The Starting Lineup: Picks, Rolls, And Ping Pong Balls

Let me start by saying that I had to whip this up real quick.  I’ve got a long car ride coming up tomorrow..er..today and I have to sleep at least a few hours so I’m around to author this blog come Sunday morning.  I’m also in a pretty lousy mood, apparently.  I didn’t even realize the extent of it until I re-read this sh!t.  It’s bursting at the seams with negativity.  

There is a new low point in Bobcats franchise history. Coming off of a blowout loss to the Wizards that made them the worst team in the NBA, Coach Paul Silas started Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson, Tyrus Thomas, Boris Diaw, and DeSagana Diop against Philly. This resulted in a 10-point first quarter that was so ugly it inspired the aforementioned Coach Silas to get himself tossed. I hope he didn’t bother to watch the rest of the game on TV because it only got worse. Down by 23 early in the third… the Bobcats resorted to running a Tyrus Thomas/DeSagana Diop pick and roll. I sh!t you not.

 

Not pretty is an understatement. Needless to say, Philadelphia ran away with it and the Bobcats are now 3-17. I don’t really understand what they’re doing. I mean, if you’re gonna go the DeSagana Diop route why not just put Bismack Biyombo out there? Diop is nothing but a fat, lumbering version of Biyombo with a lot less talent. Wow… take a moment to let that sink in. The Charlotte Bobcats are starting a slow fat guy who makes a long-term-project-type rookie look polished. WHY?

Dwane Casey understands the importance of ping pong balls. Either that or he’s an idiot, but I’m gonna give him the benefit of the doubt. Casey’s Raptors spent the majority of their Friday night being abused by the Nuggets, but they surprisingly made a 15-point game a 6-point game with a 20-11 run that bridged the third and fourth quarters. Jerryd Bayless and Leandro Barbosa scored 16 of those 20, but they were promptly benched in favor of DeMaR DeRoZaN and Jose Calderon. That put an end to the run and helped the Nuggets restore their 15-point lead. A quick glance at the box score makes the move seem even more perplexing. DeRoZaN and Calderon played 65 combined minutes and scored just 17 points on 6-25. Jerryd Bayless and Leandro Barbosa played 38 combined minutes… they scored 37 on 14-23. Get those ping pong balls, Canada.

The Orlando Magic got their asses handed to them by the New Orleans Hornets.  The 67-93 loss comes on the heels of a meltdown in which they allowed the Celtics to come back from 27 down, and none of this makes Dwight Howard very happy.  From the AP’s game recap:

“I look at guys and they don’t look like they want to play,” Howard said following Orlando’s surprisingly lopsided 93-67 loss to a New Orleans Hornets team that came into Friday night’s meeting on a nine-game skid.

“I told them at halftime, `If you don’t want to play, just stay in the locker room, because it don’t make sense for a team who we should beat to just demolish us.”

Howard scored 28 points and grabbed 16 boards in the game.  He was the only Magic player to reach double figures as the rest of the team shot 32% from the floor and 28% from three.  So, do I have a problem with what Dwight said?  No, not really.  The fact of the matter is that the rest of Orlando’s roster blows.  At least he didn’t tell ‘em that. 

Oakland, we have a problem, and its name its Mark Jackson.  The Golden State Warriors repeatedly shot themselves in the foot as they fell to the Thunder 109-120.  I don’t give a f@ck that they lost–OKC has the best record in the NBA and Kevin Durant’s career average against the Dubs is somethin’ like 30 PPG–it’s just the way that they lost (and have been losing) that pisses me off.  Like I said, the Warriors repeatedly shot themselves in the foot.  They had this thing down to three in the fourth quarter and one of the reasons the wheels fell off was that they were unable to convert in transition.  Also, the old Monta Ellis that always showed up to battle guys like Kevin Durant (who dropped 37 tonight) was nowhere to be found.  It’s Jackson’s defense-first ideaology that’s thrown a monkey wrench into the late-night League Pass fun.  He’s ruined the entertainment value of this team while failing to improve it.  That’s the f@cking cardinal sin of coaching in the NBA.  If you have to suck make sure people are interested in watching you suck.  I’m sure the Warriors will be more patient with Jackson than I’m being right now, but if he continues to put a team on the floor that loses AND bores people he’s going to find his way back to his seat next to Van Gundy sooner than he’d probably like.  At least I’d like to think so.  I want Nellie back.  Monta at center, 48 minutes a night, f@ck-it-style basketball.  The Warriors should be mandated to play this way forever. 

Highlight Recap, Nate Robinson Edition:

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