NBA 2005 - 2006 Playoffs Edition

Back during the '01 -'02 season, I was working a late season Golden State Warriors game and I ran a stat comparing Gilbert Arenas, Jamaal Tinsley and Tony Parker. At the time, Arenas, who said in the pre-season that he would be starting by season's end, was indeed now starting. Tinsley and Parker were already starting for the Pacers and Spurs, respectively. I told GSW radio voice Tim Roye that Gilbert's numbers were better than the other two as a starter. Granted the sampling was small, as Tim pointed out, but I said that it did not matter - Arenas was a stud player and the best the GSW had seen since Rick Barry.

Well, with all respect to Parker, Arenas is not only the best of the those three point guards, but he is a superstar player who, due to the rules, GSW had no chance to keep. He is engaging, yet quirky, brash, yet humble. One of the most motivated players to play in the NBA in years, WASH gain is definitely GSW loss and WASH will always be competitive as long as Gilbert is there. And the three pointer he hit tonight at the end of regulation. No doubt he was taking the shot and no doubt he was making it. Tough as nails!!! Arenas is one great reason to watch NBA. (note - disregard the two misses at the end of the game tonight - that is an aberration - the guy is the ultimate gamer!

The first round of the NBA playoffs have been fantastic!!! The NJN and MIA finished out their series tonight after having some issues early on, but we all knew they would eventually prevail. But the PHX/LAL series! What a series!! We expect the superstars to rise and they sure have. Kobe has been great. Nash has been great. The second guys (Marion and Odom) have been very good. And let's not forget Tim Thomas, who officially boned up tonight and became a man. Big "3" at the end of regulation and a dagger "3" in OT! Arguably of the best best NBA bodies we have ever seen, he showed me guts! Good for him. Can't wait until Game 7!

MIA got the crap out of their system, with SHAQ showing everyone that he is still the man with his 30/20 effort tonight. NJN speed v. MIA physical play. The series will be a doozy with MIA winning in 7. But the NJN are an old "hometown team" for me (I grew up 17 miles from the Meadowlands) so I root for the NJN.

How about them Clippers? Nobody should be surprised here. Coached by Mafia Don Mike Dunleavy (believe it or not, he pulls a lot of power in the Association), this team was build for May, not January. They have big Sam Cassell - a proven winner (and 2x Champ) and the great Elton Brand. But they also have good defenders, a solid big man (Chris Kaman - he still has his gonads after what Evans did to him) and Corey Maggette, an athletic "3" with fresh legs and who can play a bit of "D". Even Cuttino Mobley has picked up his game. The bench is strong (VLAD and the young PG Livingston, who is cat quick). LAC blew out toothless DEN (this would have happened with or without KMART).

No surprise with the DAL. Another team built for May. Whoever they draw in the next round will prove to be a helluva series. DAL plays tough "D", lead by Howard and Dampier (yes, that Dampier) who defends the paint so very well. DIRK is the MVP, but it is team D that makes these guys go.

Ron Artest is a difference maker...Lamar Odom is finally playing up to his potential...SAN, should they get out of Round 1 (no guarantee here, ask RON RON) is going to have their hands full with DAL. Too much competition in this bracket! Makes it more fun for you and me!...NJN won a must game today. I do not see them losing to INDY again...MIA better slow this game down right now. They need tougher on the ball D and smarter shot selection...DET laid a mulligan yesterday. Good for Michael Redd and MIL. DET wins 4 - 1...Gilbert Arenas is a stud. Credit Garry St. Jean for that pick. If the rules were different, GSW would have Gilbert and J Rich for another 5 years. Devastating!!!...LAC is for real and DEN, like I said all season, are pretenders (even with KMART). Brand and Cassell are just extraordinary...KOBE KOBE KOBE - nothing more to say. Do you all understand now why Dr. Buss kept KOBE and tossed SHAQ? If not, write me and I will explain... More tomorrow.

