-Thursday, I watched the first half of the Kansas-Portland State blowout. I have always liked Brandon Rush, and he really shined in this game early on. Rush has always been very consistent in his three years with Kansas and can do a lot of things well. Rush finished with eighteen points in thirty minutes along with six rebounds. Rush also shot four for nine from behind the three point line. In terms of pro potential, I think Rush is a sleeper, similarly to what Tayshaun Prince's stock was like coming out of college. Both players were very consistent in their college career, played for big time universities, and had NBA bodies. Likewise, people wondered if they reached their ceiling early, and would not have much room to get better in the NBA. I love Rush's pro potential and think he can be a strong contributor. Along with great size and strength, he has a large wingspan and runs the floor well. Rush does a lot of things well, including rebounding efficiently for a guard, shooting range, and playing terrific perimeter defense. Rush's biggest weakness seems to be his ball handling, but I would assume this is a skill he will work on prior to individual team workouts.
-I've also spent some time watching Kevin Love of UCLA over the last few weeks. Love is an interesting prospect because he does not have the super athleticism that many young big men do today. He is more of a polished player, who does a lot of things well. For a pro team, if you are drafting him to be a top player within a franchise, I think you are making a mistake. However, if a team is looking for him to be their fifth player, I think he is a great fit.
Some interesting videos of Love:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TQkWr8tQ3Q
http://youtube.com/watch?v=JoVpjgj6GAo
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1dGLwJaayL0
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wykfvQFtCkc
-I'm still concerned about the Celtics making it through the Eastern Conference in the playoffs. Boston beat the Pistons two-out-of-three in the regular season, but the Pistons guards have played excellent in the matchup. Down the stretch of games, if Doc Rivers feels the need to play Sam Cassell over Rajon Rondo because of the experience, I see Cassell as a huge liability on defense. Cassell cannot keep up with Richard Hamilton running off screens and will not be able to stay with Chauncey Billups' physical play. In a matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, I would again be concerned with their defense on LeBron James. Boston split their four matchups with Cleveland this season and James scored 38, 33, DNP, and 26. I don't see Pierce being able to matchup with James for most of a playoff game and still able to produce at a high level on offense. James Posey appears to not have much left in his tank and Tony Allen is not big enough to defend James. The main benefit the Celtics do have on their side in a big defensive matchup is Kevin Garnett defending the basket and Tom Thibodeau creating defensive game plans.
Showing posts with label James Posey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Posey. Show all posts
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Random Thoughts from the Week
-The Bulls continue to run screen-and-roll with Ben Gordon at the top of the key at the end of games. For the last year of so, teams realize that the play off that is to double Gordon and trap him, so he cannot attack the basket. Often times, due to a lack of height, Gordon ends up getting trapped near the half court line and the Bulls do not get a shot up. The especially frutstrating part about this is that they use a non-perimeter player to set the screen, so he is not a threat when the opposition doubles the ball.
-Like Kobe Bryant does for the Lakers and Chris Paul does for the Hornets, during the Rockets twenty-two game winning streak, the entire offense ran through Tracy McGrady. Outside of an increase in points per game, by looking at the statistics, you can not see the impact McGrady truly made during the eleven games the Rockets won during Yao Ming's absence. However, by running their offense through McGrady, he was able to involve guys like Luis Scola, Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes, Bobby Jackson, and even Mike Harris to infuse the winning streak. Allowing Alston to play more off the ball and utilize his improved three point shooting is ideal for the Rockets. During the twenty-two game winning streak, Alston shot nearly fourty percent from behind the three point line, including three games where he hit four or more threes.
-In last night's game, Boston chose to put all their efforts into minimizing McGrady's impact. Paul Pierce, Tony Allen, and James Posey all took shots at defending McGrady, but it was really a team effort that forced the ball out of his hands. McGrady shot four for eleven from the field and only scored eight points. Although he still ended up having eight assists, McGrady's plus/minus ended at -27, and he basically sat out the entire fourth quarter after the Rockets were outscored 32 to 16 in the third.
