Category: General NBA insight

General NBA insight

Josh Smith and Mike Woodson have issues

There were rumors in the past that Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith and coach Mike Woodson have a bit of a problem. Nothing crazy, but things flare up every now and then. That’s become clear recently, especially Friday in Charlotte.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Sekou Smith) reports:

And Hawks coach Mike Woodson benched starting power forward Josh Smith after halftime, the result of a heated disagreement between the two in the locker room during the break. Smith refused to comment after the game, and Woodson said it was a “coach’s decision” and that Smith’s status for tonight’s game against Detroit would be determined later. “That was coach’s call,” Hawks captain Joe Johnson said. “This is coach’s team. Whoever he wants to play plays, and if he doesn’t want you to play, you don’t play.” … “Josh played well in the first half,” Mo Evans said. “It didn’t have nothing to do with his basketball playing abilities. It’s the off-the-court, internal stuff that causes all the drama.”

Free throw shooting unchanged over the years

Over time, things tend to change.

For example, in my early years running InsideHoops.com I was usually only able to juggle two, maybe three supermodel girlsfriends at the same time.

But now, with more experience, I have a regular rotation of 28 supermodels competing for my free time.

As for reality, one thing that hasn’t changed is the ability of basketball players to successfully hit free throws. Which makes sense. But it’s still interesting to consider.

The New York Times (John Branch) reports:

Since the mid-1960s, college men’s players have made about 69 percent of free throws, the unguarded 15-foot, 1-point shot awarded after a foul. In 1965, the rate was 69 percent. This season, as teams scramble for bids to the N.C.A.A. tournament, it was 68.8. It has dropped as low as 67.1 but never topped 70. In the National Basketball Association, the average has been roughly 75 percent for more than 50 years. Players in college women’s basketball and the W.N.B.A. reached similar plateaus — about equal to the men — and stuck there. The general expectation in sports is that performance improves over time. Future athletes will surely be faster, throw farther, jump higher. But free-throw shooting represents a stubbornly peculiar athletic endeavor. As a group, players have not gotten better. Nor have they become worse.

This could continue forever.

Allen Iverson OK with bench role

The Detroit Pistons released the following statement from Allen Iverson following today’s practice.

“I’m disappointed that the soreness I’m feeling in my back is going to force me to miss two weeks of action.  After talking with the doctors at Georgetown yesterday they have told me that treatment and rest is the best course of action right now.  Hopefully my back with heal and I’ll be ready to go following this two-week period.

“My goal is to help this team win a championship and I’ve said that from the first day I arrived here in Detroit.  I’m going to do whatever it takes to help us achieve our goals as a team regardless if I’m starting or coming off the bench.”

Read fan discussion and share your own opinions in this forum topic.

Yao Ming angry at NBA refs

The Houston Chronicle (Jonathan Feigen) reports (via blog): “You know what, I had two offensive fouls tonight, three last night, two at the Minnesota game … and you can go on,” Yao Ming said. “Every time a defender player is on the ground, even if he just wants to sit down and have a rest, it’s my offensive foul. That’s unfair. “Why? If I’m on the defensive side and I’m in the same position, the foul is on us. They can’t call it two ways. When I try to post up and they have a head on my shoulder and lean on me and lean on my elbow and try to push me out and have the knee and have the two hands, and no call. I know I have 300 pounds. But the same way people push me, maybe it doesn’t affect much, but I have to really, really limit my strength to push back. “I guess I don’t need to worry about a flopper the next game. I don’t think Shaq is that type of player.”

The Raptors stink

The Toronto Star (Doug Smith) reports: The Raptors have not won more than three straight games this season and they’ve lost to such minnows as Oklahoma City and Memphis. They had an opportunity to make at least a mild statement in New York two weeks ago and they cowered. The friendly confines of the Air Canada Centre have been anything but – Toronto is 12-16 at home this season, hardly confidence-inducing. Still, optimism carries the day, not unexpectedly because the next time an NBA player says publicly his team has no chance might be the first. “I think if we play like that for 48 minutes we’ll win a lot of games in these last 20 games,” Jose Calderon said after Toronto’s latest loss, a 107-97 defeat administered in Houston on Tuesday.

Samuel Dalembert frustrated

Philadelphia 76ers center Samuel Dalembert is having a strange season. He’s rebounding well (8.7 rpg) and blocking shots nicely (1.8 bpg) in just 24.7 minutes per game. And shooting nicely at 49.5%.

But he’s scoring just 6.3 points per game, barely dishes any assists, and putting stats aside, he simply hasn’t been too special.

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Kate Fagan) reports:

During Saturday’s loss to New Orleans, Dalembert played only 12 minutes, 47 seconds, and the Sixers were easily outrebounded. Dalembert started the game with the assignment of guarding power forward David West. West scored 14 points in the first quarter, and Dalembert’s minutes were limited for the rest of the game. Was Dalembert frustrated watching his team be outrebounded? “You can see me,” he said. “I’m very frustrated on the bench. . . . It’s very upsetting, but I cannot go out there and sub myself in.”

With Elton Brand out, it’ll be interesting to see if Dalembert gets more consistent minutes sometime later in the season. But time is running out.

Best Shawn Kemp dunks

Former NBA star Shawn Kemp was a dunk machine on the Seattle Sonics.

Playing power forward, Kemp threw down nasty dunks on anyone who came even remotely close to him.

Nicknamed “Reign Man,” (not “Rain Man”), Kemp in his prime years (around 1992-2000) was good for around 18 or 19 points and 10 or 11 rebounds per game. And at least one highlight dunk each night.

Here is a video of the best Shawn Kemp dunks of all time:

Bill Laimbeer says Pistons are screwed

The Denver Post (Benjamin Hochman ) reports: “So, the Pistons are struggling, but do you think they’ll work out their problems come playoff time?” “No,” said Bill Laimbeer, as blunt as one of those elbows he threw in the 1980s as part of the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys. “Their team is structured incorrectly. (Allen Iverson) is not the best defending guard, and guards got to be defenders these days. He’s small. He’s got a big heart, he still can score, but come playoff time, it’s tough. It’s the Eastern Conference, grind it out, and it’s physical. It’s going to be a hard road.” … Iverson, 33, is averaging a career-low 18.0 points per game, but more than points, it’s the style of his game that hasn’t seemed to click here. At times, the Pistons have looked better without him.