Empty the Bench

Washington Wizards rookie JaVale McGee is fastly becoming a fan favorite in our nation’s capital, and for good reason. The 18th-overall pick in this summer’s draft is a freak of nature, and with each game his legend is growing in the blogosphere. We gave him a very brief mention in this Bloggers Southwest Previews post, saying, “Keep an eye on JaVele McGee as well, the kid was impressive in preseason play.” That was after watching him drop 20 points, 8 boards and 3 blocks on the Grizz. It wasn’t just that though, the guy seemed to be everywhere, finishing a game-high +15 in the +/- column. Yeah, it was preseason – but the potential and physical skills were undeniable.

For those of you who have kept an eye on him, you haven’t been disappointed. The guys at Mr. Irrelvant are speculating McGee can dunk on a 12-foot rim (McGee’s standing reach is 9′6.5″ and vertical is 32.5″), the Wizards are installing new camera technology just to keep up with him, he’s making highlight reels, Chris Paul is putting McGee in Dwight Howard’s class and even Superman himself has been impressed. Yeah, people are taking notice.

If Andray Blatche continues to play uninspired, lazy basketball it shouldn’t be long before JaVale’s stealing most of his minutes. After that, look out Etan Thomas, McGee could be starting by Christmas.

But let’s let JaVale’s ups speak for themselves…

(Hat tip on the video to Mr. Irrelevant)

- At the Hive – Week 2 of the Blogger Power Rankings is up (and it’s super snazzy-lookin’).
- Waiting for Next Year – The Cavaliers’ plus/minus leader thus far is… Wally Szczerbiak?!
- Knicks.com – Walt Frazier volunteers to make prank phone calls on your behalf.
- Wizards Insider – Remember when Gilbert was best known for his b-ball talents? Anyone?
- Both Teams Played Hard – 31 past and present NBA players in this blog carnival.
- Inside Hoops – Kevin Love sings! Randy Wittman cracks jokes! Woo. Hoo.
- The Love Blog – Speaking of Love, he has a NBA.com blog. Mmhmm, he’s a big boy now.
- Pickaxe and Roll – Give it up for the Denver Nuggets defense. That’s right, their defense.
- Half-Blog Half-Amazing – The dawn of a new day at MSG (and Donnie Walsh is a zombie).
- Hoops Addict – If you don’t feel totally silly talking about Adidas’ “brotherhood”…
- Wedding Style – Antonio McDyess looks dapper–no, just plain sexy–in wedding white.
- Fast Break – The state of the Golden State Warriors franchise is (apparently) strong.
- Pro Basketball News – An in-depth look at how well a few high-flyers shot/shoot FTs.

The Detroit Pistons haven’t exactly been forming like Voltron since welcoming Allen Iverson to the Motor City.

Riding the feel-good vibes of a convincing 4-0 start, a streak in which two of those wins came without Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, or Iverson in the lineup, the Pistons have since seen the wheels loosened in a somewhat humiliating loss to the lowly New Jersey Nets, then fall off altogether Sunday night in what was definitely a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Boston Celtics.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this, right Pistons fans?

The Pistons were supposed to walk all over the Nets in their tune-up for Sunday’s debut of A.I. in front of his new hometown fans. Instead, after staking an early 14-point lead and looking to go into cruise-control mode early in the second quarter, they walked out 103-96 losers to a team led by that depressing loser Vince Carter.

The Pistons were then supposed to summon the depths of hell to reign revenge–bloody, merciless revenge–on the Boston Celtics, the defending NBA champ-eens and the squad that severely humbled them in last year’s ECF. Instead, the game was over before it had barely begun, with the Celtics staking an insurmountable 18 point lead at the half on the back of a 30-10 rout in the second quarter. They did it with defense (Rip Hamiton, Rasheed Wallace, and Iverson combined 8-36 FG) and they did it with outstanding bench play (43 points in all, including 23 from a rejuvenated Tony Allen).

Iverson’s standing ovation as he was introduced in Detroit’s starting lineup for the very first time quickly gave way to frustrated boos as the team slunk back into the locker room at halftime. What was supposed to be an early-season clash between the two teams pegged as the best in the East was in reality a sobering reminder that The Allen Iverson Project is still very much a work in progress.