Sorry for my negilence, but life gets in the way sometimes. Today's action - When Bill Walton was in college, he used to answer the phone "Impeach the President". Now I think he is still dropping acid. I normally like Bill Walton, but in today's commentary, he was ridiculously off base stating that MIA has to run to stay with CHIC. Bill, MIA needs to slow the game to a crawl in order to win. CHIC is young and fast, MIA is older, slow and not necessarily very smart as one would think. Take Jason Williams (please). If White Chocolate takes one more "3" from the corner with more than 15 on the clock shot, I will have him moved to the 15th row in the 300 section. Same with Antoine Walker. MIA has only 1 player that can get to the hole off the dribble (WADE). They need to utilize SHAQ, Walker, Wade, Mourning, Haslem and Doleac to play a high-post, low-post game (back to the basket). Anything else will result in a loss.

NBA 2005 - 2006 Regular Season Edition
December 25 Getting Back in the Groove

Sorry for my negilence, but between a new job, two close friends with a serious illness (MERRY XMAS Scottie and Debbie - my thoughts are with you) and the holidays, I have not updated in a couple of weeks. I am back in action, so please come back and read regularly.

My inquiring mind wants to know why the NBA chooses to showcase two games on XMAS with teams that have spend the better part of the last week on the road. I understand hoopla and promotion better than the average guy, but lets change the holiday format. (as I watch SAN play DET, I get the feeling all they want to do is get back to SAN, where they played one game (Fri v TOR) after a three game in four night swing in NOR/MIL/NY. Give the visiting team three days off, let them be fresh and then we can get a great game. Instead, SAN delivers season lows in 1st Qtr/1st Half points. The marquee matchup was a dud...LAC continues to play well, despite losing Corey Maggette for one month with foot issues...Yao is out until after the break. Seems that he has been playing in a crazy amount of pain with the infected toe. After seeing him dominate GSW, I would have never known...I wish Andre Kirilenko could stay healthy. He has the potential to be the best EUROPEAN player in this league. And that is saying something...Laron Profit, who has been a key reserve for the LAL, ruptured his achilles and is gone for the season. Too bad, he plays hard and earns his minutes...With Peja playing his way out of SAC and Bonzi Wells on the shelve for 3 weeks, it is an uphill battle for SAC. I hope Rick Adelman is not a casualty of this bad season. He is an excellent coach and deserves to ride this out...More coming tomorrow...Merry XMAS

Maybe I am a skeptic, but does anybody really believe that Stan Van Gundy retired today on his own volition? In this case, I do not blame Van Gundy or Pat Riley. The blame on this mess should fall squarely on the sprained ankle of Miami Beach's rookie beach patrol officer, SHAQ ONEAL. It became fairly clear that MIA finest, clearly upset that his teammates did not get him the ball at the end of the Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals v. DET, wanted SVG out and Riles back as his coach. SVG co-existed with the donut-eater for the opener, but O'Neal eat one too many donuts, got hurt, and MIA were a .500 team ever since. O'Neal, who has a history of missing large chunks of regular season play because of a variety of ailments, returned on Sunday v. WASH, contributing a 10/11 game in a road win. Seems to me to be more a of coincidence that SVG got the hook the day after the Patrolman O'Neal returns. Riles will take the blame and while he does deserve to be lambasting for not standing by his guy, the ultimate blame falls on Officer O'Neal. I bet the most famous of Miami's finest plays in every remaining game for MIA. Starting to get the picture of who is actually calling the shots...More from the low post tomorrow.

