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JR Smith still scares the out of me every time we play the Nuggets. Hes killed the Mavs too many times.
Share your thoughts on your team/players. Good or bad.
Thoughts on the Nuggets so far:
-Billups: Still takes some bad shots every now and then, other than that, not much to complain. Statistic-wise, he's playing better than ever. The team is an obvious mess without him. MVP of the team
-Melo: Best player on the team. Had a hot start, has cooled down since then. An offensive juggernaut, however a defensive mess. Has been overrated defensively ever since last years playoffs. He doesn't bring it every game which irks me the most. When he isn't clicking offensively, it's like watching Kazaam... beyond horrible. I still remember him giving up a wide open layup to old man Hill when Sun's beat them in Denver. Things like that shouldn't be happening when you're the team's best player, some effort is all I ask defensively. Also, the team is better defensively when he sits, go figure.(no Melo homers please)/
-KMart: Needs to never take a jumpshot....EVER. Stick to lay-ups and put back dunks. Seriously, Nuggets need to put a cap to how much shots this idiot can take in a game, it takes away too many touches for Nene down low. Though I'll admit, without a healthy KMart, the Nuggets are a joke defensively and he did have stretch of games where he played excellent./
-JR: inconsistency comes to mind. Needless to say, still needs to grow a brain, which means shoot a lot less threes and attack the basket more. Is it really that hard to understand? Doesn't take as many ill advised shots as he used to though. The pick n roll with him and Nene are a thing of beauty, too bad it doesn't happen as much as I'd like it to.
-Nene: Should look to be more aggressive on the boards and needs to demand the ball a lot more inside. Nuggets would be better off w/ Nene forcing 20 shots a game then him playing pass the ball with every touch. This is why he'll never reach his full potential, too damn passive.
-Aflalo: Much like Jones, a versatile defender that can knock down the 3. Definitely an upgrade.
-Lawson: One of the true bright spots on this roster. No reason to believe why he won't have a successful career in the future with the way he's played thus far.
-Birdman: Rebound, block, energy. Can't really ask for any more than that.
-Malik Allen: Why the is he playing?
-Graham: Didn't know he could hit those 15 footers. Needs to stay aggressive when he's given minutes.
-AC: Whatever. Been durable and a solid backup I guess.
-Petro: Last game I watched, he played exceptionally well, which is saying a lot for him, so where are his minutes? One thing about this guy is that he's not afraid to take shots, maybe Nene needs to seek his advice.
All in all, Nuggets look great offensively(Ranks 3rd in league), however defensively they have a lot more work to do (Ranks #21). Have been playing great against playoff caliber teams, but not so much against below .500 teams. Needs to play better team defense from now on if they want to hold on to the 2nd seed, it may be too late though.
JR Smith still scares the out of me every time we play the Nuggets. Hes killed the Mavs too many times.
Keith Bogans sucks so much ass.
Steve Nash sucks.
Son use the dragonshake more, that's the best move i've seen all season from any player.
we staaacked
Damn...you mean Luke Walton and Sasha Vujacic are still alive?
Pistons: Because of the cap situation and the lack of overall talent, the Pistons are going to have to build through the draft to become compe ive again.
The Good:
Jonas Jerebko: He's a solid player in the mold of another small-forward on the Pistons roster, Tayshaun Prince. He is able to work on the block, rebounds the ball nicely, and he is active around-the-rim. He's a nice player and I think he's worthy of an MLE contract from anyone willing to pay him.
Will Bynum: Although injuries, his size, and turnovers remain a problem, Bynumite is a fantastic back-up. He is able to get to the lane, he's consistent at the line, he's got range of his shot, he's fearless--playing with reckless abandon. And just as important, he can dominate a game with passing as much as he can score. As I said, he does have some problems which is why he's best-suited as a back-up. But he's one of the best and cheapest options available in the free-agent class of 2010.
Ben Wallace: Once again, he's anchoring the Pistons big-men and he's underpaid, as usual, while doing it. I don't know if he plans to play beyond this year, but it is hard to imagine the Pistons winning as many games as they have without his interior play and communication on defense. He's been a pleasant suprise.
The mediocre:
Rip Hamilton: He has become a turnover nightmare and injuries have suddenly crept into his game. He is not great at in ating an offense and when he puts the ball on the floor and drives to the basket, I cringe. He's lost more than a couple of steps in terms of his quickness, but he's still a dead-eye shooter in the right system and cir stances.