And that’s okay. Really.

I said last week that growing pains should be expected, and that immediate results should not be. This doesn’t surprise me, and it shouldn’t surprise you.

Even the most neophyte of NBA fans knows that Iverson and the man he’s replaced, Mr. Chauncey Billups, are drastically different players. We’re talking 180 degrees. And one of the big reasons why Joe Dumars pulled the trigger on this deal is his perception that this group had become too complacent and familiar with each other; cutting off the head of that beast was bound to have some repercussions.

The Nets loss, while a little tough to swallow, is a throwaway game for a variety of reasons (not the least of which was god-awful officiating–Devin Harris shooting 24 free-throws my ass).

The Celtics loss… that’s a fine basketball team right there, one that’s completely comfortable with itself and was no doubt relishing the opportunity to piss all over the Pistons’ parade. There’s no shame in losing to Boston at this stage in the season, especially given the drastic transformation asunder on this Detroit roster. Getting blown out like that is pretty embarassing, but something tells me we’ll see a different story unfold next week when these two teams meet again in Boston.

Now’s not the time for knee-jerk reactions to Iverson’s stint with Detroit; indeed, the merits of this move cannot be fully evaluated until next June. Best to just sit back and enjoy what’s going to be a wild ride in Motown.

Related Reading:
- Joe Dumars Pulls an Allen Iverson (and Maybe More) Out of His Magic Hat
- Allen Iverson Traded to Pistons for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess
- Reading is Great! More Reaction to the Iverson-for-Billups Blockbuster Trade

Allen Iverson Photo Credit: Icon SMI

Over the last few days we’ve seen an outpouring of positive reaction to Barack Obama’s victory on Tuesday. The response has been especially strong in the NBA, a profession comprised of more visible African-American men than most. Of course, the election should have had nothing to do with race, but the victory certainly does. It’s an important and historic moment for African-American men, like JFK’s victory was an important moment for Catholics. When a previously marginalized demographic achieves a new level of political achievement and representation, it’s always a proud American moment.

I’m not an especially political man, and this is not a political blog, but tracking NBA personalities is certainly within ETB’s domain. Here’s what two of the classier guys in the NBA, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, had to say about the election this week:

(Hat tip to AOL Fanhouse)

It’s games like Thursday’s late-night, overtime thriller between the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets that remind you why the NBA is so special. And it’s singular moments like Brandon Roy’s improbable buzzer-beating three-pointer from the back of the Rose Garden parking lot that are further proof that the league’s modern-day renaissance is still gaining steam.

In case you haven’t noticed, folks, we’re watching and experiencing another Golden Age in the NBA. And the best thing is that it’s only just begun.

Roy, Portland’s cool, confident leader was firmly planted in the middle of this breathtaking game’s final moments on both ends of the floor. He went from hero to dog and back to hero again in less than 15 seconds, in the end bringing Blazers fans to their feet in triumph by calmly swishing a triple-try hoisted with under 0.8 seconds left on the clock. His team was down by 1 point, two Rockets defenders were flailing in his direction, arms outstretched, and surely thinking they’d just stolen the first of five West Coast road games.

Just moments earlier, with the game tied and both teams staring down a second overtime period, Roy had crossed-over the great defender Ron Artest and sunk a soft jumper on the wing with the game clock ticking down towards zero. He was shooting less than 40% on the game, had made some uncharacteristic turnovers, and was being guarded by one of the NBA’s very best man-defenders over the last decade. No matter: count the bucket.

But just as quickly as a Blazers victory seemed imminent, the same could be said for the Rockets. Except even more so.

With 6-2 Rafer Alston inbounding with 6-8 Nicolas Batum and his long wingspan in his face, Alston found Yao Ming on the blocks with time of the essence. Like Roy, Yao had struggled all night from the field, going just 3-12 and pulling down only 6 rebounds. No matter–he caught the ball, turned on Joel Przybilla, and hit it… and one after a silly help-defender foul committed by, you got it, Brandon Roy. Yao hit the freebie, and again, the game seemed over and done with.

