While studying for the first round of second semester MBA finals in the library today, I couldn't help but go onto ESPN.com and SI.com every once in a while to check scores and stats. One stat that happened to catch my eye came from the Suns vs. Pacers game; Grant Hill scored 34 points. This caught my attention because of how unusual it is to see Grant Hill score that much these days, but just over 10 years ago, 34 points was almost expected of him. This got me to thinking about how good Grant Hill was and could have been. For starters, he is currently 8th all time in triple doubles, one spot ahead of Jordan.
At Duke, he went to the NCAA championship game 3 times, and won it twice. He was the NCAA Defensive Player of the Year in 1993, and the ACC Player of the Year in 1994. In his rookie season, he averaged 19.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 5.0 APG, to go along with 1.8 SPG, and .9 BPG. He is the only rookie ever to lead the All-Star game in voting, edging out Shaq, and then he did it again in his second year, edging out Jordan.
There are really only 2 close Rookie of the Year races that I can remember. The first was in the MLB when Jimmy Rollins was a rookie. I really wanted Rollins to win the award because he was a Phillie. He played a tough defensive position, scored a lot of runs, got on base, set the table, led the league in steals, and rejuvenated my interest in baseball. He had a decent case to get the award. That being said, I'm not surprised that he lost to a player who had more HRs, RBIs, and a much better average; Albert Pujols.
The 2nd close Rookie of the Year race I recall was between two amazing all around basketball players. They currently rank 3rd and 8th on the all time triple doubles list, and are both still playing. One was drafted 2nd overall from Cal by the Mavericks and the other 3rd overall from Duke by the Pistons (Trivia Question Answer: Glenn Robinson was drafted 1st overall from Purdue by the Bucks). Grant Hill averaged 19.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 5 APG, which were all the LOWEST totals in his first 6 seasons until his pseudo-career ending injury in 2000. Jason Kidd averaged 11.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 7.7 APG, which was his lowest assist average in his career, and his 4th lowest rebounding average. Although I was rooting for Kidd, who was the underdog just like Rollins, they of course tied in voting and shared the award.
In Hill's next 5 seasons he averaged between 20.2-25.8 PPG, 6.6-9.8 RPG, and 5.2-7.3 APG. These are LeBron-esque numbers with the exact same amount of triple doubles in his first 6 seasons. He brought the former 3rd overall pick Pistons to the playoffs 4 times in his first 6 seasons. Then, just like LeBron, he moved south and signed with a team from Florida (the Magic) in free agency along with another superstar, Tracy McGrady. There were also rumors of Tim Duncan going to that Magic team as well, but that never panned out. This was, of course, after Shaq joined Kobe to form a dynasty with the Lakers, and Penny Hardaway, coincidentally enough, was traded to Phoenix (where Hill currently plays) to form a dynamic back court with Jason Kidd.
Penny was another talent, like Hill, who could have been one of the best ever. Back in the day, it was fashionable to label an up-and-coming player as "the next Jordan." However, the only player that Jordan himself ever said would be "the next Jordan" was indeed Penny Hardaway. But after Penny's career was plagued by injury, Jordan never made this claim about anyone again, and Penny never lived up to his lofty potential. Still, even after years of injuries, Penny was considered a great player as it is rare for an injury prone player to be traded for such a high price (two good players and two 1st round picks), and at the request of another superstar, Kidd, who urged the Suns to make the deal.
Then, Hill got injured one time after another playing only 47 games in his next 3 seasons, and, like Penny, never made it back to being the type of player that we was early on. Now, he is a role player for the Suns playing along side 2 time MVP Steve Nash, who doesn't get as much credit as he deserves among the all-time greats, and 2000 slam dunk contest winner and best dunker of all-time, Vince Carter, who is another former Rookie of the Year that had incredible talent, but never truly dominated year after year like an elite superstar type player could. To show how good Vince Carter really was just look at this stat. Not only could he jump through the roof, but he holds the NBA playoff record for most 3-Point FGs made in a half, in a game, AND in a row, when he made 8 straight against a very good Sixers team in 2001. That was the year where Iverson took us to the finals and dropped 48 (and Tyronn Lue who he stepped over after hitting a jumper) in Game 1 in LA to hand the Lakers their first and only playoff defeat that year. Coincidentally enough, the only two times Vince made the NBA Championship, he in New Jersey playing alongside Hill's co-Rookie of the Year award winner and Penny's former back court partner, Jason Kidd.