-I'm guessing after last night's embarrassing loss to the Detroit Pistons, 136-120, the Nuggets are now really regretting not making a trade for Ron Artest. The Nuggets stand today one-and-a-half games out of the playoffs and average 109 points per game given up - third worst in the NBA. At this point, I do not think the Nuggets will make the playoffs. Their only capable defensive player appears to be Marcus Camby, but he cannot do it alone. Even if they do sneak into the playoffs, I would expect a very short stay.
-Like Kobe Bryant does for the Lakers and Chris Paul does for the Hornets, during the Rockets twenty-two game winning streak, the entire offense ran through Tracy McGrady. Outside of an increase in points per game, by looking at the statistics, you can not see the impact McGrady truly made during the eleven games the Rockets won during Yao Ming's absence. However, by running their offense through McGrady, he was able to involve guys like Luis Scola, Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes, Bobby Jackson, and even Mike Harris to infuse the winning streak. Allowing Alston to play more off the ball and utilize his improved three point shooting is ideal for the Rockets. During the twenty-two game winning streak, Alston shot nearly fourty percent from behind the three point line, including three games where he hit four or more threes.
-In last night's game, Boston chose to put all their efforts into minimizing McGrady's impact. Paul Pierce, Tony Allen, and James Posey all took shots at defending McGrady, but it was really a team effort that forced the ball out of his hands. McGrady shot four for eleven from the field and only scored eight points. Although he still ended up having eight assists, McGrady's plus/minus ended at -27, and he basically sat out the entire fourth quarter after the Rockets were outscored 32 to 16 in the third.
-I'm guessing after last night's embarrassing loss to the Detroit Pistons, 136-120, the Nuggets are now really regretting not making a trade for Ron Artest. The Nuggets stand today one-and-a-half games out of the playoffs and average 109 points per game given up - third worst in the NBA. At this point, I do not think the Nuggets will make the playoffs. Their only capable defensive player appears to be Marcus Camby, but he cannot do it alone. Even if they do sneak into the playoffs, I would expect a very short stay.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Ranking the Remaining Free Agents
With Matt Barnes recently resigning with the Golden State Warriors, one of the last available productive free agents was taken off the market. The remaining free agents can be split into three groups: veterans able to produce now (Varejo, Bell, Brown), young guys with potential (Pavlovic, Pietrus, Adams), and of course, aging veterans (Webber, Mutombo, Rose).
Here are my rankings of the top twenty remaining free agents based on desireability to teams:
1.) Anderson Varejo
2.) Charlie Bell
3.) Sasha Pavlovic
4.) Chris Webber
5.) Mickael Pietrus
6.) P.J. Brown
7.) Ruben Patterson
8.) Earl Boykins
9.) Corliss Williamson
10.) Brian Skinner
11.) James Posey
12.) Melvin Ely
13.) Dikembe Mutombo
14.) Troy Hudson
15.) Hassan Adams
16.) James White
17.) Jalen Rose
18.) Dee Brown
19.) Jeff McInnis
20.) Danny Fortson
Others include: Jumaine Jones, Gary Payton, Marc Jackson, Derek Anderson, Alexander Johnson, Yaroslav Korolev, C.J. Miles.
Boston, Detroit, New Jersey, Miami, Washington, Cleveland are the teams most likely to sign some of these players above. Boston is still looking to add one more perimeter player with Reggie Miller being mentioned to come out of retirement. If the Celtics can persuade Posey or Adams to join the team, it would be a better choice than Miller.
Detroit should add one more big body upfront to put next to Rasheed Wallace. Returning Webber would be the most logical decision, but bringing in Brown would also be a good choice. New Jersey still is light in the post. A big body like Williamson or Fortson could help them in the long run. Miami has reportedly pursued Pietrus in the past, and this would be beneficial for their perimeter defense. It is more likely though, that they return Posey or Payton. The Wizards could still use some scoring off the bench. If they can afford Ruben Patterson, he would be a great fit. Cleveland will look to bring back Pavlovic and Varejo.
