just damn smart…. never makes the wrong decision. And Im surprised to hear that DC had six blocks last night.

        Yep that white PG matchup is like we have time travelled back to the 70’s.

        Do you think Noah and Boozer can stay healthy this year if they have to shoulder more load? Is it time for Taj to get starters minutes or would you prefer him coming off the bench?

    • jk41 12:23 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      I think they’re both question marks in terms of health, although were pretty durable last year. Taj will get more minutes because he will back up at C and PF with Asik gone.

      Although if Taj plays too well, he’s gonna price himself out of the cheapskate Bulls.

    • jk41 12:23 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Jimmy Butler!

      • naturalbornanalysts 12:25 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Haha I was waiting for you there.. Very nice. He has hops.
        Forgot you have Nazr… good veteran presence.

        And yeah Taj will price himself out if he hasnt already. You have to think if Asik did he already has.
        He a FA in the summer?

        I just jinxed Roy

    • jk41 12:28 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      He’s restricted FA this year, but someone out there is going to offer him a backloaded, ridiculous contract that we won’t match. Hopefully they can lock him up before that.

      Pek looks like he’s in good form.

      Where’s Derrick Williams at?

    • jk41 12:31 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Marco Jaric! Familiar face for you guys!

    • jk41 12:34 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Haha Nate’s going to give Thibs fits this year!

      • naturalbornanalysts 12:36 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Yeah our other 4 is alright haha.

        Does Williams remind you of our good Doctor friend? or is it just me?
        He needs to get to the rack this year bad. If he shoots threes he wont play much, thats Chase’s job.

        Yeah Nate seems like the complete anti Thibs guy.

        Shved just needs to calm down… he is a good player.

    • jk41 12:38 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      HAHA yea somewhat like our Doctor friend! Shved reminds me of Colin Farrell.

      20-19 first quarter…and I really don’t give a crap. Is this what preseason feels like?

      • naturalbornanalysts 12:39 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Im worried this is what you might feel like all year with no Rose.

        Yeah Im more interested in the WAGS haha.

        • jk41 12:41 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          It might be a serious condition. I feel like management threw in the towel and aren’t expecting anything this year.

          You guys loaded up like crazy in comparison

      • naturalbornanalysts 12:44 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        I agree. I feel like the Bulls decided to write this season off and reload for next year. I wouldnt be surprised if you completely unloaded… Get rid of Deng, Boozer, Noah… im expecting big trades this season.

    • jk41 12:42 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Nazr is playing way too well and hard for a vet. Although he’s probably going to play 10 mins a game in the reg season so I suppose it’s ok.

      • naturalbornanalysts 12:46 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        He is solid… you know what you will get.
        What was that tech for? kidding me?!
        Who wears 77? Complete Space Cadet haha.

        • jk41 12:47 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          Yeah I have no idea.

          Oh yeah, that’s him….*sigh*

    • jk41 12:46 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Nice battle of the midgets. Nate v JJ

    • naturalbornanalysts 12:51 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Wow… KLOVE purchased 500 tickets to the Lynx game for fans… He is a pretty good bloke.

      • jk41 12:52 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        They’re in the WNBA finals! Nice…i wonder how healthy that league is?

        • naturalbornanalysts 12:53 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          Yeah they are going for back to back. At least something good is happening in the Twin cities. Not sure to be honest. Bill Simmons thinks its a good ideas to follow the league for a season and you would make a fortune betting on it! He could be onto something. haha.

    • naturalbornanalysts 12:55 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Just saw there.. Roy is just missing that last piece of explosion. That layup used to be a gimme.

      Butler has impressed me for you guys. I didnt realise how big and athletic he is.

      • jk41 12:58 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Yeah, he used to be such a great penetrator. But still good for a spot up guy with flashes of driving.

        Butler is going to have a bigger role. Basically take over the Brewer spot. His shot is about the same as Brew, possibly worse :S

        • naturalbornanalysts 12:59 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          Yeah Brewer was an underrated player but he was already at his ceiling. Butlers ceiling looks to be two-storey in comparison.

    • jk41 12:56 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      I see your boy Teague ready to check in!

      • naturalbornanalysts 12:57 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        JJ! nice move little man! Needs to stay healthy.

        Teague is nice… Still think Lamb would have been nicer, but for the future… I think Marcus will be better than Jeff

        • jk41 12:59 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          He’s struggled so far in the Summer League and preseason. He is 19 though, and we’ve got time…..