When I started writing this article, my intention was to only write about Grant Hill, how good he was, and how good he could have been. Then as I kept going I, one way or another, ran into 3 players who I could have written a similar "what could have been" article on: Penny, who just like Hill, could have been an all-time great, but, due to injury, never really made it; Tracy McGrady, who was an emerging star with Vince Carter in Toronto before signing with Hill and the Magic in 2000 and suffering injuries that slowed his career down as well; and Vince, who could have been an all-time great as well, but only reached great player level for uninjury related reasons. The other 8 basketball players (excluding Glenn Robinson, who was only cited in case you were wondering who was drafted before Kidd and Hill) mentioned in this article were all-time greats, championship winners, and/or MVPs: Jordan, Kobe, Shaq, LeBron, Duncan, Kidd, Iverson, and Nash. Just to be mentioned among these players for comparison purposes shows you how good Hill really was. This year, as a role player, Hill is averaging a respectable 13.6, 4.5, and 2.5.
Looking back on Hill's career from start to finish - being drafted 3rd overall, winning ROY with Kidd, being the only player to lead the league in all-star voting his rookie year, signing with the Magic, getting injured time after time, and now playing as a role player on the Suns - I can't help but imagine what could have been. What if he had never gotten injured? What if he played alongside T-Mac in Orlando and neither were slowed by injury? Looking at the box score for the Suns vs. Pacers game and seeing Hill's 34 point outburst caught my eye and brought a smile to my face. I can't help but wonder, however, what would have happened if Hill's career wasn't hampered due to injuries. I imagine that seeing a 34 point game from Hill in the box score today would have gone relatively unnoticed rather than catching my eye, and instead of being considered an outburst it would be chalked up as just another day at the office for one of the greatest players of all-time.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Food For Thought
Here’s an interesting stat:
There are only 8 real title contenders. (I exclude the Knicks on purpose because we haven't seen them play with the Billips, Melo, Amare trio, and they’ll be on the road every series). Below are their home records to date. Notice that every teams winning percentage at home is ridiculous, much better than on the road. This is not science this is basketball. The MOST home losses of these teams is 9. The LEAST road losses is 8.
Spurs – 26-2
Celtics – 25-5
Heat – 21-5
Mavs – 22-8
Bulls – 26-4
Lakers – 20-8
Thunder – 20-8
Magic – 21-9
More interestingly, notice that the Heat have ONLY played 26 home games compared to 28 and 30 from all the other teams. This is because the league wanted to showcase their new, superstar trio early on in the year. That means that the Heat have 2 to 4 more home games in their last 24 games than the rest, AND 4 more than any of the teams in the East. This bodes well for them going into the last month of the season, and for the Heat to lock up the number 1 seed in the East, and perhaps throughout the playoffs if the Spurs slip or don’t make it to the finals. We’ll have to see how this plays out, but after going 9-8, the Heat have had the best record since, and should finish the season that way as well due to this home court advantage.
Imagine if they didn’t have that horrible stretch where they had to figure out their chemistry, if they did have a healthy Haslem and Miller all year, and if they didn't face such a hostile environment every time they played on the road. I may be getting ahead of myself, or they may win 70 games next season. Something to think about.
MVP: Rose vs. LeBron
ART -
OK Rubes, let’s get to it. Issue #1: MVP...Rose vs. LeBron
OK Rubes, let’s get to it. Issue #1: MVP...Rose vs. LeBron
Hats off to the Heat. Since starting 9-8, they have gone 31-8, best record in the last 39, mostly thanks to LeBron playing absurd basketball. But MVP is clearly Rose. VORP this ish. Heat team without Bron is still a 6 seed in the East. Bulls team without Rose, with Booz and Noah missing a combined 54 games, are struggling to make the playoffs behind your Sixers.
RUBES -
First of all, my Sixers are for real, but that’s another subject for another day.
Take a look at these numbers. 26.2 PPG, 7.2 APG, 7.4 RPG. LeBron is 2nd in the league in scoring and 13th in assists, to go along with his 7 and a half boards per game. More impressively, take a look at these numbers, the Heat were 47-35 last year, the Cavs were 61-21. This year the Heat are 42-16, and the Cavs are 10 AND 47. Just look how valuable he was to the Cavs. They drafted him with the #1 overall pick, he brings them to the brink of a championship for 4 years, and now they are back to the #1 overall pick. The Heat would not be a title contender without LeBron this year, but he takes them from average to championship caliber.
ART -
ART -
Rose is top 10 in both points and assists. That hasn't happened more than 10 times in NBA history. Bron was extremely valuable to the Cavs....last year, and he won MVP last year. Rose was also drafted #1, is the first Bulls all-star since Jordan, completely rejuvenated the 3rd biggest market in the NBA, and made a franchise relevant again. Bron brings a lot to the table for the Heat; scoring, assits, rebounds, and D. Rose brings all that and more. He is the undisputed leader and heart of the Bulls.
