Empty the Bench

The 2010 NBA Preview Extravaganza continues with a look at the East’s Southeast Division.

There’s one story and one story alone that bears watching in the Southeast: will this be the year that hyper-talented Charlotte Bobcats forward Tyrus Thomas finally puts it all together for all 82 games? Now 24 years old and entering his fifth NBA season, this will be Thomas’ first full season with Larry Brown’s ‘Cats, and despite signing a five-year, $40 million deal, it looks like he’ll start the year on the bench. Talent is not an issue, never has been: it’s what’s between his ears that’s held him back so far. I’m not ready to say it’s now or never for Thomas, but it’s getting damn close.

Oh, right… there’s also the matter of whether or not the Orlando Magic are still legitimate title contenders–we at least know for sure they’re still going to be a boring team—while the Washington Wizards look to the future with first-overall pick John Wall now running the show and young FCs Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee pegged for the most significant roles of their careers. Unfortunately, there’s also this Gilbert Arenas matter: the (washed-up?) knucklehead will collect a guaranteed $17.7 million this season, $19.2 million next, $20.8 in 12-13, and finally $22.3 in 13-14. Christ. Now 28 years old, Arenas has played in a combined 47 regular-season games over the past three seasons, and is already suffering from a sore ankle. The Atlanta Hawks have been on the cusp for a minute now… and from my view, their time to get over the hump is kind of sort of starting to slip away.

The Miami Heat made a few key offseason moves as well, but unfortunately one of them wasn’t getting rid of American Airlines’ public dress announcer and his grating “dos minutos!” call.

Bobcats: Rufus on Fire | Hoops Addict | SBN Recap

Hawks: Peachtree Hoops

Heat: Peninsula Is Mightier | SportsAgentBlog.com

Magic: Orlando Pinstriped Post | Magic Basketball | Orlando Magic Daily | Orlando Sports Central

Wizards: Bullets Forever | Sparty and Friends | Truth About It | SBN Recap

The 2010 NBA Preview Extravaganza continues with a look at the East’s Atlantic Division.

There’s something in the air here in New York City, and it’s not the foul stench of Eddy Curry’s $11.2 million paycheck (though that does stink). No, it’s something different, something I haven’t felt since I moved here almost 9 years ago: optimism. And why not? Though they struck out on LeBron (maybe for the better), all those seasons of tanking and clearing salary-cap space did land them Amare Stoudemire, who may not bring home a title but will definitely breathe some much-needed life into Madison Square Garden. David Lee, now in Golden State, might be the more fundamentally sound player, but Stoudemire is the marquee box-office attraction this franchise has been waiting for.

Honestly, though, we’re just as excited about the arrival of Anthony Randolph, who’s still just 21 years old and could eventually eclipse Stoudemire’s wow factor. He may still need more seasoning, but we’ve been high on this kid since he joined the league in ’08 as the 14th-overall pick by the Warriors, and can’t wait to see him on a nightly basis. That’s assuming, of course, that he isn’t involved in a deal that nets the Knicks Carmelo Anthony, a long-rumored showstopper that’s apparently still being discussed. Either way, for once we finally won’t only be interested in seeing the visiting team when we head to the Garden.

Oh, yeah, there’s also the Nets, 76ers, Raptors (who were somehow omitted from the above graphic, unlikely by mistake), and Celtics to discuss. Woo. Hoo.

Celtics: CelticsBlog | Celtics 24/7 | Celtics Central | Celtics Hub | CelticsLife | Gino’s Jungle | RedsArmy.com | SBNation Boston | SBN Recap

Knicks: Posting and Toasting | Bandwagon Knick | KnickerBlogger.Net | Straight Bangin’

Nets: NetsDaily | NetsAreScorching | Fanway | SBN Recap

Raptors: Raptors HQ | Hoops Addict | Hip Hoop Junkies | SBN Recap

Sixers: Liberty Ballers

Recaps: All Previews

The 2010 NBA Preview Extravaganza continues with a look at the West’s Pacific Division.