        • naturalbornanalysts 1:01 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          Yeah typical one and doner…. So much still to learn.
          But watching him at KY last year, he improved dramatically from the start of the season compared to the tournament. A lot less turnovers and better shooting.

      • naturalbornanalysts 1:03 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        They are tight on travels so far this pre season.

        • jk41 1:04 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          That one was pretty obvious, but yeah they’ve been quick

    • jk41 1:04 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      What’s Cunningham’s story?

    • jk41 1:06 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Booz with 0-1-0-0-1, 2 TOs, 3 fouls. Excellent.

      • naturalbornanalysts 1:09 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        DC acquired for Interior Defense… he showed some nice things for Memphis last year with lots of hustle. We sent Wayne Ellington over to Memphis because the addition of Roy, AK and Chase meant that we really had no spot for him which was a shame, because he was one of our most consistent last season.

        Boozer just doing the usual. Problem is… who would want him? You need to package him and Deng, and then Noah and a couple of young pieces…

        Who is on your wish list if you made a move this season?

        • jk41 1:12 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          But that’s ok because Ellignton wasn’t going to go much further than that.

          I don’t mind keeping Noah if we can get a scoring 4 to go with him.

          We need a scoring wing type as well.

          We need a lot. Haha.

      • naturalbornanalysts 1:11 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Who is Andre Emmit?

        • jk41 1:13 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          He’s one of those dudes who’s always on our Summer League roster, camp invites, 10-day contracts etc.

          Might be from Chi or played with Illinois maybe.

    • jk41 1:13 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Was that a charge??

      • naturalbornanalysts 1:15 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Yeah that was pretty obvious wasnt it? He was playing him straight up and down and Butler just turned and dropped the shoulder into his chest. He didnt make a move to go around Shved, just straight through him. And it wouldn’t take much to knock Shved over haha. Weighs about 55 kg soaking wet.

        Williams needs to finish those moves to the ring.

      • naturalbornanalysts 1:16 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Boozer!!! haha
        4 in the first half.

        • jk41 1:17 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          He’s really an idiot.

    • naturalbornanalysts 1:19 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Half time.
      Minn 13 TO – Bulls 12 TO

      Minn 27% FG – Bulls 38% FG

      Minn 63% FT – Bulls 64% FT

      = UGLY

    • jk41 1:31 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      I have a feeling this is how the Bulls season will go:

      Every game – Grind, grind, grind…

      a) WIN = ‘Phew, got away with one there’
      b) LOSE = ‘Eh, at least we were close’

      Record = 41-41, first/second round exit..

      • naturalbornanalysts 1:37 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Agreed.. Except if Rose comes back around all star and you can make a strong run into the playoffs… might be able to push hard into the ECF

    • jk41 1:38 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Haha They play the Godfather theme music for Pek? Why??

      • naturalbornanalysts 1:40 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Look at the guy… thats why… haha.
        He looks like an Eastern European Mobster.

        At least there has been a little more rhythm to the start of the second half.

      • naturalbornanalysts 1:43 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Surprised that Teague has barely played. Does Thibs generally hate rookies a la George Karl?

        • jk41 1:44 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          Yeah, totally. Jimmy didn’t get much of a run early on.

          He hasn’t shown that much either. Plus Hinrich and Nate are there.

        • naturalbornanalysts 1:45 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          Butler corner shot…jeez.

        • jk41 1:46 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          Quintessential out of my ass kind of shot.

          I enjoy those too. Haha

    • jk41 1:44 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Hinrich has been good since he’s been back. Hopefully Thibs rides him hard and Deng might play less than 47 mpg this year.

      • naturalbornanalysts 1:47 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Kirk is solid PG if you dont ask him to do too much.
        But Thibs loves to ride guys into the ground. I think that’s the biggest flaw in his style of coaching… he relies on 1-6 really heavily, and 7-11 barely play.

      • jk41 1:49 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Yeah, in a way he’s TOO intense. There’s always ‘more than enough to win’, gotta play the underdog card dude!

    • naturalbornanalysts 1:52 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      I can already guess Adelman’s summary of Derrick Williams game tonight.

      SHOT TOO MANY 3’s. Needs to assert his authority and get to the ring.

      His stocks will drop this year unless there are injuries

      • naturalbornanalysts 1:53 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Ridnour is no Rubio thats for sure haha

      • jk41 1:53 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        I think Willams is in trouble this year. He doesn’t look like he has a position. And the team makeup makes it worse.