RUBES -
10 times in NBA history? What LeBron's doing hasn't happened more than 5 times in NBA history. AND he himself may finish top 10 in both points and assists too.
Talk about making a franchise relevant, the Heat have sold out every game this year at home AND on the road. They barely had a fan base last season.
I understand that Wade was the face of the Heat, and Wade was the leader. LeBron has put an end to all of that. It's now 100% clear that the Heat are LeBron's team, and if LeBron went to Chicago, the Bulls would be LeBron's team. Hell, if LeBron went to the Lakers, Kobe would be Scottie Pippen. No other player can do that.
I understand that the MVP is not about being the best player, it's about being the most valuable player, but it just happens that LeBron is both. And not only on offense. The Heat score the 2nd most in the East at 101.9 per game (behind only the Knicks who also give up the most points in the East by far), but the Heat have become a defensive force giving up the 3rd least points in the East, far better defensively than they were in seasons past, and largely due to LeBron's presence.
ART -
Heat with relatively the same team (Shaq vs. Bosh) went to and won the ship in 06. Yes their record and team have improved from last year, but they also have a healthy Wade and inarguably one of the Top 5 PF in the league, in addition to LeBron. Yes they sell out, but AAA is still half empty in the 1st and 4th quarters, even in close games. Bron is the big banana in the league without a doubt, but you said it perfectly, it’s the MVP, not Best Player. Rose means more to the bulls than Bron to the Heat. What kind of season do the bulls have so far without Rose? Boozer and Noah have played together less than 5 games.
RUBES -
Comparing Shaq to Bosh is like comparing Jordan to Rose. Shaq was the most dominant player since Jordan. LeBron is the most dominant player since Shaq. And the game has changed since the Heat won that championship. Now it takes more than just 1 superstar and 1 all-star to win a championship. See Lakers (Kobe, Pau, Odom, Bynum, and Artest), Spurs (Duncan, Parker, Ginolbli, and now Jefferson), and Celtics (Garnett, Allen, Pierce, and Rondo). Without any 1 of these players, the Lakers and Celtics don't win the past 3 championships. The Lakers with Kobe, one of the best players in the world, were barely average in between the Shaq era and Pau era. No team LeBron has ever been on since his 2nd year in the league has been anything less than a title contender. He is that much more valuable than Kobe was in his prime. LeBron is all about winning and what is more valuable than that?
ART -
ART -
Before I get into my point…Shaq in 2006 is the Jordan of his era? Shaq that year averaged 20 in 59 games. Without a doubt he was well past his prime of 27.5. So do not tell me that it was wade and Shaq that won the title, especially considering Wade’s performance in the ship. All Wade.
What happens when LeBron is on the bench for the Heat? Wade is on the court, realizes he is a top 5 player in the league and is able to score and carry the team for a stretch. When Rose is on the bench, your best Bulls lineup is CJ Watson, Korver, Deng, Boozer and Noah, and only if Noah and Boozer are healthy at the same time, which has been less than 10% of the year. Rose is simply more valuable to this Bulls squad this year, than Bron is to the Heat this year.
RUBES -
RUBES -
Before I get into my point… Shaq in 2006 still demanded at least a double team every possession leaving the other players with a 4 on 3 advantage, still got 9.6 rebounds per, and was still a force in the lane on both offense and defense.
But, even with Wade and Bosh, LeBron is still doing things that less than a handful of players have ever done. If any other player averaged 26, 7, and 7, there would be no question that that player would win MVP no matter who else was on his team. But, just like Jordan didn’t win MVP every year, when he should have, LeBron wont win MVP every year like he should.
Ultimately, what is an average year for LeBron is an MVP year for any other player, but LeBron makes MVP caliber play look average because it is average for him, while it would be a career year for anyone else. LeBron is having a better year, but he has a better year every year and makes it look easy, not MVP worthy. Rose is having the best year of his career, and it is indeed MVP worthy, but it’s still not as good as an average year out of LeBron. Rose's best year, along with almost every other player in the game, would be LeBron's worst year by far. LeBron's year after year, consistent greatness diminishes his own perceived value, because we expect this from his, and it is therefore not seen as MVP worthy even though it would be MVP worthy from any other player.
Which is having an MVP season? I think the answer is clear: Both.
Which will win MVP this season? This answer is not as obvious, but there's still a lot basketball left to play.