Here are my rankings of the top twenty remaining free agents based on desireability to teams:
1.) Anderson Varejo
2.) Charlie Bell
3.) Sasha Pavlovic
4.) Chris Webber
5.) Mickael Pietrus
6.) P.J. Brown
7.) Ruben Patterson
8.) Earl Boykins
9.) Corliss Williamson
10.) Brian Skinner
11.) James Posey
12.) Melvin Ely
13.) Dikembe Mutombo
14.) Troy Hudson
15.) Hassan Adams
16.) James White
17.) Jalen Rose
18.) Dee Brown
19.) Jeff McInnis
20.) Danny Fortson
Others include: Jumaine Jones, Gary Payton, Marc Jackson, Derek Anderson, Alexander Johnson, Yaroslav Korolev, C.J. Miles.
Boston, Detroit, New Jersey, Miami, Washington, Cleveland are the teams most likely to sign some of these players above. Boston is still looking to add one more perimeter player with Reggie Miller being mentioned to come out of retirement. If the Celtics can persuade Posey or Adams to join the team, it would be a better choice than Miller.
Detroit should add one more big body upfront to put next to Rasheed Wallace. Returning Webber would be the most logical decision, but bringing in Brown would also be a good choice. New Jersey still is light in the post. A big body like Williamson or Fortson could help them in the long run. Miami has reportedly pursued Pietrus in the past, and this would be beneficial for their perimeter defense. It is more likely though, that they return Posey or Payton. The Wizards could still use some scoring off the bench. If they can afford Ruben Patterson, he would be a great fit. Cleveland will look to bring back Pavlovic and Varejo.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Boston's Push to the Top
Yesterday, the Boston Celtics completed a blockbuster trade that sent the Minnesota Timberwolves Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes and Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, two first round draft picks, and cash considerations in exchange for Kevin Garnett. Adding Garnett to Ray Allen and Paul Pierce bring the Celtics from a fringe-playoff team to a franchise ready to compete for the title. All three players are in the prime of their career and are hungry to win a title.
The trade, however, leaves the Celtics with only eight players outside of the superstar threesome. On those eight, three of them, Brandon Wallace, Glen Davis, and Gabe Pruitt are rookies. So, it’s clear that Celtics general manager, Danny Ainge, still has plenty of work to do before the start of the 2007-08 season.
While Garnett, Allen, and Pierce headline the team, the rest of the roster features:
Tony Allen
Allen's career has been filled with injuries and distractions, which last included a torn ACL which forced him to miss 39 games last season. Fortunately, Allen is still young and has shown flashes of great skill on the defensive end. He has a great first step, which allows him to get to the free throw line, but is a poor outside shooter. He also needs to work to limit the amount of turnovers he makes and improve his ballhandling. Allen will play both guard spots and will most likely be looked upon to play strong defense and push the ball up in transition.
Glen Davis
Davis was selected in this year's draft with the thirty-fifth pick overall. He is a skilled big man with a great touch around the basket. For someone of his size, he has great athleticism and a nice feel for the game. Weight has been an issue for Davis throughout his career, and if he can continue to keep it off then it will allow him to have the explosiveness he needs to succeed. Davis will play more minutes than most rookies, and the Celtics will look for him to score off the bench.
Kendrick Perkins
Perkins is a young, developing big man who showed flashes of excellence last year. He is a physical player, who excels at rebounding and is a good outlet passer. Unfortuantely, he has a tendency to foul too frequently and has not developed enough post moves. This season, the Celtics will not be looking for Perkins to score, but cleaning up the glass and defending the post will be vital to their success.
Leon Powe
Like Davis and Perkins, Powe will be looked upon to come off the bench and produce. Powe played well in the last month of the season, where he showed the ability to score in th post and rebound well on the offensive end. Powe excels with both his back-to-the-basket and when he faces up. He has super long arms and a great motor. He is somewhat undersized in the post, which limits what he can do.
Gabe Pruitt
Pruitt is a combination guard with a great jump shot and big-time athleticiscm. He has great range on his three point shot, but is undersized at the shooting guard position. Pruitt will be seen as an energy guy this season for Boston. When he comes in, he will need to take advantage of his shooting ability and explosiveness, and take some of the scoring pressure off of the Celtics stars.