Of course, that only set the stage for Roy’s heroics from three-point land, a 30-foot prayer as time expired that set off a huge celebration on the court and in the stands. This Blazers team came into the season with very high expectations, and though I think they’re going to disappoint a lot of the prognosticators who have all but guaranteed a playoff berth for Portland, it was a real nice early-season moment for the NBA’s second-youngest team.

And in the bigger picture, it was yet another nice moment in this new Golden Age of the NBA.

Brandon Roy Photo Credit: Icon SMI

There’s only four short weeks remaining until the fantasy football playoffs roll around, and at this point I’m just about ready to throw in the towel, wave the white flag, QUIT.

Like every other fantasy owner out there, I was wildly optimistic heading in. Both of my teams started strong, and my respective rosters were looking stacked and oh-so-very-cleverly assembled. Nothing could stop me. Nothing. Not injuries, not a string of bad performances from my top draft picks. Nothing.

Well, nothing happened. Literally.

In ETB’s league I’ve now lost three matches in a row to fall to 4-5, which is technically good for 5th place. In reality, however, I’m tied with four other teams, 5th place – 9th place. And over at The Ghosts of Wayne Fontes’ Blogger Invitation #2, I haven’t won in a month and have dropped all the way to (sigh) 6th place out of eight teams. (Sigh) Oh, my teams are scoring points–I’m third overall in total points in ETB and fourth in Wayne Fontes–but that’s sort of like winning the popular vote but losing the electoral. A hollow, meaningless number.

Hey, shit happens and I don’t expect any condolences. Fantasy football can be more brutal than a bad streak at the roulette table. It’s unforgiving, inconsistent, and in many ways a total crapshoot–just like real football. I’ll press on this week and see if I can make a late-season surge, but my expectations are low.

Of course, that doesn’t de-legitimize these here ranks. No sir. My roster problems are of my own making and have nothing to do with the everlasting power of ETB’s magical fantasy football crystal ball. And with that, a reminder to plan accordingly for tonight’s matchup between the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns.

Fantasy Week 10 – Top 20 Quarterbacks

1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints @ ATL
2. Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals vs. SF
3. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers vs. KC
4. Brett Favre, New York Jets vs. STL
5. Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos @ CLE
6. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers @ MIN
7. Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles vs. NYG
8. David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars @ DET
9. Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panthers @ OAK
10. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts @ PIT
11. Eli Manning, New York Giants @ PHI
12. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons vs. NO
13. Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphins vs. SEA
14. Kyle Orton, Chicago Bears vs. TEN (Check Status)
15. Matt Cassel, New England Patriots vs. BUF
16. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. IND (Check Status)
17. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens @ HOU
18. Brady Quinn, Cleveland Browns vs. DEN
19. Trent Edwards, Buffalo Bills @ NE
20. Gus Frerotte, Minnesota Vikings vs. GB

Rest of the Week 10 fantasy football ranks after the break…

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- Empty the Bench – Added a few photos from the NBA Opening Day Event in NYC.
- Ben’s Phoenix Suns Blog – Amare Stoudemire went absolutely apeshit on the Pacers…
- Yahoo! – … while Tony Parker topped Amare’s 51 with 55 points against the T’Wolves.
- Raptor Blog – Don’t feel too bad about last night’s loss to the Pistons, Raptors fans.
- 3 Shades of Blue – Stat predictions for the Grizzlies; it’s not looking good for Darko (again).
- Hoops Addict – JaVale McGee, aiming to be better than Dwight Howard.
- Blog Maverick – Mark Cuban is proud to be an American.
- The Hoop Doctors – You just know Obama would love to school GWB on the hardwood.
- NBA Rumors – Steve Nash invoking David Brent for his latest Vitamin Water ad.
- Celtics Blog – Antonio McDyess may get a phone call from the Boston Celtics.
- Talking Points – This Monta Ellis situation in Oaktown could get really messy.
- National Post – The Raps may need to pull out all the stops to keep Bosh in Toronto.
- Real GM – The case for giving Eddy Curry a fresh start and another chance.
- The Detroit News – LeBron to Detroit in 2010? At least one writer thinks that’s hogwash.