Which will win MVP this season? This answer is not as obvious, but there's still a lot basketball left to play.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Melo's "Decision"
The more I think about it, the more I realize that LeBron's "decision" to come to Miami and the way he announced it was exactly the right move. The media criticized him saying that what he did was fine, but the way he did it was unprofessional. Players criticized him saying that they thought LeBron took the easy way out and was "more of a competitor." The owner of the Cavaliers wrote a ridiculous letter to the Cleveland community calling LeBron a coward, a curse, and a betrayer. Even Michael Jordan called out LeBron when he said that he wouldn't have joined Larry and Magic because he would rather beat them then join them. But what Jordan didn't consider was that he played in a different era, in a different game and a different league. Everything has changed in that past few years. That being said, all of these comments about LeBron's decision were extremely harsh considering LeBron didn't do anything wrong. Even if he had told the Cavaliers that he wasn't coming back, the Cavs still would never have even considered trading him going into the playoffs as a title contender, and if he would have done it any other way, he would not have raised any money for charity. Looking specifically at the trades that went down in the past two days, I think that LeBron did exactly the right thing.
Melo was traded along with Chauncey Billups, Williams, Carter, and Balkman from Denver to New York in exchange for Chandler, Felton, Gallinari, Mozkov, 3 draft picks and cash. Additionally, Randolph and Curry were shipped to Minnesota sending Brewer to New York. In total 12 players were dealt from one city to another with Carmelo Anthony as the center piece. This seems fine. Basketball is a business and this happens all the time. Players understand that this is a business, understand that they can be traded at any moment, and now it's time for the owners to understand the same thing.
Deron Williams was traded this morning and found out about this trade while watching SportsCenter, nearly the same way that the Cavaliers owner, Dan Gilbert, found out about LeBron's decision while watching TV. The only difference is that Gilbert knew LeBron was contemplating leaving and there was a good chance that LeBron would leave. Williams had no idea that he was going to get traded and he reportedly wasn't happy about it either. Players find out that they are changing teams and cities like this all the time. Owners don't always ask their players if they want to be traded or even tell their players that they are going to or have been traded. The one time a player decides to do the same to an owner, it is unprofessional and there is a huge uproar. LeBron was called unprofessional, a betrayer, a coward, a curse, uncompetitive, and many other things for doing the same thing that owners do to players and that players have done in the past. No one called out Garnett or Allen for joining Pierce in Boston creating a super team for years to come. No one called Shaq uncompetitive for leaving Orlando where he failed to win a championship, to join Kobe in Los Angeles or Wade in Miami. LeBron wasn't the first to do this and clearly he wasn't the last, so why all the hate?
The main reason the Melo trade really made me angry was because of what George Karl had to say about Chauncey Billups. "I think there are many people, including myself, that will be sad for Chauncey. I know he loves Denver and we love him." Chauncey didn't want to leave Denver. He loved Denver. I am sure that at least some of the other 10 players in the trade, excluding Melo, didn't want to leave their homes, families, and teams either. However, because 1 player, Melo, wanted to be in New York, he didn't care about anyone else. He did what he wanted to do and affected the lives of 11 other players and families directly, and then even more indirectly as the trade caused a ripple effect leading to more trades across the league. LeBron's decision only affected LeBron's life directly. He made it on his own and let other players make their decisions on their own. He didn't ask to get drafted by Cleveland, an organization that should have been happy to go from the #1 overall pick to a title contender for the time LeBron was there. Melo made a decision and used at least 11 other players as pawns in his scheme. Additionally, LeBron's decision raised over $2.5 million for a charity, the Boys and Girls Club of America. I can't even fathom how many lives that $2.5 million changed in a positive way. Melo's decision didn't raise money for anybody, but it did change the lives of at least 11 players forcing them to leave their homes and their families to go to new teams perhaps against their will.
Ultimately, LeBron and Melo made similar decisions. The only difference was that LeBron raised $2.5 million for a charity and didn't force other players to leave their homes and follow him. Melo did allow the Nuggets time to trade and build for the future more so than LeBron, but I doubt that Cavs would have traded LeBron anyway, and even if they did, they would still be at the bottom of the East. Yet, LeBron is seen as a villain, a betrayer, unprofessional, and uncompetitive. I don't buy it, and I don't agree with it. For better or worse, the game has changed. Now, a select few superstar players control the fate of themselves, their franchises, their teammates, and their cities, while all other players are just pawns used to let these superstars get what they want. Teams realize that they'd rather get something in return for their players, then take the chance on getting nothing for them in free agency. Utah traded Williams in fear that they would lose him and get nothing in return over a year before his contract is expected to expire. It gradually started with Shaq, the most dominant player of his time, changing teams in his prime, then continued with Garnett and Allen to Boston, and was completed with LeBron and Bosh joining Wade in Miami. LeBron's decision opened the flood gates and made it okay for other superstars to leave the teams they happened to be drafted by in favor of teams that they prefer to play for. The league looks like a fantasy league, and some owners are upset that some players have any type of control of their destiny. This may continue, or it may change starting with a lockout this summer, but either way the power has shifted and the game will never be the same.