Marcus Camby is just en fuego. he singlehandled is keeping DEN in games that they should be losing. With NENE out until next season, Martin and Anthony not 100% healthy, Camby is playing like TOR and NYK had hoped...C. Bosh of TOR is stuck in a bad deal. Averaging 20.9 PPG and 9.9 RPG, he deserves better support than he is currently receiving...Brezec and Okafor make a tough, young inside tandem for CHAR. On the recent CHAR roadtrip, Brezec has been averaging 11/11 and Okafor is beginning to pick it up. With 4 blocks last night at GSW, he looks like a young Hakeem...Troy Murphy is starting to drive to the hole and not a minute too soon. He goes to the basket hard and good things happen when players challenge the rim...GSW rookie IKE Diogu already has the fundamentals to be a great back-to-the basket player. Watching him grow will be exciting...Channing Frye has taken over the starting job from Antonio Davis. Davis is still finishing games, but when Eddy Curry get back in shape, Davis' minutes will be numbered...ZAZA is the only bright spot for the ATL, averaging a double/double on a team destined to win 15 games. ATL has no help at the PF whatsoever. This is a team made up of tweeners...Alonzo Mourning is making is presence felt for MIA with 11.6/8.2/4.13. I think the man is a jackass, but he can still play...Antawn Jamison is finally playing superstar ball as the post player for WASH. Averaging 20.6/11.3, he is the player that GSW traded for draft day '99...UTAH is injury riddled, but Mehmet Okur is singlehandledly keeping them in striking range. When UTAH gets healthy (AK47 is playing injured and Boozer has been sidelined since Feb.)watch out...Last and definitely FIRST, TIM DUNCAN continues to be the man. With 20.7/11.9/2.4 numbers, he remains the best overall postman in the game today...More from the low block next Friday.

I worked last night's SAC/GSW game (GSW won 113 - 106) one thing are obvious: SAC needs bench help and fast and Peja seems disinterested and lethargic. Concerning SAC, they have no one at the guard position who can help them off the bench. Latrell Sprewell would be a good fit here, if he is willing to backup Bonzi Wells. Spree had a solid relationship with Rick Adelman during Adelman's two year reign in OAK/San Jose. With the exception of PJ, Spree has has good relationships with all of his old coaches (and that includes Nelson and Popovich (ex GSW assistant). Say what you want about his personality, the guy can play and when he does, he plays hard. He is one of the few players who can play all 4 corners of the court. Spree to SAC would spark a dormant northern California rivalry - perhaps both GSW and SAC would make the playoffs during the same season for the first time since the Kings moved to California's capital 21 seasons ago. I hope it happens - this would be a great thing for the NBA, not to mention NBA junkies like me in northern California.

Back from Thankgiving hiatus and low and behold, the NJN managed to win 2 of 3 in an crazy road trip. After losing to GSW, SAC and PHX, they go into LAL, withstand Kobe's second 40+ performance of the season and move on to DEN, with arguably the toughest back-to-back in all the NBA (end of road trip in DEN - where teams never get to the hotel before 3:30am) and beat DEN by 9, leading wire to wire. Good for the NJN, who still need better "4" play to stay in the upper echelon of the east...if PHILA did not have Iverson, would they be competitive? Some say no, I say yes. Webber is playing well and the young guys are stepping up. Other than the last minute loss to NYK, they have played well and will only get better...Nate Robinson played AI very well Sat. night, hitting the game winner for the NYK infront of the MSG crowd. This kid is the real deal - Marbury better adapt or his minutes will decrease. ORL wins 4 in a row. I like this nucleus of Francis and Howard - will only get better with Hill...TOR is really dreadful - this franchise is in trouble, big trouble...BOS is the strangest team in the Association - no real identity at all, just a hodgepodge of talent...See you in the Western Conference tomorrow.

After working last night's SAN/GSW match, two things are evident: SAN is the best team in this league. GSW has a long way to go. Never a contest, Tony Parker was incredible. He drove to the hoop at will and was responsible for creating or making 27 SAN lay-ups on the evening. The Spurs are just so well coached, POP never lets his team get too up or too down and NEVER allows the home team to gain momentum. Any sense of a run and he calls a TO. And out of the TO, he runs a play that he knows will succeed. That is what great coaches do. POP, Brown, the Van Gundy's, Saunders - they are in a league of their own. As for GSW, Montgomery is improving his game strategy but I would like to see him handle substitutions and timeouts more effectively.