The Five Worst Teams in the Western Conference:
5) The Memphis Grizzlies
4) The Minnesota Timberwolves
3) The Sacramento Kings
2) The Oklahoma City Thunder
1) The Los Angeles Clippers

What a glorious time of year. The holidays are just around the corner, basketball is in full swing, and hopes are high in NBA cities across the country. Well, some NBA cities. Not these. At a time of year when power rankings are ubiquitous and everyone is debating which teams are the best in the league, ETB takes a few days to check in with the five worst teams in the Western and Eastern Conference.

Today, the fifth-worst team in the West…

The Memphis Grizzlies

2007-08 Record: 22-60, 14th in the West
2008-09 Salary: $44,706,020

The Good:

By far the brightest ray of hope in Memphis is 22-year-old Rudy Gay. Coming into just his third NBA season the forward out of Connecticut looks like the real deal. Gay has as much natural talent as any player in the league and at 6-9 he shows fantastic versatility on both end of the hardwood. He can run the floor, get up to challenge shots and score in every possible way. There’s no question he has the tools to be a legitimate superstar. Gay’s offense, defense and maturity have shown consistent improvement and he could be an All Star as soon as this season.

The Grizz also feature a trio of talented young guards in Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry and O.J. Mayo. Mayo is by far the most promising, and the rookie oozed star potential in the preseason. It will take the 21-year-old a year or two to adjust to the league, but it’s not hard to imagine Mayo and Gay developing into a high-octane pairing. Mike Conley is also projected to be a strong starter in the league with a high basketball IQ and an intense demeanor. The third guard, Kyle Lowry, has the look of a solid backup point guard – quick and aggressive with good hands and solid defense.

Up front Darrell Arthur and Marc Gasol have been surprisingly productive big men in the early going. Gasol is a legitimate seven-footer who prides himself on his defense and seems capable of averaging a double-double at this level. How many young bigs are even capable of the 26 and 17 line he dropped on the Warriors the other day? At power forward Arthur has rebounded well while playing with toughness and energy around the basket, though his offensive skills are limited.

The bad and the ugly in Memphis after the jump…

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(Author Note: I know you’ve probably already read 100 editorials, analyses, and musings about the Iverson-for-Billups trade. But I’d be most grateful if you read just one more (this one). I’m finally back online after getting all set up here in Bangkok, and have only now had the time to weigh in. Thanks for reading.)

In Joe We Trust.

Make it the Detroit Pistons’ official tagline, embroider it on Pistons’ memorabilia, inscribe it on the hardwood at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Joe Dumars has once again thrown his franchise for a loop, and this time his latest gambit threatens not to only push his team back over the hump and into the NBA Finals, but to dramatically alter the very fabric of this league in seasons to come.

You’ve likely already heard rumblings about what I’m referring to. Nobody truly knows what’s in the back of Joe Dumars’ mind right now, but it’s none too difficult to put a few pieces together: Iverson and Wallace both come off the books next summer, giving the Pistons over $35.6 million in cap relief. They just re-upped All-Star SG Rip Hamilton for another three seasons. They have a potential future All-Star in Stuckey, one of the league’s most respected defenders in Tayshaun Prince, and a slew of big men. They’ve gone to six straight Conference Finals—clearly, Dumars has a proven track record of dedicating himself to building a winning franchise.

NBA superstars like big contracts, big recognition, and big endorsement deals, but the truly great ones are also just as concerned with attaching NBA titles to their career resume. With all of those pieces in place as selling points to members of the Great Free Agent Class of 2010, one that includes the likes of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade, Dumars seems to be gearing himself up to cement his franchise as a perennial contender for even longer than it has been.

Who needs six straight conference finals appearances and one title when you can position yourself to compete for even more? And as our main man Adrian Wojnarowski points out, it appears the Pistons have a few things going their way already if they are serious about pursuing LeBron, too.

But juicy as the bigger picture of this blockbuster deal could potentially be painted, the more immediate implications for Detroit warrant significant pause too. And that’s what’s been on my mind foremost these past 24 hours between dodging tuk-tuks on Patchaburi Road and gawking at the competing beer gardens set up for the winter in front of Central World here in Bangkok.

Thoughts on Iverson in Detroit, Billups’ tenure with Detroit, and what the future holds for both after the jump…

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