Melo was traded along with Chauncey Billups, Williams, Carter, and Balkman from Denver to New York in exchange for Chandler, Felton, Gallinari, Mozkov, 3 draft picks and cash. Additionally, Randolph and Curry were shipped to Minnesota sending Brewer to New York. In total 12 players were dealt from one city to another with Carmelo Anthony as the center piece. This seems fine. Basketball is a business and this happens all the time. Players understand that this is a business, understand that they can be traded at any moment, and now it's time for the owners to understand the same thing.
Deron Williams was traded this morning and found out about this trade while watching SportsCenter, nearly the same way that the Cavaliers owner, Dan Gilbert, found out about LeBron's decision while watching TV. The only difference is that Gilbert knew LeBron was contemplating leaving and there was a good chance that LeBron would leave. Williams had no idea that he was going to get traded and he reportedly wasn't happy about it either. Players find out that they are changing teams and cities like this all the time. Owners don't always ask their players if they want to be traded or even tell their players that they are going to or have been traded. The one time a player decides to do the same to an owner, it is unprofessional and there is a huge uproar. LeBron was called unprofessional, a betrayer, a coward, a curse, uncompetitive, and many other things for doing the same thing that owners do to players and that players have done in the past. No one called out Garnett or Allen for joining Pierce in Boston creating a super team for years to come. No one called Shaq uncompetitive for leaving Orlando where he failed to win a championship, to join Kobe in Los Angeles or Wade in Miami. LeBron wasn't the first to do this and clearly he wasn't the last, so why all the hate?
The main reason the Melo trade really made me angry was because of what George Karl had to say about Chauncey Billups. "I think there are many people, including myself, that will be sad for Chauncey. I know he loves Denver and we love him." Chauncey didn't want to leave Denver. He loved Denver. I am sure that at least some of the other 10 players in the trade, excluding Melo, didn't want to leave their homes, families, and teams either. However, because 1 player, Melo, wanted to be in New York, he didn't care about anyone else. He did what he wanted to do and affected the lives of 11 other players and families directly, and then even more indirectly as the trade caused a ripple effect leading to more trades across the league. LeBron's decision only affected LeBron's life directly. He made it on his own and let other players make their decisions on their own. He didn't ask to get drafted by Cleveland, an organization that should have been happy to go from the #1 overall pick to a title contender for the time LeBron was there. Melo made a decision and used at least 11 other players as pawns in his scheme. Additionally, LeBron's decision raised over $2.5 million for a charity, the Boys and Girls Club of America. I can't even fathom how many lives that $2.5 million changed in a positive way. Melo's decision didn't raise money for anybody, but it did change the lives of at least 11 players forcing them to leave their homes and their families to go to new teams perhaps against their will.
Ultimately, LeBron and Melo made similar decisions. The only difference was that LeBron raised $2.5 million for a charity and didn't force other players to leave their homes and follow him. Melo did allow the Nuggets time to trade and build for the future more so than LeBron, but I doubt that Cavs would have traded LeBron anyway, and even if they did, they would still be at the bottom of the East. Yet, LeBron is seen as a villain, a betrayer, unprofessional, and uncompetitive. I don't buy it, and I don't agree with it. For better or worse, the game has changed. Now, a select few superstar players control the fate of themselves, their franchises, their teammates, and their cities, while all other players are just pawns used to let these superstars get what they want. Teams realize that they'd rather get something in return for their players, then take the chance on getting nothing for them in free agency. Utah traded Williams in fear that they would lose him and get nothing in return over a year before his contract is expected to expire. It gradually started with Shaq, the most dominant player of his time, changing teams in his prime, then continued with Garnett and Allen to Boston, and was completed with LeBron and Bosh joining Wade in Miami. LeBron's decision opened the flood gates and made it okay for other superstars to leave the teams they happened to be drafted by in favor of teams that they prefer to play for. The league looks like a fantasy league, and some owners are upset that some players have any type of control of their destiny. This may continue, or it may change starting with a lockout this summer, but either way the power has shifted and the game will never be the same.
Vanderbilt Basketball
Let me start this article with a true story about myself and a girl I liked my 2nd semester of my senior year in college.