Last year, the Clippers Lakers made the City of Angels proud once again, making their third straight appearance in the NBA Finals and taking home the Larry O’Brien trophy for the second consecutive season. Meanwhile, the Suns nipped at their heels all season long, finishing just 3 games back in the regular-season standings, but now look to an Amare Stoudemire-less future. Good thing or bad thing? We’ll see.

The Kings scored the Rookie of the Year in Tyreke Evans, a bull who embraces the moment, performs at a high level under pressure, and has the look of a perennial All-Star. Nellie’s fun-and-lose Warriors bowed out with 26 wins, but added Stephen Curry, who lost out to Evans in ROY voting but has risen into the upper echelon of fantasy hoops and could be even better than Evans. Keith Smart takes over head-coaching duties this year. And, finally, the Clippers were the Clippers, though looking on the bright side their .353 winning percentage was their best since 2006-07. Progress!

Clippers: Clips Nation | SBNation Recap

Kings: Sactown Royalty | Cowbell Kingdom | SBNation Recap

Lakers: Silver Screen and Roll | Forum Blue & Gold | NBAtipoff | SBNation Recap

Suns: Bright Side Of The Sun | SB Nation Arizona | ValleyoftheSuns | SBNation Recap

Warriors: Golden State of Mind | SBNation Recap

Recaps: All Previews

The 2010-11 NBA season kind of snuck up on you, eh? Well, the World Series sounds drab and the TV Commercial Extravaganza known as NFL broadcasts are already wearing thin on your nerves, so the timing couldn’t be better for the return of the greatest game on earth.

To get you acclimated and appraised of what to expect, every year for the past few years the good people over at Celtics Blog bring together the Web’s best NBA bloggers and writers to break down the NBA, team by team, division by division. Yours truly have traditionally previewed the Detroit Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves–two teams surely destined for great things this season–but we sat this one out. Lamed out. Dropped the ball. Whatever.

Fortunately, our peers have rose to the occasion. To kick off this year’s NBA Preview Extravaganza, we start with the East’s Central Division, where the former kings (Cavaliers, and before them Pistons) are staring down a unpredictable rebuilding year, the Bucks try to build on the positive momentum from last season, the Bulls look to seize the day and win the crown, and the Pacers hope to sign more white guys to the roster.

Bucks: Brew Hoop | NBAMate | SBNation Recap

Bulls: Blog-A-Bull | SBNation Recap

Cavs: Fear The Sword | WaitingForNextYear

Pacers: Indy Cornrows

Pistons: DetroitBadBoys | Detroit Basketball | Need4Sheed.com | SB Nation Detroit

Recaps: All Previews

By Brian Spencer

In the wacky world of David Kahn, Darko Milicic has morphed into an athletically inclined religious deity, an angel in a buzzcut sent to this earth to resuscitate the bumbling Minnesota Timberwolves franchise through miraculous feats of scoring, rebounding, and shot-blocking. In the infamous words of Kahn himself, Milicic is, literally, “like manna from heaven.”

Now safely secured in Minnesota for 4 years and $20 million, after The Kahn won a contentious bidding war with the night manager at Burger Buddy in Belgrade for the unrestricted free-agent’s services, Milicic will finally blossom into that filthy inside-outside threat we heard about and drooled about 7 years ago, when he was but a millionaire baby boy, a true rags-to-riches heartwarmer from the streets of Novi Sad in the former Yugoslavia.

With the ball, he’ll wheel and deal in the post with the grace of a ballerina and the skill of a blind electrician. He’ll nail spot-up jumpers from the top of the key, pop out behind the three-point line to keep unwitting (and totally overmatched) defenders honest, and in the post… oh, me oh my, here’s where The Darko will be truly feared. A seven-footer who plays like a ten-footer, with tree trunks as arms and a battle-hardened mentality developed in New York during his successful tenure with James Dolan’s battle-hardened Knicks.

Without the ball, he’ll roam the middle of the paint like a lion hunting maimed impala, intimidating, flexing, scowling, a mean motherfucker who takes shit from nobody: not Chris Wilcox, not Fabricio Oberto, not Brian Skinner. Nobody goddamnit. This is maximum fucking Darko in your fucking face; it won’t be safe for children under the age of 18 in the Target Center anymore, so leave the kids at home, all you season-ticket holders.