Rajon Rondo
Rondo possesses great quickness and long arms. He has the ability to push the pace on offense, but clearly struggles to shoot from the perimeter. He is a great rebounder for a point guard, but needs more experience before he becomes one of the top guards in the East. If the Celtics do not bring in a point guard to compete with Rondo for the starting spot, his success may determine how far his team goes in the playoffs. If he can take care of the ball well and defend the opponents point guard well, the Celtics will be able to compete for the title.
Brian Scalabrine
Scalabrine is a strong defensive player with very limited ability on offense. He has good size and strength, but lacks any post game and cannot create on his own. If injuries occur to Allen or Pierce, Scalabrine may be asked to step in and defend the opponent's best player. Otherwise, Scalabrine's role should be limited this season for the Celtics.
Brandon Wallace
Wallace is a strong defensive player, who blocks shots well. Wallace was undrafted out of South Carolina, but won a spot with the team after playing in Las Vegas for the Celtics. Wallace will be an end-of-the-bench guy this year, but may play a role down the line in Boston.
So with that being said, Ainge still has several key spots on his roster to fill. He certainly needs a point guard to compete with Rondo for the starting role. More likely, the point guard that Ainge brings in will come off the bench for the Celtics, but will play down the stretch. They need a veteran point guard, who has been their before. Some options here are Earl Boykins, Brevin Knight, Troy Hudson, and Charlie Bell. Bell is the best fit of the four guys here, but he is a restricted free agent. The Bucks would like to bring Bell back to play behind Mo Williams. Therefore, I think Brevin Knight will fill the spot for Ainge and the Celtics.
Next, the Celtics need to sign a veteran backup center to play behind Perkins. Ideally, Perkins is limited to playing 25 minutes per night. So, the Celtics need a guy who will be ready to play nearly 20 minutes each game. Dikembe Mutombo, Michael Ruffin, Calvin Booth, Scot Pollard, Anderson Varejo, Chris Webber, and P.J. Brown are the best available free agents to fill this spot. Varejo and Webber will most likely resign with their previous teams. Mutombo, Ruffin, Booth, and Pollard are probably too limited to player close to 20 minutes a night. So, P.J. Brown is the choice to fill this spot.
The last remaining position to fill is a guy who can play small forward or power forward. Andray Blatche, Corliss Williamson, and James Posey are the top remaining players who could fill this role. Posey is the most logical spot to backup Pierce. Posey is a strong defensive player, who would be strong off the bench for the Celtics.
With a full, defensive-minded roster of players around Garnett, Pierce, and Allen, the Celtics should be able to compete for the title. Fielding Rondo and Knight at point guard; Ray Allen, Tony Allen, and Pruitt at shooting guard; Pierce, Posey, Scalabarine, and Wallace at small forward; Garnett, Powe, and Davis at power forward; and Perkins and Brown at center, the Celtics will be as strong as any team in the East, barring any major injuries.
The trade, however, leaves the Celtics with only eight players outside of the superstar threesome. On those eight, three of them, Brandon Wallace, Glen Davis, and Gabe Pruitt are rookies. So, it’s clear that Celtics general manager, Danny Ainge, still has plenty of work to do before the start of the 2007-08 season.
While Garnett, Allen, and Pierce headline the team, the rest of the roster features:
Tony Allen
Allen's career has been filled with injuries and distractions, which last included a torn ACL which forced him to miss 39 games last season. Fortunately, Allen is still young and has shown flashes of great skill on the defensive end. He has a great first step, which allows him to get to the free throw line, but is a poor outside shooter. He also needs to work to limit the amount of turnovers he makes and improve his ballhandling. Allen will play both guard spots and will most likely be looked upon to play strong defense and push the ball up in transition.
Glen Davis
Davis was selected in this year's draft with the thirty-fifth pick overall. He is a skilled big man with a great touch around the basket. For someone of his size, he has great athleticism and a nice feel for the game. Weight has been an issue for Davis throughout his career, and if he can continue to keep it off then it will allow him to have the explosiveness he needs to succeed. Davis will play more minutes than most rookies, and the Celtics will look for him to score off the bench.