Welcome to the second edition of "Passing from the Low Post" This weeks storys - DAL and DAMP simply are not working. Avery denies wanting to bench him, knowing that will destory whatever confidence he has left. My solution - GET HIM THE BALL EARLY AND OFTEN!!! Do not let him lose focus (see November 16)!...what a better league this would be if all bigs worked together like DET Wallace brothers average 22.7pts (as third option (Rasheed) and no option (Ben - 10.7 points off OR and other sorts of dirty work) and 19.3RPG. All "4" and "5" should work like these two...Raf LaFrentz went off the other night, now he will take the next three months off. 7'0" 3pt shooters disgust me (including Dirk!)...Mihm has played well the last 4 LAL games, doubling minutes and points...Marcus Camby is playing great ball (15.4 PPG. 13.7RPB 3BPG), better than ever. But the over-rated KMART is playing poorly (even before his injury Wed. night), NENE is done for the year and frankly, this team is not as good as the hype. Hope the MUK kicks their butt tonight...Speaking of the NYK, only 2 2nd post-up buckets v GSW in the second half on 11.9 Unacceptable...Elton Brand (23.3 PPG 9.5 RPG and 2.3 BPG) is playing out of his mind...Dwight Howard is making is presence felt in ORL (16.4 PPG 11.7RPG and less than 1.5 turnovers/game), but he needs help in the middle (clock on Cleveland "Z" tonight was amazing. Cato and Battie need to pick it up 3 notches...Danny Fortson played four minutes Wed. night. With nine years in the Association, you would think he would have learned to play.Andrew Bogut is averaging 8 PPG and 8.7 RPG, but makes his presence felt defensively. So does Adonal Foyle, who incidentally hit the game winner v NYK...More from the low block next Friday.

Kobe certainly has a flair for the dramatic. He torched the NYK last night for 42, is averaging 31.4 PPG, but the LAL is not playing team ball. Odom needs to get more aggressive...LAC trio of Cassell, Brand and Maggette has been sensational. LAC is for real. Think what you want about SAM I AM, but he has great game and when he is motivated (contract year), he is super. 13 years in the NBA, 11 playoff appears. Only Robert Horry has him beat (13 of 13; never a first round loss)... what a difference a year makes in SEA. The Sonics are awful and going backwards in 5th gear...SAC is not playing to their potential. They play a little defense (well, their D always stinks) and the big men have not played well. They will get better...When I think about MINN, I stand up and yawn. No matter how great KG is, without Cassell and Sprewell, this team is boring...By the way, has anybody seen Spree? Bad guys get their comeuppance. I think he may have just gotten his...SAN is so deep, it is ridiculous; cannot wait to work the game next Wed. at GSW...BYW - Tony Parker has been great!Now that McGrady is back, I expect HOU to start racking up some Ws. However, I am not sold on this roster and expect more changes at PF (bulk and toughness desired).Nice roadie for MEM in PHX last night. Need to keep giving Mike Miller minutes. He creates offensive mismatches and moves well without the ball...See you tomorrow with my big man report.

Two weeks into the NBA season and DET has not lost; ATL and TOR have not won. I worry about TOR, then may need a Vince-type player back in order to draw interest. Could be a franchise in deep, deep trouble... No SHAQ sightings since opening night - no wonder why KOBE bitched about him constantly. Say what you want about KOBE, he was right on target concerning SHAQ...SAN and INDY are as strong as anticipated...NYK could easily be 4 - 3 instead of 5 - 2, but the young bigs need to be more consistent...NJN cannot win with Uncle Cliff logging 25 minutes at the PF. I like Cliff, but he cannot physically bang with the big guys any longer...Gilbert Arenas is a superstar, an erratic one, but a superstar. He needed to turn it up last night v. CLEVE, but 4 - 17 = erratic to me...UTAH is already banged up. Last night, no AK47 (I love this guy, Giricek, Harpring, Boozer and others, Jerry does not deserve this...Dampier plays 11 minutes and goes scoreless. I am telling you right now, get him the ball early and often. He loses interest quickly (possible symptons of ADD). Damp is a smart guy, don't get me wrong, but he gets the glazed look in his eyes and he is done for the night...SAC is more up than down; needs to be the other way around. Is Bibby a walking DaVinci portrait? He was a good player, but I think his game has taken a step back...PHILA loses first three, then wins 5 straight. Iverson and Webber went off v. TOR last night. Who said Webber is done? I didn't...Speaking of TOR, why is the Association moving back to home and home series. PHIL travels to TOR tonight and more teams have H/H in the future. Not the way to create rivalries...Back tomorrow with a check from the West.