Darko is not the only Phoenix The Kahn has summoned from the ashes of sub-mediocrity, however, to lead His Holy Reclamation.

On a team overloaded with point guards (and one overseas point guard prospect, the nubile Ricky Rubio), The Kahn performed the only sensible act any capable GM would: he stirred the backcourt logjam by trading Ramon Sessions, the team’s prized free-agent signee last year, to the sadsack Cleveland Cavaliers for… point guard Sebastian Telfair and combo guard Delonte West (whom will be bought out, and will spend said buyout money on 25 new Beretta M9s and a small militia of armed monkeys to patrol the grounds of his house).

With Sessions gone, and last year’s lottery pick Jonny Flynn recovering from hip surgery and searching for his missing “H”, and Rubio set to hit puberty in Spain, The Kahn will hand the keys to the Timberwolves’ clunker over to blockbuster free-agent signee Luke Ridnour, who was taken 12 picks after Darko (14th overall) in the 2003 NBA Draft. Shrewdly and silently, while all the offseason accolades have been showered on the Heat for bringing in three lottery picks from that famous ’03 draft, The Kahn has acquired two lottery selections of his own. Eat the corn kernels from his shit, world, The Kahn has bamboozled the lot of you.

Speaking of the Heat, The Kahn played them like the obvious chumps they are in giving up shits and giggles for Michael Beasley, the second-overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft. The Kahn said everything you ever need to know about Beasley: “He’s a very young and immature kid who smoked too much marijuana and has told me that he’s not smoking anymore, and I told him that I would trust him as long as that was the case.” The Kahn was fined $50,000 by the league for his comments, but you can’t put a price on trust.

Joining Beasley on the frontlines will be fellow newcomer Nikola Pekovic, who may or may not also be immature and lie about not smoking pot. A second-round pick in ’08, Pekovic is a 6-11 machine who Kahn reportedly thinks could also develop into “manna from heaven.” ESPN enthusiastically summed up the Pekovic/Darko signings: “The Timberwolves spent $33 million to shore up their middle.”

These moves meant there was no more room for Al “Scapegoat” Jefferson, the centerpiece of the Kevin Garnett trade. He was kicked out of town for being relatively young, quite affordable, and very talented in exchange for two future first-round picks and Kosta Koufos, whom the club expects to bond with Darko nicely. The club realized that Jefferson, of course, is no Pekovic, a sentiment echoed by Zach Harper of A Wolf Among Wolves:

“Nikola is impressively efficient in scoring the ball in the post. The fact that his lowest field goal percentage is 57.4% should tell you a lot about his patience and ability to get off quality shots inside. There’s not a lot of wasted movement. For the last couple of years, we’ve been used to watching Al Jefferson pump fake eight times before awkwardly getting his shot off. It went in more than it rimmed out for a rebound opportunity but it wasn’t the most efficient way to get a good flow in your halfcourt offense. But with Pekovic, you’re going to get direct movement that gets the ball into the basket in the quickest and most proficient way we’ve seen with this franchise.”

There you have it: Pekovic is already better than Al Jefferson before he’s played in a single NBA game. It’s The Kahn’s world, and we’re just lucky to live in it laugh at it, right Chris Webber?

By Zachariah Blott

The World Cup kicked off Friday morning in host country South Africa, and with that the NBA Finals were completely forgotten by about 90% of the globe (including, ahem, your faithful editors at ETB). The Cup has and probably always will trump the NBA Finals in most parts of the world when it comes around every 4 years, so maybe it’s time the NBA’s players stopped swimming against the tide and joined in.

What if Team USA had access to a time machine and could start training the NBA’s future stars in the ways of the world’s most popular sport instead? Who would they target and for what positions? Lucky for you I pondered these questions and have some answers.

Here are your NBA members of the hypothetical 2010 World Cup champs (if Team USA soccer actually had a time machine, and, well, didn’t actually use it to help humanity):

Goalie: LeBron James

With his size, hops, and quick-twitch speed, LeBron would probably be the best goalie in the world. He’d pounce on any opponents who dribble their way into the middle, could block shots close to the goal that require lightning fast reflexes, and he’d easily snatch any crosses that were intended for headers anywhere in the box. His aggressive attitude would fit his massive frame well, controlling the penalty area to the point of intimidation.