Tayshaun Prince: He's so smart, which is what has stopped him from falling off the radar. He knows what play to make and when to make it. He looks like his body has wear-and-tear, especially in his first-step. He's slower on his release than before, and he doesn't play with the energy he used to. Still, he's an effective player most of the time, and I think playing him out-of-position the last two years has not helped him in terms of wear-and-tear.
Rodney Stuckey: When he is on, he's on. He's very streaky, however. He is a shooting guard--he doesn't see the floor particuarly well for a point-guard. His passing, when someone else in iates the offense and the focus of the defense is not on him, is a bonus. Still, his jump-shot is inconsistent, and he too often looks to the rim at 30-feet out, especially at the expense of looking for other options. In fact, while that carries with it its own ability to guard him, you don't want him peaking his head up to see if he has a better option because it usually results in a turnover. He lacks the first-step of a Grant Hill or Kobe Bryant to be able to create seperation to get to the rim. If there are down-hill runners and grind-it-out backs for two yards, he is the latter. He will play hard, but he's not terribly effective, especially as a first-option. And, too often, in crunch time, especially, he is inconsistent from the line. The two--driving to the rim and drawing contact, but not being able to hit free-throws--is frustrating.
The Bad:
Kwame Brown: A dumb basketball player with a big body who has shown flashes of some game. It would not suprise me, nor sadden me, if no team decided to sign him after this offseason.
Chris Wilcox: He's a big that doesn't like contact; he shies away from it. Not terribly athletic, and gets lost in games. His skill-set just doesn't let him get his shot-off all that effectively. Terrible rebounder.
Jason Maxiell: Terrible rebounder and his size is a big issue. While he has the athletic ability to meet someone at the rim and to throw down a monster-dunk, he has no post-game to speak-of. And his price-tag (5 million) is throwing him down on the bad list. If he were making what Jerebko was making, he'd be mediocre.
Ben Gordon: He plays hard, but he gets tired. His size is an issue on the defensive-end of the floor. He's a dead-eye shooter, but he's streaky. Injuries have been a problem and he never searches for other options in the offense. Price-tag is too high.
Charlie Villanueva: See Chris Wilcox, but with more post-game, more range, and a very streaky jump-shot. If he's hot, watch out. I've yet to see him finish an entire game in the zone, and when he's not hot, he gets lost. Price tag problems here, too.
Austin Daye: Essentially, showing flashes of Tayshaun Prince on a good day, becoming irrelevant the next. Not worthy of the 15th-pick. He's been sizeably out-played by Jonas Jerebko.
Irrelevant:
DaJaun Summers: NBDL fodder.
Chucky Atkins: Occasional starter and leader, has size and injury problems.
Last edited by Darrin; 03-02-2010 at 05:58 PM.
Mavericks:
They will win the championship this year.
Eat .
Championshiiiiip. That's all you need to know. None of you other gots have a chance.
Blazers:
Maybe the most dangerous team in the league as we near the playoffs.
Brandon Roy: He was hurt for over 15 games with a strained hamstring, but he is now showing signs that he's fully recovered. He's arguably a top 3 shooting guard in the league so his continued health is critical.
Andre Miller: Can't shoot the 3, but has a serviceable mid-range game and is excellent driving to the basket. Excellent assist man as well. We would be toast without him.
Marcus Camby: Great last-minute pickup by the Blazers. Our only center on the team with Oden and Przybilla out for the season. Hasn't really integrated himself into out team yet, but the expectation is that when he does we will be very difficult to beat.
LaMarcus Aldridge: Has been playing at an All Star level for the past 20 games or so with the exception of a couple games here and there. He's at his best when he goes strong to the hoop. Unfortunately, it seems he doesn't do that enough.
Nicolas Batum: The wild card on the team. He's been back for maybe 10 games, but you can see that this guy is a star in the making. He's the best defensive player on the team and he shoots 56% from the field as well. He's becoming more and more aggresive on the offensive end and scored 31 and 21 points in his last 2 games.
Juwan Howard: Older than dirt, but a surprisingly effective player for his age. You don't want him playing more than 15 minutes max per game though.
Rudy Fernandez: Electric player, but hasn't really found his stroke yet since returning from back surgery. Appears to be healthy, but seems to need more time on the court to get comfortable.
Jerryd Bayless: Very streaky player. Either red-hot or ice cold. Good on the ball defender though.