It's the 1st day of the 2nd semester. I wake up, pack my bag, and go to my 1st class. In class, while attempting to pay attention to the teacher, I saw an attractive girl from across the room whom I had seen around campus before, acknowledged that she was cute, but had yet to make a move. I wasn't particularly looking for anything in specific, but I thought I'd give it a shot. I talked to her for a little after class, just trying to plant a few seeds. The next class I talked to her again, and got her cell phone number. We texted a lot throughout the week, and talked a lot before, during, and after classes. Then, things picked up a little bit. We had a few lunches and went on a few dates. We ate dinners together and went to parties/bars together. We talked all the time, hung out a lot, and were getting along swimmingly. Valentine's Day was coming up in a week and I asked her if she wanted to go to dinner together on V-Day. She said of course. I told her to be ready at 7, but wanted to leave the plans as a surprise. I had fraternity pledges bring her flower, balloons, and chocolates throughout the day at her apartment and in her classes. A pledge picked her up at 7, drove her to my friends apartment where I had cooked dinner, and walked her up to the room. Dinner went extremely well. We had a great, home-cooked, candle lit meal with her favorite wine, and listened to the Frank Sinatra Biggie Smalls CD throughout the meal. After dinner we hung out on the couch and watched a movie. She held my hand, was very flirtatious, had her hand on my knee, and kept touching me whenever possible. I read all the signs, built up the courage, and went in for a kiss. Right before our lips touched, she pushed me away, slapped me in the face, got up off the couch, told me she had a boyfriend, and stormed out of the apartment.
This my friends is not only an embarrassing story about me and a girl I was once quite fond of, but also a microcosm of Vanderbilt basketball. Right when you think you are on a roll, everything is perfect, the moment is right, and you're on the verge of something special, Vanderbilt basketball slaps you in the face and tells you, "nope, you're wrong, we still stink." Overall, Vanderbilt has had a good season. We've beaten who we were supposed to beat most of the time, and lost to teams we were supposed to lose to. We've played 5 ranked teams, beat the 3 we played at home (UNC, St. Mary's, and UK), and lost to the 2 we played on the road (Mizzou and UF) both in OT. Some of our other losses weren't bad as they came to pretty good teams. We lost early to West Virginia at a neutral site and South Carolina on the road in OT. I'll even forgive the game we lost to Tennessee when we were up by 17, and blew it down the stretch because it's a rivalry and we were on the road. The other 2 losses are inexcusable. Arkansas and Tennessee at home. Both losses took place right when I thought we were about to take control of the SEC, and were at HOME to teams that we are better than.
That is why Vanderbilt basketball is so disappointing. Had we won these 2 games, we might be in the top 10 right now. We'd head into the tournament as a 3 seed. Instead, we are gong to be a 4 or 5 seed in the tournament again, and lose in the 1st round to a team we are better than again, just like the last 2 times we made the tournament. In 2008, as a 4 seed, we lost first round to Siena by 21, and 2010, as a 4 seed, to Murray State by a single point. There are some teams that, on any given day, can beat any team and lose to any team. Vanderbilt is not one of them. Vanderbilt can't beat good teams on the road, and loses to teams that are worse than them at the most inopportune times. We can beat the teams we are supposed to beat, but we don't always, and we can lose to any team at any time. I've never been a fan of a team like this. I have never gone into a game with any other team I liked thinking we were the better team, but expecting to lose. When the Eagles were the better team in the NFC Championship game, I expected them to win. When they were the worse team, I expected them to lose. With Vanderbilt basketball, I always expect a loss, and that's the difference between being a fan of a normal team and a Vanderbilt fan.
The worst part is that I don't know who to blame. I want to blame it on our overall style of play. We live and die by the 3, and when the 3 isn't falling, we lose. But Duke, who just won the NCAA Tournament last year, has the same style, and is usually ranked in the top 5. The difference is that Duke has better players, better athletes, and better coaching. I also want to blame the lack of play-makers and heart. Last night it looked like Scottie Hopson wanted to win the game. He had the ball in his hands every possession in the last 3 minutes and wouldn't give it up until it was in the hoop or he was on the line shooting free throws. In that same 3 minute stretch, Jenkins and Taylor didn't bring the ball up the court, didn't demand the ball, and when they got the ball they passed it away like their Dad just asked for the mashed potatoes at a family dinner. Scottie Hopson took UT on his back and wouldn't let his team lose. No one on Vanderbilt even stepped up and tried to win the game for us. It was embarrassing to watch our 11 point home lead evaporate. We were up 42-31 with 13 minutes to go. We lost 60-51. If you do the math you'll see that we scored 9 points in the last 13 minutes at home, while UT scored 29 in the same span. It was absurd and miserable to watch live.