Center Fullbacks: Ron Artest and Chris Andersen

Center fullbacks have to control the area in front of the goalie so that opponents never get an easy look to score. They need the physical and mental toughness to stand up to any world-class forward, and they need enough speed to cover up anything that slips by the fullbacks out on the wings or the midfielders. Not only that, they are usually two of the team’s taller players so that they can head looping crosses out of harm’s way. I’d say Artest and Andersen are just about the perfect combination of size, toughness, and attitude to ensure no one ever gets a clean look at the goal.

Left and Right Fullbacks: Monta Ellis and Russell Westbrook

You need fullbacks on the wing who are fast and annoying and all over anything that the opponents are trying to develop from the outside. They have to be relentless on defense and willing to push ahead quickly with the ball when the opportunity presents itself for a counter-attack. Ellis and Westbrook possess all the natural skills necessary, plus they’re both more than able to pester opponents into making bad decisions with the ball, or to turn poor passes into quick strikes the other way.

The rest of the NBA FIFA World Cup 2010 team after the break…

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By: Andrew Thell

Loyal Empty the Bench readers have grown accustomed to the work of regular NBA contributor Zach Blott over the last year. Zach signed on last season to cover the NBA with his unique perspective and has been delivering the goods on a consistent basis since. Readers have come to know Zach’s hallmarks: strong research, solid statistical analysis, a desire to look past the big name and easy storyline, an affinity for team play, rebounding and defense and … an undying distaste for Mr. Kobe Bean Bryant.

We’ve been proud to host Mr. Blott’s work over the last year as he’s tackled NBA-related issues from Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace’s insanity to the 2009 NBA Summer League to the very best and worst in NBA logos to the top NBA stories of the decade to the the NBA MVP race for perimeter players and post players to his controversial statistical analysis of LeBron James’ foul totals to his stellar Advanced Basketball Statistics 101.

We’ve grown quite fond of Zach’s strong contributions all over the site, as I’m sure all of you have, and so we are proud to announce that Mr. Blott has founded an NBA-specific website of his own. The new digs will be dedicated exclusively basketball news and the site goes by the name Hoops Karma. HK examines the why’s and how’s of the NBA and discusses observations of trends and happenings in-depth. Hoops Karma has already been mentioned on ESPN2′s SportsNation and given Mr. Blott’s skills and work ethic I have little doubt this is just the beginning for him. So bookmark Hoops Karma, add it to your RSS feed and follow HK on Twitter.

To get you started, some recent quality posts on Hoops Karma include:

- Lakers’ Fortunes Rest on Bynum’s Knee
- NJ’s Summer Decisions Will Make or Break the Next Five Years
- Don’t Forget About Shaq In This Free Agent Market
- Is Bad Luck a Thing of the Past In Washington?
- Hoops Summer Reading List

Check it out, you won’t regret it.

From both of us here at ETB, we wish you the best of luck Mr. Blott.

By Zachariah Blott

We all know how Kobe Bryant, Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, and Steve Nash have been performing during the playoffs, but oftentimes a club’s bench play can swing a few postseason games in directions the fans didn’t expect. Each team left standing sports at least one elite reserve capable of providing an offensive spark or some heady defense to keep things rolling.

Let’s break down the top bench player on each remaining squad and how they’ve helped their teams in the playoffs to this point.

Tony Allen, Boston Celtics, G/F

Allen is an explosive athlete who can pressure opposing defenses with his aggressive drives to the hoop or opposing offenses with his tenacity on or off the ball. Through 14 playoff games, he’s shooting 53% (37 for 69), chiefly by taking it to the hole to bank in lay-ups or for short jumpers. Or to make a statement. On top of that, he’s done a decent job getting to the line when he recognizes a mismatch against a slower defender. In the Second Round against Cleveland, Allen shot six free throws in the clinching Game Six, plus another six in the series’ turning point, Game Four. His attacking presence on offense allows the Celtics to keep their foot on the gas when necessary without having to rely on Rajon Rondo to do so for the entire game, similar to Kyle Lowry’s presence on Houston last year in the post-season.