Martell Webster: Great shooter, but has been MIA for the last few weeks. May never see meaningful playing time again with the emergence of Batum.
Dante Cunningham: He's been the most reliable of our rookies. Good shooter. Able defender. Inexperienced though.
Jeff Pendergraph: Tough guy that doesn't back down from physical play. Not very effective on offense though.
Patty Mills: DNP-CD
Judging by the IR this season it looks like they're only a danger to themselves.
Aaron Brooks - Can shoot the out of the ball, very quick, still needs to learn to manage the game. But still, he has not hit his full potential yet. Very good combo guard
Kyle Lowry - AKA "The Human Bowling Ball" Is the heart of the team, especially since Landry left. Knows how to manage the game, plays uptempo, and can make the whole team better, and is a great defender
Kevin Martin - Starting to find his range, and looks to be a of a player. However, he does seem a bit skinny, and that's somewhat concerning. However, whenever he's feeling it, he can score at will
Luis Scola - Nice player at the 4 position. Best thing about him is that he plays his best game against the Spurs
Chuck Hayes - Damn Good defender, but at some point you will need a starting center taller than 6'6
Trevor Ariza - The second coming of Rafer "I build houses with all the bricks I shoot" Alston. However, he was finally getting to elevate himself a bit when Martin arrived, having some nice games here and there, should be able to continue when he comes back.
Jared Jeffries - Garbage (The price you pay for ripping off the Knicks)
Hilton Armstrong - Garbage
Chase Budinger - Solid player, finally getting some more playing time, and we are seeing what he can become.
Shane Battier - Lost a couple of steps on defense, but still a good defender, and a nice 3 point threat
Garrett Temple - Just came up from the d-league, looks to be a solid player
David Anderson - Pussy
Jordan Hill - Don't know yet
Jermaine Taylor - Needs more time to develop
^ I expected more for Scola with Yao injury he is a really nice player but I thought he would have played at a higher level
Celts: old and broke.
Rebuild it....and I will come.
SSOL is garbage.
Flush
Nash,Hill,Frye,JRich
These are the key pieces to keep
Dragic,Dudley,Lopez,Clark
If we do the right thing and rebuild with defensively capable players then keeping Amare around wouldn't be out of the question. Put a hard-nosed rebounder/shot blocker next to him(in addition to the emerging Lopez) and it could work IMO.
I'm torn on Barbosa. D'Umbtoni's one dimensional coaching might have wrecked this kid. He's still a valuable scorer who causes difficult match-ups on the offensive end, and i do think if coached up he can improve defensively....he did under Porter(probably the only positive to come out of that fiasco).
Dragic playing behind a 37 yr old PG who can't guard a chair next season is going to be very difficult for me to stomach.
Last edited by mojorizen7; 03-02-2010 at 07:59 PM.
Rankings (from Best to worst)
Dirk:
Kidd:
Haywood:
Butler:
Marion:
JET: Extremly streaky. Some days a
Dampier:
Stevenson:
JJ:
Roddy:
Najera:
Matt Carroll:
Von Wafer:
Mo Williams: More of a head-case than Delonte in his own way. He's the x-factor: if he performs well in the postseason the Cavaliers will be almost impossible to beat. If he doesn't, well... we saw what happened last year.
Anthony Parker: Meh. Hits a few jumpers, plays reasonably sound defense and keeps Delonte with the second unit.
Delonte West: Bad man. Great off the bench. Tough as a two-dollar steak. Big-game player. Won't go on trial until July, probably, so that shouldn't be a factor.
Daniel Gibson: Gamer, clutch shooter. 100x more mentally tough than Mo. Why this kid doesn't get more burn is beyond me.
Danny Green: His name sounds more like a clothing store owner on the East Side of Cleveland than a basketball player.
LeBron James: He's okay. I think he'll stick in this league.
Jamario Moon: Whose dog did this guy kick? Needs more burn, can really defend on the perimeter.
Antawn Jamison: One of the keys to beating Orlando if it comes to that. Gives the Cavaliers an element they didn't have last year- someone who can exploit Rashard Lewis defensively.
J.J. Hickson: Light-years improved from the beginning of the year. Better hands on the catch, better defense. Very in-synch with LeBron. Still can't hit a jumper to save his life.
Anderson Varejao: Much improved as a finisher and criminally underrated as a defender, especially against the pick-and-roll. One of the top reserves in the Association.