        Would you deal him this year?

        • naturalbornanalysts 1:57 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          We would need to get some compensation. He is a number 2 after all. And he can obviously play, he is just in the wrong spot.
          If we were able to package him with Ridnour and something for Harden I would do it in an instant…
          Re: this article
          http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8486795/the-harden-dilemma

        • jk41 1:59 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          That was a good article. The Bulls have never paid the luxury since the Jordan days. Yet are one of the most profitable teams. Too bad, we’re not good enough to have a story written about it.

        • naturalbornanalysts 2:02 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          Yeah it was. I really dont see OKC paying over the luxury either… So I dont know what they do. Give it another go this year, but then they need to make the tough decision and I think they made it with Ibaka.

          I dont have an issue with teams not paying luxury, but the bulls just dont want to pay ANYBODY! probably a lot to do with your owner having interests outside of the NBA.

        • jk41 2:05 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          It’s so frustrating as a fan. Cos it makes you feel half hearted about your team and chances.

          That’s what I liked about the Wolves’ moves this offseason. Intentionally going out to make the team better and get to the next level.

      • naturalbornanalysts 2:07 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Yeah I will be honest… the early moves of AK and Chase I was thinking oh god what are we doing? Then the Olympics changed my mind about AK, and Chase’s play this pre season has been great, so I have been a lot more confident. We really had our hand forced by KLOVE though. We will lose him if we dont have some good players around him

    • jk41 2:02 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Love’s having a great time on the sidelines! I’d love to be a ball kid.

      • naturalbornanalysts 2:04 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Love used to be a ball kid too didnt he?
        He seems like a likeable guy.

        Also.. somebody get me a GIF of that awesome Pek stumble haha

      • jk41 2:06 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Oh really? For which team?

        Haha Noah’s killer crossover, gets them every time.

    • jk41 2:07 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      So if you could do over the 2011 Draft, are you still taking Williams? Assuming Kyrie is off the board already.

      • naturalbornanalysts 2:10 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        GIMME SOME SHVED! Nice move. and 3… I love this kid.

        At the time yes… Williams was the clear number 2 with what he did at Arizona.

        Looking back… I really like Klay Thompson, but can you take him at number 2?
        and there is a lot of love for Jonas Valančiūnas.

        The only consideration I would have is Kanter. Having him and Big Pek would be a nice Centre combo. I think Kanter will be a good player… he is just stuck behind a lot of players in Utah

        • jk41 2:17 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          Yeah don’t think taking Klay at 2 would’ve made anyone happy at the time. It was a pretty crappy draft when you look back on it.

          Kanter is hilarious:

        • naturalbornanalysts 2:21 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          even better… he thinks he is the undertaker from WWE haha
          Why didnt we take this guy?! come on!

    • jk41 2:11 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      This is the new look bench mob for the Bulls on the floor right now: Nazr, Taj, Butler, Belinelli, Nate.

      Bench Sob as one of the beat writers coined.

      • naturalbornanalysts 2:16 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        At least you have some nice scoring with Marco and Nate. Some athleticism with Butler. And some Defensive hustle with Taj… its not the best but not the worst. You could be the Bobcats.

        Amudson really just needs to do his job and stop trying to take the ball to the rim. Play D, rebound, and put-backs is your game sir.

    • jk41 2:18 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Nice pass Shved.

      • naturalbornanalysts 2:19 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Kid can play… no doubt
        As long as he is fits in with the Minnesota lifestyle.
        Do you think Spaniards and Russians get along? haha.

        • jk41 2:22 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          Haha I guess so.

          Better than the Croations and Serbians back in the day. Once Brothers still one of my fave 30 for 30s.

        • naturalbornanalysts 2:23 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink

          Shved has range!

          Yeah it is a really good one. Have you seen any of the new ones?
          I am trying to get a hold of them but cant find them anywhere.

          I love what Taj does. You guys are going to have to pay him for sure.

    • jk41 2:23 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      You guys are pulling away now.

    • jk41 2:26 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      That was your typical Butler jumper.

    • jk41 2:28 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      LOU!!!

    • jk41 2:34 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      My Bulls score prediction is looking healthy.

    • naturalbornanalysts 2:39 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Well over all that worked out ok… Looking forward to the next Live Blog!

    • jk41 2:39 am on October 14, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      This was good. We’ll have to do it again some time!

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