On the defensive side, Allen’s speed and size (6-4, 215) allow the defensive-minded C’s some flexibility in their lineups and versatility in their matchups. He will guard point guards, shooting guards, or small forwards depending on which other green shirts are out there with him. His ball-hawking skills have resulted in 18 steals in the playoffs, second on Boston only to Rondo, the league’s steals leader, who has 30 (though it should be noted that Rondo has played 587 minutes to Allen’s 253).

Mickael Pietrus, Orlando Magic, G/F

Pietrus is the perfect reserve for Orlando: He shoots lots of threes at a high percentage and he can play defense. During the regular season, Pietrus connected on 38% of his triples for the league’s top long-range shooting squad, hitting 1.6 per. So far in the playoffs, he’s second on the team with 24 trifectas (just behind Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis’ 25) at a blistering 47%. Pietrus has rung up multiple threes in 8 of their 11 post-season games, but he’s only 3 for 10 against Boston through two. Besides shooting, he’s been smart with the ball, only turning it over six times in 232 minutes.

Orlando’s other calling card is defense, and the 6-6 athlete doesn’t disappoint there either. He has the length, quickness, and intelligence to stick whomever the Magic need him to guard. He’s recorded sevel steals and four blocks, which rank fifth and third on the team respectively.

Checking out the other top teams’ top reserves, after the jump …

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By Zachariah Blott

LeBron James may have played his last game as a Cavalier, and it was a stinker. A triple-double stinker. He had 27 points (but on 38% shooting), 10 assists (but also 9 turnovers), and 19 rebounds. Not much to complain about with the 19 rebounds, but did anyone else notice he went out of his way to make even the most routine defensive boards with no Celtics around look like superhero grabs? James leapt over teammates who have obviously been trained to let him get the 50-50 ricochets, then he’d turn and sprint to half-court like he was playing capture the flag.

And that in itself illustrates the issue that many people suddenly have with James: he appears to be a lot more show than substance at times. It’s not like there weren’t signs all along. He slept below posters of himself while in high school. He hijacked KG’s pre-game white powder ritual and made sure everyone was watching him and only him while opponents were huddling up – you know, being a team. His well-known goal is to be a billionaire athlete; I’ve never read a quote by James concerning how many rings he’d like. He kept everyone in suspense for an entire year about the Slam Dunk competition he eventually skipped. You can bet he’ll drag out this summer’s free agency process for as many headlines as he can get.

So it’s officially the end of Year Seven of the most recent Next Jordan timeline, and again the Cavaliers have very little to show for James’ efforts. He won an MVP award for his individual play, but again Cleveland is out of contention sooner than they should be. Here’s a quick recap of Cleveland’s past seven years:

2003-04: James’ rookie season was a great success. The Cavs improved from 17 wins to 35, and James won the Rookie of the Year award by averaging 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists per.

2004-05: James amps it up, putting up pers of 27, 7, and 7 as the Cavaliers improve to 42-40, losing a tie-breaker to the Nets for the final playoff spot in the East.

2005-06: With an ensemble cast that resembles Iverson’s Sixers in 2001, Cleveland finishes fourth in the East, losing to the top-seeded Pistons 4-3 in the second round. Down 2 games to 1 in that series, James has a not-so-hot remainder of the season, shooting 41% (40 for 97) and collecting 21 assists to 20 turnovers.

2006-07: King James finally arrives in the Finals with the help of conference-wide ineptitude. In possibly the worst showing ever by the Eastern Conference during their decade-long status as second-class NBA basketball, Cleveland is one of only two teams in the East to win 50 games (Cavs 50, Pistons 53). The 41-41 Wizards were the 6 seed, the West won the All-Star Game by a zillion and it wasn’t even that close, and the Spurs swept the Cavs in the Championships. In the final series, James shot 36% (32 for 90) and had at least 5 turnovers in each of the four games. James shot a measly 42% for the entire playoffs, including 28% from deep.