Kendrick Perkins
Perkins is a young, developing big man who showed flashes of excellence last year. He is a physical player, who excels at rebounding and is a good outlet passer. Unfortuantely, he has a tendency to foul too frequently and has not developed enough post moves. This season, the Celtics will not be looking for Perkins to score, but cleaning up the glass and defending the post will be vital to their success.
Leon Powe
Like Davis and Perkins, Powe will be looked upon to come off the bench and produce. Powe played well in the last month of the season, where he showed the ability to score in th post and rebound well on the offensive end. Powe excels with both his back-to-the-basket and when he faces up. He has super long arms and a great motor. He is somewhat undersized in the post, which limits what he can do.
Gabe Pruitt
Pruitt is a combination guard with a great jump shot and big-time athleticiscm. He has great range on his three point shot, but is undersized at the shooting guard position. Pruitt will be seen as an energy guy this season for Boston. When he comes in, he will need to take advantage of his shooting ability and explosiveness, and take some of the scoring pressure off of the Celtics stars.
Rajon Rondo
Rondo possesses great quickness and long arms. He has the ability to push the pace on offense, but clearly struggles to shoot from the perimeter. He is a great rebounder for a point guard, but needs more experience before he becomes one of the top guards in the East. If the Celtics do not bring in a point guard to compete with Rondo for the starting spot, his success may determine how far his team goes in the playoffs. If he can take care of the ball well and defend the opponents point guard well, the Celtics will be able to compete for the title.
Brian Scalabrine
Scalabrine is a strong defensive player with very limited ability on offense. He has good size and strength, but lacks any post game and cannot create on his own. If injuries occur to Allen or Pierce, Scalabrine may be asked to step in and defend the opponent's best player. Otherwise, Scalabrine's role should be limited this season for the Celtics.
Brandon Wallace
Wallace is a strong defensive player, who blocks shots well. Wallace was undrafted out of South Carolina, but won a spot with the team after playing in Las Vegas for the Celtics. Wallace will be an end-of-the-bench guy this year, but may play a role down the line in Boston.
So with that being said, Ainge still has several key spots on his roster to fill. He certainly needs a point guard to compete with Rondo for the starting role. More likely, the point guard that Ainge brings in will come off the bench for the Celtics, but will play down the stretch. They need a veteran point guard, who has been their before. Some options here are Earl Boykins, Brevin Knight, Troy Hudson, and Charlie Bell. Bell is the best fit of the four guys here, but he is a restricted free agent. The Bucks would like to bring Bell back to play behind Mo Williams. Therefore, I think Brevin Knight will fill the spot for Ainge and the Celtics.
Next, the Celtics need to sign a veteran backup center to play behind Perkins. Ideally, Perkins is limited to playing 25 minutes per night. So, the Celtics need a guy who will be ready to play nearly 20 minutes each game. Dikembe Mutombo, Michael Ruffin, Calvin Booth, Scot Pollard, Anderson Varejo, Chris Webber, and P.J. Brown are the best available free agents to fill this spot. Varejo and Webber will most likely resign with their previous teams. Mutombo, Ruffin, Booth, and Pollard are probably too limited to player close to 20 minutes a night. So, P.J. Brown is the choice to fill this spot.
The last remaining position to fill is a guy who can play small forward or power forward. Andray Blatche, Corliss Williamson, and James Posey are the top remaining players who could fill this role. Posey is the most logical spot to backup Pierce. Posey is a strong defensive player, who would be strong off the bench for the Celtics.
With a full, defensive-minded roster of players around Garnett, Pierce, and Allen, the Celtics should be able to compete for the title. Fielding Rondo and Knight at point guard; Ray Allen, Tony Allen, and Pruitt at shooting guard; Pierce, Posey, Scalabarine, and Wallace at small forward; Garnett, Powe, and Davis at power forward; and Perkins and Brown at center, the Celtics will be as strong as any team in the East, barring any major injuries.
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