Shaquille O'Neal: Just hope he stays away from the Krispy Kremes for the next eight weeks.
Leon Powe: Still not quite there yet physically and conditioning-wise, but his toughness around the basket are apparent immediately.
Big Z: See ya soon, big man.
Here are my thoughts and the order in which i like each player:
Tim Duncan: Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward of all-time and if you assembled a team with the greatest players ever he would be on it. A champion and a MVP. Tim is also a class act. Not flashy, but has great tools on O and D and he leads by example. Timmy is also clutch on not only offense, but defense.
Manu Ginobili: He plays with all his heart on every play. He is gambler on the court, but usually comes thru when we need him the most. He can put up stats in every category. Unfortunately Manu is Injury prone because of the way he plays, so in two words you can some up Manu as a WILD CARD.
Tony Parker: Super fast and knows how to run our offense better than anyone to ever play point for Pop. Sometimes he makes me angry when he is not aggressive because that is his greatest strength. When he is hitting his shot our offense is at its best. I wish he was more of an assist guy at the point.
George Hill: I am a huge hill fan. He can play both guard positions and can guard most 1's, 2's and 3's. He is only going to get better and better.
Dejuan Blair: Absolute beast on the Boards and he has brought some unexpected offense in the pick in roll. If he can learn to hit a 15 footer he could be an allstar in my opinion.
Antonio McDyess: He is starting to do some good things for the spurs and I love that he can hit an outside shot. He is a class act and I hope he gets a ring with the spurs.
Richard Jefferson: I wish Jefferson would be more aggressive, but I love his athleticism. He sucks at rebounding for his position. If he gets it going we may have a chance to salvage this season.
Keith Bogans: Tough. Most spurs fans don't like Bogans, but he hustles and goes hard which is all I ask for. A liability on offense, but on occasion he plays very good defense.
Malik Hairston: Get this man some playing time because everytime I'm seen him he produces.
Matt Bonner: I dislike Bonner. He try's, but it's like a man with no legs trying to run track. Huge liability on defense and really doesn't provide much offensively besides the occasional three that usually comes with a 2-9 shooting night.
Ian Mahinmi: Some people think he is the answer, but I don't see it. If he was good Pop would play him.
Roger Mason: I wish we would of traded him when he whined about playing time. His time as a Spur is come and gone yet he still suits up. Hopefully he will one day redeem himself with a terrific shooting night in the playoffs coming off the bench to provide a spark Steve Kerr style. Doubt it.
Duncan: The epitome of consistency, he will always get his quiet 20/10. Needs help on the interior defense though but that's not his fault. Needless to say that he's by far our best player.
Manu: Started slow but since the rodeo trip he's been lighting it up, best all around player on the team and still one of the top SG in the league, needs to find consistency on his shot to be the Manu we're used to seeing, right now he is at a 90%.
Tony: One of the main reason why we're struggling, he was supossed to be the number one option on offense this season but injuries have slowed him down, if he gets his health at an 85/90 % and elevates his game like Manu did we could become a very dangerous team come playoff time.
Hill and Blair: Two of the best five players on the team, their youth and energy is crucial to this team.
Jefferson and McDyess: Dissapointing season so far for them, but they have shown signs of improvement in the last few games, if they can keep this up they still have time to turn the situation around.
Bogans: If he played on the D-league, he would be one of its worst players, yet he is a starter for this team. Gotta love Pop.
Mason and Bonner: Useful only if their shots are falling.
Hairston and Mahinmi: Should get rotation minutes.
Popovich: By far the biggest reason why this team isn't playing at the level it should be playing. He starts our worst player, he is constantly changing the line-ups and rotations and the biggest mistake of all: his inexplicable love for small-ball.
Why small-ball sucks:
-We get killed on the boards.
-Lay up drills for our oponents.
-We get blocked more easily on the other end.
Pop says he uses it for offensive reasons but if one of those players is Bogans it doesn't matter who the other 4 are, you're ed 'cause you will always be playing 4 on 5 on that end. And when he rarely plays a decent small-ball formation (Tony, Hill, Manu, RJ, Tim) the best you can hope is to trade baskets 'cause you can't stop nobody.
Mavs:
Dirk - Having yet another MVP type year and has even put in a decent amount of effort on defense. Has hit big shots and is really coming into his own as the primary shot taker in crunch time.