2007-08: James’ individual numbers in the regular-season continue to amaze (30-8-7), and the Cavs finish fourth in the East that is suddenly dominated by KG’s Celtics. After squeaking by the 43-39 Wizards in the first round, the Cavaliers put up a valiant fight against the eventual champs, going down 4-3 to Boston. James shoots a horrid 35% (55 for 155) for the series with several games that looked like his recent Game Five turd. James averaged 6 turnovers in their 4 losses.

2008-09: James wins his first MVP award as Cleveland surges to finish an NBA-best 66-16 with a really well-paid lineup that LeBron had some say in. The Cavs are surrounding him with talent he gives the OK to, and they sweep through to the Eastern Finals to face the third-seeded Magic. After James buries a dramatic Game Two triple at the buzzer to tie the series, he shoots 43% the rest of the way (43 for 101) as Orlando wins relatively easily in six.

2009-10: Again he’s the MVP, and again Cleveland sports the NBA’s top record with one of the highest paid squads. James wants Shaq. Done. James wants Antawn Jamison and gets him, even though it requires a trade-and-re-sign diss to 11-year company man Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The Cavs get by the 41-41 Bulls in the First Round and then face the aging, up-and-down Celtics. Cleveland loses in 6 (and was the lesser team in Game One) with James shooting 37% (25 for 68) and turning it over 24 times versus 29 assists in the four losses. After his much talked-about Game Five crapfest, James tells reporters that he spoils fans with his great play and feels bad for himself.

Speculating on LeBron James’ future, after the jump …

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By Zachariah Blott

For the second straight year, Celtics PG Rajon Rondo is following up a very good regular season with a tremendous postseason. The diminutive speedster went off on Cleveland Sunday night in Game Four of the second round, putting up a Oscar Robertson-esque 29 points, 18 rebounds, and 13 assists in a series-tying 97-87 win.

Although this single performance was historically noteworthy, his averages and individual lines during the entire playoffs are downright intimidating for a 6-1, 170-pound point guard. In five first round games against Miami, Rondo averaged 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists per. He also picked up 12 steals in the series, snagging at least 2 in every game.

Then it was onto the real challenge: Cleveland in the the second round. Through four games, he’s filling the stat sheet like an old lady with a bingo pen to the tune of 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 13 assists per. He has 5 steals against the league’s top team, and he’s shooting 52%.

Behind Rondo’s outstanding big-game step-up-manship, Boston has LeBron’s squad locked in a dogfight that’s now a best-of-three series.

If Rondo was putting up numbers like Chris Paul during the regular season, this would all look like superstar business as usual. That’s not the case, however. Rondo’s season was a respectable 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 10 assists per, which earned him his first All-Star Game appearance, but it certainly was no clear harbinger of what was to follow. Beyond the suddenly increased averages, he already has 1 triple-double in the playoffs after recording only 2 in his 81 regular-season contests.

Last year went the same way for Rondo. His regular season pers were 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. Once the playoffs hit, he was a do-it-all machine, averaging 17, 10, and 10. Again, he only recorded 2 triple-doubles before the playoffs, but he went for 3 in 14 post-season games. Even with a veteran squad filled with plenty of players more than capable of contributing in every which way, Rondo has shown a penchant for taking over when it really counts.

If there’s one thing every coach would give his left arm for, it’s players who are good enough to get you to the playoffs who then really step it up once you’re there. This type of player ends up with championships and with the tag of “winner” bestowed upon him by fans – guys like Bill Russell, whose career 15-22-4 became 16-25-5 in the post-season (because it was harder to get credited with assists back in the 60′s, Russell’s assist totals often lead his team during the post-season; Bill Walton wasn’t the only one) are known as winners. Then you look at someone like Wilt Chamberlain, and his averages of 30-23-4 on 54% shooting dipped to 23-24-4 on 52% once it really mattered. The one has 11 rings, the other has 2 and was labeled a “loser” for most of his career. Guess why.

Throw in the stellar defense Rondo has displayed early in his career (he was just named All-Defensive First Team), and Boston arguably has the best point guard in the NBA right now.

Let’s take a quick look at how he stacks up against the other top 1′s around the league.

Where Rondo ranks among the NBA’s point guards, after the jump …

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