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Three Suns games in four
posts?
Well, look
at this schedule. The Bobcats and Clippers are miserable watches, Milwaukee dresses four
players, the Hornets (assuming David West earns a rightful suspension for his
hit on Mike Miller) dress three, and this game seems like the only interesting
one in the lot.
And strangely, both squads are in about the same spot.
Trying for a lower-rung playoff seed, still trying to determine how, exactly,
they plan on getting there. Hoping for consistency from the younger sorts while
praying that the wheels don’t fall off their celebrated point guards.
The Suns played last night, which hurts. Philly lost Elton
Brand last week, which shouldn’t hurt, seeing as how they really never had much
of an Elton Brand to work with. The Suns are a half game up on the 9th
seed in the West, while the Sixers (somehow) are 2.5 games up on the 8th
seed in the East. Both like to run. Both have coaches that aren’t truly sure if
they enjoy all this running.
Beyond that, a slim night. Series 12 premiers
on BBC America tonight, so it
might be an occasion to flip.
Phoenix Suns:
28-21, 94.3 possessions per game (5th), 110.8 points scored per 100
possessions (6th), 109 points allowed per 100 possessions (18th).
Philadelphia 76ers:
25-24, 90.8 possessions per game (16th), 105.9 points scored per 100
possessions (24th), 105 points allowed per 100 possessions (6th).
It’s not as if this matters to fair-weather fans, or
national media, but to NBA followers, Al Jefferson’s torn
ACL is an excuse to spew about 17 dirty words toward your computer screen.
To Timberwolves fans, this means missing out on watching
their team’s best player for the rest of the season, a resurgent year for the
Timberwolves that saw Jefferson put up
All-Star numbers (23 points, 11 rebounds, 1.7 blocks per game) despite an
unfortunate All-Star snub.
No, the Wolves weren’t due for a spot in the
playoffs, but the team’s play had turned completely around since the dismissal
of Randy Wittman as Minnesota coach, with Jefferson acting as the team’s go-to stud in the post.
And for the rest of us, not only does this make the
Timberwolves borderline unwatchable, it delays the (hopefully) inevitable
realization that the rest of the world needs to catch up on: Al Jefferson, at
age 24, is already one of this league’s best players.
For those that had to sit through a week and a half of
complaints on behalf of Mo Williams for his supposed All-Star snubbery, not
hearing Jefferson’s name once in the midst of
the litany of complaints was galling enough. Jefferson was left off of the
West’s All-Star roster in favor of Shaquille O’Neal (17.7 points, nine
rebounds, 1.5 blocks) and/or David West (19.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, one block),
and yet nobody raised a hackle. Mainly because Al doesn’t get to start games
alongside LeBron James.
And then … this?
Not fun, not redeeming in any way, no silver lining (I don’t want to hear about
Kevin Love) at all. Yes, we know he’ll be fine for training camp, but you’ll
have to allow for some brooding until then. And also allow me to commence with
introducing the dour tone.
Jefferson’s a worker. He
came into the NBA out of shape and pretty clueless after having jumped straight
from a small high school (no Oak Hill Academy-types in his past), and quickly
overcame weight and ankle issues to become a 20-and-10 guy at 23 years old. Jefferson has never "taken it to the next level," he’s
just simply improved by considerable (if expected) leaps and bounds year by
year, only faltering slightly in his second season as his ankles failed him.
So I don’t worry about the rehab. If the ACL is the only thing that’s torn, Jefferson should be just fine by next fall’s training
camp. And then he’ll work his way into shape, and then by this time next year
he’ll be back at the speed he was at about 18 hours ago.
And then we start the entire process, all over again.
Targeted "getting it" date for the rest of the world? 2012, or so. Bummer.
A look around the league and the web that covers it. It’s also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren’t always listed in order of importance. That’s for you, dear reader, to figure out.
C: BallerHouse.com. Parker just listed his 5,500 square ft. "bachelor pad" for $896K. Nice court, Nike.
PF: The Puns Are Starting To Bore Me. What do cookies and drafting have in common? Read on.
SF: D.C. Sports Bog. Wizards’ rookie JaVale McGee’s shoes are headed to the Basketball Hall-of-Fame.
SG: Mikester8821/YouTube. Michael Jordan vs. the Pistons’ hardnosed defense (a.k.a. The Jordan Rules).
PG: Celtics Hub. A search through Pierce’s 63 playoff games to find his five best "clutch" performances.
6th: Peachtree Hoops. Did Mike Woodson just say he wore down Joe Johnson to get him into the ASG?
7th: SMW. Charles Barkley is set to return to TNT’s NBA studio coverage "soon after" the All-Star break.
8th: Rufus On Fire, via TSB. Even ‘Cats team owner Bob Johnson enjoys a good "Sean May is fat" joke.
9th: NBA.com. New No. 1 and 2 in Peterson’s latest MVP rankings: Lamar Odom and Matt Bonner.
10th: www.lowposts.com. "Worst. All-Stars. Ever." /Comic Book Guy
Look, I love a good dunk just as much as the next NBA fanatic. And a game-winner at the buzzer … that’s a gimme. But truth be told, nothing — and I mean nothing — gets me as fired up as watching some guard zip a 40-to-50 foot bounce pass to a fast-breaking teammate.
Think Ronnie Price to C.J. Miles. Think Isiah Thomas to Jordan in the ‘89 All-Star Game.
It looks incredible. What a play.
Oh Vinny, when will you ever learn? Screaming only works in predictable court dramas and Alexisonfire songs.