Marion "Matrix" - Though he isn't the high-flying Matrix of old, he is still the man who is good at many things. He has a decent post up game with his tiny hook shot, and is our best finisher on the fastbreak. The best thing he has brought is his DPOY level defense.
Terry "Jet" - Struggled early in the season but has regained his "6th man of the Year" form. Still sucks defensively but has stole the ball a tad more than I remember.
Kidd - These last two games, he has been unimpressive but when it truly counts, he puts up some huge numbers. Great basketball mind, and still one of the best pg's in the game.
Butler "Tough Juice" - Struggled when he first arrived, but he has seemingly found his shot and is putting up numbers expected of the team's "Robin'. Good handles, passing and defense. Really nice 2 way player and brings toughness.
Haywood - Dude is the best center in MAVERICKS history. Nuff said.
Dampier "Ericka" - Still brings some stoic defense and is the best center coming off the bench in the league.
Barea - Really nice guy and was great in the Spurs series last playoffs but this year has been a different story. Has been the 2nd worst player on the Mavs behind professional towel waiver, Matt Carroll.
Stevenson - His offensive game is atrocious, although when he is driving the ball, he is decent. He brings some "old-school" in your face defense that could prove useful in the post-season.
Von Wafer - Really wish this dude could get a few minutes.
Roddy - See Von Wafer.
Najera - Hustles and is a pest, but as a backup center he is awful.
Thomas - COME BACK PLEASE!!!
Matt Carroll - This guy has realized my long time dream of getting millions to watch basketball from courtside without doing anything of true substance.
If you think Marion is the best finisher you are blind...NO NECK has been HORRIBLE on the offensive end
Luke Walton should stop dating Jefferson so he doesn't pinch his nerve.
Really, the only thing that Sasha Vujacic is scoring on is Maria Sharapova.
The Lakers have shown that they can defend this year. Maybe up the offense a little bit more and we're set.
Anyone who doesn't bet on the Lakers going back to back is an idiot.. and there are plenty here I can see. Nobody will overtake them this year in the playoffs, I've yet to see a real contender against them.
As for my Hornets... why bother. Collison and Thorton are the only ones worth keeping around. Trade CP3 for serviceable stars and get rid of inconsistent baggage: West, grossly overpaid Peja, Posey, Okafor (If you're not gonna play him when it matters why have him at all Bower?)
CP3: true leader, best point guard in the game, 20 and 10 every night, Hornets are next to nothing without him, needs a wing man who can hit his shots when Paul finds him open
David West: solid player, could put up 20 and 10 on a nightly basis if he actually played defense and attempted to rebound, terrible dribbling skills resulting in too many turnovers, tries to do way too much but in his defense he is forced into that role, lacks leadership skills and rarely steps up when CP3 is out
Peja Stojakovic: still a major threat from the 3pt line, but just a shadow of his old self, below average defense, but can still be effective when used properly
Emeka Okafor: solid defense, rebounds well, decent offensive production, but seems to lack the killer instinct he needs when facing other top centers
Morris Peterson: nothing much to say here, his role used to be to stand in the corner and hit wide open 3's from CP3 but he can't even do that anymore
James Posey: despite the fact that he is overpaid he is still a quality bench player, very high basketball IQ and makes the right decision 90% of the time, great defender, takes charges every game, decent 3pt shooter
Darren Collison: has a shoot first / me first mentality that reminds me a lot of Janerro Pargo, turns the ball over way too much, makes too many poor decisions in the clutch, puts up solid scoring numbers, but has a lot to learn
Marcus Thornton: excellent scorer, has that killer instinct and can create his own shot, solid 3pt shooter, great rebounder for his size, has surpassed everyone's expectations for a mid 2nd round draft pick, potential all star
Darius Songaila: he doesn't put up great numbers but is a quality contributor off the bench, decent rebounder, gives a good effort
Julian Wright: still waiting for this guy to learn how to shoot, tons of potential but lacks any desire to improve his game and will more than likely be traded at the end of the season
Sean Marks: a solid bench player who comes cheap, always puts forth a good effort on the floor, needs improvement on jump shot
Aaron Gray haven't seen enough of him to know much, but seems afraid to even be on the court
Jeff Bower: absolutely awful general manager, but has been a solid head coach for the time being, definite upgrade from the terribly overrated Byron Scott, not necessarily the head coaching answer though, give him 1 more season to see how he does
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