November 11 Passing from the Low Post

Each Friday, I will bring to you my new column, appropriately named "Passing from the Low Post", which provides items about the BIG MEN play in the Association. Hope you enjoy

GSW starts the year 3 - 2 with very little back to the basket contribution from Foyle, Murphy, Dunleavy and the rookie Taft. To me, looks like the same thing all over again...NYK has several solid bigs in Curry, Davis, Taylor, Lee and Frye. Prince Thomas overpaid for James, but if the young bigs develop, no one will care...Elton Brand is playing out of his mind with LAC; a true star is rising for all to see...Yes, PHX misses Amare...The bigs are still in training camp with SAC...LAL, a home for HOF centers, only plays Mihm 10 - 15 MPG...ZAZA is the lone bright spot with the ATL. A couple of double-doubles already... I like NJN's Krstic, young guy is fearless and has game...Haslem has played very well in the absence of SHAQ; he rips boards and has a nice 15ft...The bigs with SEA must have taken another plane during this roadtrip...more from the Low Post next week.

Good to be back home from my travels. Had the chance to work a game (radio stats for KNBR radio (GSW Flagship) this past Sunday. The native NYer in me, this was a HUGE thrill. The Garden is the basketball mecca. Nothing else is even close. Watching a game at the Garden is an electrifying experience. Sitting mid-court is even better! What a thrill! My hobby never gets old. GSW won by 2pts, but the NYK have a plethora of young talented players on the squad. Frye, Curry and Lee can all play and the smurf, Nate Robinson is fearless. Even Marbury looks more like a team player. Unfortunately for the NYK, GSW just has too much for them. B. Davis was stud-like! JRICH played his usual steady game and they got their first roadie! The outcome of the game notwithstanding, being around the old MSG legends like Clyde Frazier, John Andriese (sp), The Pearl is always a thrill. I wish every arena in the USA was like the Garden.

November 3

New format will be forthcoming for this blog. I will be traveling through the 9th, but will update this page daily during the NBA season. Please check back on the 10th for the first of the daily installments - Allan

I am stoked! The new NBA season has started. SAN and LAL beat DEN (I do not like the DEN and yes, they are overrated - thank goodness they are well coached). GSW won easily over ATL. NYK lost in OT to BOS (I am just happy they got to OT, but how can a team lose by 14 pts in an OT game? It is an NBA record!), SAN is the team to beat (Michael Finley in the 4th). Nene is out for the year (that is terrible - I feel for the guy; wish he was still a NYK). And Spree is still sitting home, collecting unemployment so he can feed his family

I have a huge thrill coming my way Sunday. While back in NY, I will be at MSG, sitting on the floor, running the stats for the GSW v. NYK. I have been to the Garden for probably 100 basketball games, but never on the floor and never with the GSW. More on this experience when I return. Have a great week; get ready for the new format on the 10th.

October 26

We are one week from Opening Night in the Association and honestly, it has been a boring preseason. Glad to see the real games begin. One thing I always like to follow is who is left on the outside looking in and who makes the squad as a "bench" or "practice" player. Everyone in the NBA has game, but what some guys lack in talent, they make up in heart, desire and team play. This year, Latrell Sprewell, who still has hops left in his game, is home wondering why he cannot get a job while others like Calbert Cheaney, Ervin Johnson and Jon Barry are still on NBA rosters. Basically some players are just good soldiers who come to work every day, do not complain, practice hard and find ways to make contributions. Felton Spencer and Jud Buechler are players who spend lots of time on the pine, but even more time in the league, doing what they could to make their teams better. There are plenty of Sprewells who are out of work and cannot "feed their families" but a few guys who log time and help their clubs the best they can. These guys are good role models and will make contributions throughout the season. Check in next week and I will identify the Association's "good soldiers".