It's going to be hard to fill out my bracket and not write Vanderbilt on any of the blank lines, but while I usually expect Vanderbilt to lose and go against my better judgment when filling out my bracket, this year I might have to let my judgment match my expectations. And that's what Rubes is ranting on today.
It's the 1st day of the 2nd semester. I wake up, pack my bag, and go to my 1st class. In class, while attempting to pay attention to the teacher, I saw an attractive girl from across the room whom I had seen around campus before, acknowledged that she was cute, but had yet to make a move. I wasn't particularly looking for anything in specific, but I thought I'd give it a shot. I talked to her for a little after class, just trying to plant a few seeds. The next class I talked to her again, and got her cell phone number. We texted a lot throughout the week, and talked a lot before, during, and after classes. Then, things picked up a little bit. We had a few lunches and went on a few dates. We ate dinners together and went to parties/bars together. We talked all the time, hung out a lot, and were getting along swimmingly. Valentine's Day was coming up in a week and I asked her if she wanted to go to dinner together on V-Day. She said of course. I told her to be ready at 7, but wanted to leave the plans as a surprise. I had fraternity pledges bring her flower, balloons, and chocolates throughout the day at her apartment and in her classes. A pledge picked her up at 7, drove her to my friends apartment where I had cooked dinner, and walked her up to the room. Dinner went extremely well. We had a great, home-cooked, candle lit meal with her favorite wine, and listened to the Frank Sinatra Biggie Smalls CD throughout the meal. After dinner we hung out on the couch and watched a movie. She held my hand, was very flirtatious, had her hand on my knee, and kept touching me whenever possible. I read all the signs, built up the courage, and went in for a kiss. Right before our lips touched, she pushed me away, slapped me in the face, got up off the couch, told me she had a boyfriend, and stormed out of the apartment.
This my friends is not only an embarrassing story about me and a girl I was once quite fond of, but also a microcosm of Vanderbilt basketball. Right when you think you are on a roll, everything is perfect, the moment is right, and you're on the verge of something special, Vanderbilt basketball slaps you in the face and tells you, "nope, you're wrong, we still stink." Overall, Vanderbilt has had a good season. We've beaten who we were supposed to beat most of the time, and lost to teams we were supposed to lose to. We've played 5 ranked teams, beat the 3 we played at home (UNC, St. Mary's, and UK), and lost to the 2 we played on the road (Mizzou and UF) both in OT. Some of our other losses weren't bad as they came to pretty good teams. We lost early to West Virginia at a neutral site and South Carolina on the road in OT. I'll even forgive the game we lost to Tennessee when we were up by 17, and blew it down the stretch because it's a rivalry and we were on the road. The other 2 losses are inexcusable. Arkansas and Tennessee at home. Both losses took place right when I thought we were about to take control of the SEC, and were at HOME to teams that we are better than.
That is why Vanderbilt basketball is so disappointing. Had we won these 2 games, we might be in the top 10 right now. We'd head into the tournament as a 3 seed. Instead, we are gong to be a 4 or 5 seed in the tournament again, and lose in the 1st round to a team we are better than again, just like the last 2 times we made the tournament. In 2008, as a 4 seed, we lost first round to Siena by 21, and 2010, as a 4 seed, to Murray State by a single point. There are some teams that, on any given day, can beat any team and lose to any team. Vanderbilt is not one of them. Vanderbilt can't beat good teams on the road, and loses to teams that are worse than them at the most inopportune times. We can beat the teams we are supposed to beat, but we don't always, and we can lose to any team at any time. I've never been a fan of a team like this. I have never gone into a game with any other team I liked thinking we were the better team, but expecting to lose. When the Eagles were the better team in the NFC Championship game, I expected them to win. When they were the worse team, I expected them to lose. With Vanderbilt basketball, I always expect a loss, and that's the difference between being a fan of a normal team and a Vanderbilt fan.