For real basketball fans, today is a bittersweet day. Allan Houston of the NYK officially retired today because of a degenerative condition in his knee. Houston had played sparingly over the last two years, coming to camp this fall to give it one last try for Larry Brown. Unfortunately, Houston was never embraced by the NYK faithful, many of whom blamed him for the recent ills of the team. His overall production never did meet the expectations of his hefty contract, but I will never forget his performance in Game 6 of the '99 playoffs v. IND. IND was clearly the team with more talent and all appeared lost when Larry Johnson went down with a badly sprained knee. However Houston took over for the NYK, hitting his patented 15 ft jumper and driving to the rim aganist the rugged IND defensive. After single-handedly putting NYK killer Reggie Miller in foul trouble, the NYK came from behind to beat IND and clinch a berth in the NBA Championship Round v. SAN. Although the NYK lost in 5 games, I will always remember Houston for his team play, his pretty jumper and his understated guts. He brought it every night and made many big shots for the NYK. Allan, thanks for the memories!

From the school for the brain dead, this comes from Marcus Camby of the DEN (aka Sprewell's best friend) concerning David Stern's plans to implement a league-wide dress code "I do not see it happenin' unless every NBA player is given a stipend to buy clothes." Perhaps the thin wet air of the Rockies has adversely affected Camby's ability to think.

Amare Stoudamire goes down for four months after microfracture surgery! Devastating blow to PHX! Drops them to a bubble team in the West. With Nash and Marion the only returning starters, this team is no longer built to run everyone else out of the gym. Replacing Amare is impossible for PHX. Too bad, he is an absolute superstar player and a good guy! Teams like LAC, LAL and GSW need to take advantage of the changing of the guard and win games early.

Concerning training camps, all the hype surrounds the talented, but combustible MIA; LAL Kobe and Phil; NYK and Eddy Curry's Heart and the loaded SAN. But how about a team that many have written off, but I think are still very dangerous and certainly much improved. SAC has successful replaced Doug Christie/Cuttino Mobley with Bonzi Wells and a broken down Chris Webber with Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Wells can flat out shoot and provides toughness that this team has lacked for a couple of seasons. Shareef is a strong inside-out player who is tougher than most people think. I love his offensive game (19.8ppg and 8.1rpg) and he is hungry for a playoff run. The starting 5 of Miller (see my ALL-NBA TEAM), Shareff, Peja (he will rebound from a subpar season (injuries)) Bibby and Bonzi ranks among the top 3 in the Association. With Williamson, Skinner and Thomas providing front court shooting and rugged board play that complements the ball handling skills of the under-rated Jason Hart and NYC rookie Francisco Garcia, this team can contend for a top 4 slot in the West. And do not discount the coach. Adelman is not the most charismatic guy, but he gets the job done (with the exception of '96 - '97 tossaway GSW season in San Jose), he has been very successful. And Petrie knows what he is doing as Pres. and GM. SAC will be in the mix in April. You can take that to the vault!

The NBA's favorite family provider, Latrell Sprewell, was sighted hanging out at a street corner in Milwaukee, carrying a sign "Will Work for Pay". How the mighty have fallen! Sprewell was one of the few players who could play all four corners of the court; a tireless guard who spelled excitement every time he touched the ball. Now, after choking his coach (GSW), breaking his hand in a fight (NYK) and crying "entitlement" (MINN), he finds himself on the outside-looking-in. He is still a very talented, energetic and emotional performer who brings it every night, some nights not quite as good as others. No doubt he will play this year, but he will be lucky to get 25% of his asking price. He fits well in DAL (Christie is on bad wheels and the other "2s" are young and unproven. His old teammate is the coach (they had a good relationship in GSW '93 - '94). You never know...

The NBA is back! This is good news! No more summertime fluff, rumors and inneundo. The greatest pro sport starts training camps today. New season, new players, old players in new places. May the games begin!

Today, my beloved NYK fleeced rival CHIC with the Curry/Davis for T.Thomas/Sweetney deal. If Curry is healthy, this deal places the NYK back in the playoff chase. Davis is a L. Brown guy. Brown elevated his career to new levels 10 years ago in INDY. He knows what he is getting with Davis - a solid all around player who is athletic, tough and will serve as a mentor to both Curry, Lee and Frye. The NYK suddenly got tough in the paint. How ironic would it be if NYK replaced CHIC in the Eastern Conference playoffs? It could happen!

Comments? Questions? Drop me a line at nba@allan-brown.com or by AOL Instant Messenger "hoopsdujoursf".