The worst part is that I don't know who to blame. I want to blame it on our overall style of play. We live and die by the 3, and when the 3 isn't falling, we lose. But Duke, who just won the NCAA Tournament last year, has the same style, and is usually ranked in the top 5. The difference is that Duke has better players, better athletes, and better coaching. I also want to blame the lack of play-makers and heart. Last night it looked like Scottie Hopson wanted to win the game. He had the ball in his hands every possession in the last 3 minutes and wouldn't give it up until it was in the hoop or he was on the line shooting free throws. In that same 3 minute stretch, Jenkins and Taylor didn't bring the ball up the court, didn't demand the ball, and when they got the ball they passed it away like their Dad just asked for the mashed potatoes at a family dinner. Scottie Hopson took UT on his back and wouldn't let his team lose. No one on Vanderbilt even stepped up and tried to win the game for us. It was embarrassing to watch our 11 point home lead evaporate. We were up 42-31 with 13 minutes to go. We lost 60-51. If you do the math you'll see that we scored 9 points in the last 13 minutes at home, while UT scored 29 in the same span. It was absurd and miserable to watch live.
It's going to be hard to fill out my bracket and not write Vanderbilt on any of the blank lines, but while I usually expect Vanderbilt to lose and go against my better judgment when filling out my bracket, this year I might have to let my judgment match my expectations. And that's what Rubes is ranting on today.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The New Jersey Nets
I understand what they are trying to do. I get it. They want to land one big, super star player and hope that more will follow. It happens all the time. The Heat, Bulls, and Knicks just did it. The Celtics, Lakers, and Mavericks have done it in the past. The difference between those team, and the Nets is that those teams are not the Nets. They don't play in New Jersey. They aren't second fiddle in their big markets, and they are themselves in big markets or desirable locations. The Nets need to stop pretending they are closer to being the Lakers than the Clippers, or the Heat than the Cavs. They are more like the latter, are competing with the latter in terms of standings and attracting free agents, and should act accordingly.
The rationale for going after Melo was 1) to land the superstar, 2) to drive up the price for the Knicks, 3) to show the league that they are willing to spend a lot to land a big time player, and 4) to show that they are in direct competition with the likes of the Knicks. They may have driven up the price for the Knicks, and they did show the league that they were willing to spend, but overall they failed miserably. These were not important factors for them. More importantly, they didn't land the superstar, and they showed the league once again that even when they offer a better deal, players prefer other teams. Amare, Lebron, Bosh, Wade, Boozer, Joe Johnson, Melo, and many other superstar players have turned down the Nets in favor of other teams. When players see other players turning down a team, the image of that team decreases. No one wants to play for a team that no one else wants to play for. The Nets wants to look like the Celtics, Bulls, Knicks, Magic, Mavs, and Lakers with at least one superstars. But, they should try to look more like the Hawks the past few years, or the Billups, Rasheed, Ben, Tayshaun, RIP, Pistons with a balance of good, not superstar, players from top to bottom.
What the Nets have going for them is that they have a lot of cash, are moving to a new stadium in Brooklyn, draft picks, and a few good young players. They can play up Jay-Z and the Russian billionaire, but players don't really care about the owners, or want the owners to be more popular than them for unbasketball related things. They will always be the Knicks little brother. They don't have MSG, Spike Lee, or New York in their name. The only shot they have is to stop going after the big time players and either get lucky in the draft, or target a few 2nd, 3rd, and 4th tier players because if the keep going after superstars against real NBA teams, they will finish runner up every time. And that is what Rubes is ranting on today.
The rationale for going after Melo was 1) to land the superstar, 2) to drive up the price for the Knicks, 3) to show the league that they are willing to spend a lot to land a big time player, and 4) to show that they are in direct competition with the likes of the Knicks. They may have driven up the price for the Knicks, and they did show the league that they were willing to spend, but overall they failed miserably. These were not important factors for them. More importantly, they didn't land the superstar, and they showed the league once again that even when they offer a better deal, players prefer other teams. Amare, Lebron, Bosh, Wade, Boozer, Joe Johnson, Melo, and many other superstar players have turned down the Nets in favor of other teams. When players see other players turning down a team, the image of that team decreases. No one wants to play for a team that no one else wants to play for. The Nets wants to look like the Celtics, Bulls, Knicks, Magic, Mavs, and Lakers with at least one superstars. But, they should try to look more like the Hawks the past few years, or the Billups, Rasheed, Ben, Tayshaun, RIP, Pistons with a balance of good, not superstar, players from top to bottom.
What the Nets have going for them is that they have a lot of cash, are moving to a new stadium in Brooklyn, draft picks, and a few good young players. They can play up Jay-Z and the Russian billionaire, but players don't really care about the owners, or want the owners to be more popular than them for unbasketball related things. They will always be the Knicks little brother. They don't have MSG, Spike Lee, or New York in their name. The only shot they have is to stop going after the big time players and either get lucky in the draft, or target a few 2nd, 3rd, and 4th tier players because if the keep going after superstars against real NBA teams, they will finish runner up every time. And that is what Rubes is ranting on today.
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