NBA Commentaries Part 1B: Early Disappointments

7:31 pm: Zack Garrow
So in the first part of our NBA commentary, we commented mostly on the positive things we've seen from players and teams. In this episode, we'll be commenting on some negative aspects.
Do you have any players that you're very disappointed in?

7:33 pm: Cole Patty
I feel like Ersan Ilyasova has been the most missing. Some players have struggled with their shot like Ty Lawson and Danillo Gallinari (sorry Nuggets first two that came to mind), but it legitimately seems like Ilyasova has just flat out forgot how to play

7:35 pm: Zack Garrow
I can definitely agree with that, and my fantasy team has felt the effects of it. He stumbled out of the gate this year and couldn't rebound, couldn't shoot, and couldn't knock down any threes. I thought with his hot second half of the season he would be able to keep it up and bring it into this year.

7:37 pm: Cole Patty
The rebounding is the strangest part. The old basketball adage is in fact "you will always be able to rebound" has been sort of proven wrong. He is struggling with the shot, but how his rebounding percentage has gone from 17.6% to 11.6% is just strange.

 7:40 pm: Zack Garrow
His field goal percentage has gone from .492 to .374, which is just ice cold for a big man. He's had a few decent games recently, and I fully expect him to turn it around.
But can we just talk about how Andrew Bynum has really screwed up by getting injured while bowling?

7:42 pm: Cole Patty
I was a big fan of his game last season, I feel if he stops leaning on the threes too much he will play better. As for Bynum, I really liked him going into season. He has kind of just been the wild and wacky Bynum ever since.

7:45 pm: Zack Garrow
What's so disappointing for me when it comes to this Andrew Bynum fiasco, is that this was finally his chance to shine as the number one player that he has shown he deserves. He dominated Dwight Howard 1 on 1 last year on a few occasions and when healthy has shown that he is one of the most unstoppable forces in the NBA. But he threw it all away and has to hope a team will be willing to pay him max money for the next year.

7:47 pm: Cole Patty
I don't think anyone is going to give him a max contract, but I have seen worse money get thrown around the NBA. I think the Sixers will sign him again, I mean if they don't they just threw Iguodala away. As for disappointing big men Roy Hibbert has had a few good games, but really hasn't captured the Danny Granger-less spotlight or make him feel worth the money.

7:52 pm: Zack Garrow
Right, we've seen guys like Hibbert get max deals who haven't really deserved them. And great big men are always at a premium in the NBA. When you get one, you'd better hold on to him and make sure he gets paid or someone else is going to snatch him up. One person who's really had to pick up the slack for Granger has been Paul George. He's taken more shots, and his shooting percentages have gone down because of it.

7:58pm: Cole Patty
Hibbert is shooting 38% and is only averaging 9.7 points. He is finally playing like the defender a 7'2" player should be with 3.1 blocks, but there isn't the rebounding you want to see from his size. As for George, he has the best Defensive Rating for a wing player and his jump shot is starting to find the net more often in December (44%) and has had 22 and 34 point games already this month. It will be interesting to watch him going forward.

8:03pm: Zack Garrow
This is always an interesting topic because it always seems like everybody always has an opinion. What do you think is wrong with the Lakers? Is it a team chemistry thing? Is it a panic button thing (*cough* Jim Buss firing Mike Brown *cough*)?

8:06 pm: Cole Patty
Oh man, time to open Pandora's box? Well they are top ten in offensive AND defensive efficiency. Mike D'Antoni is a better fit of a coach than Mike Brown. Their starters haven't played a quarter together yet (I heard not too sure if a fact), and Gasol (the top talent player that benefits from Nash the most) is not too healthy and only played 6 quarters with Nash. They are showing they are pretty old, and at the same time they are going to be completely fine when the season ends.

8:13 pm: Zack Garrow
That's what I'm thinking too. I kind of think this is a Miami Heat in 2010-11 thing. It's a big change, and they aren't all ready for it. Kobe has done his part in reducing the absurd amount of shots he's taken. I think the team is at the best when they've got Nash back running the offense, playing good defense and letting the talent take over. How do you think they'll fare in the playoffs?

8:15 pm: Cole Patty
They feel like they are the kind of team that would stomp the worse playoff teams, but struggle when they run into the big boys in the West like the Thunder or Spurs. I want them to play the Grizzlies in the West Semifinals. I think we could learn a lot about either team if that match up happens.

8:19 pm: Zack Garrow
I feel the same way. Dwight needs to learn how to shoot free throws, or the Lakers need to find a way to win without him in the lineup for the fourth quarter. A team is only as good as its weakest link. If his free throw shooting is the link that is being tugged, they will be broken by a better team.

8:20 pm: Cole Patty
So who is your vote for biggest disappointing team that isn't the Lakers? There are some teams who didn't make the leap they could, or were looking to be top seeds and are running around .500.

8:24 pm: Zack Garrow
I'm gonna let you go first because I have a few I could talk about.

8:28 pm: Cole Patty
I definitely do too, but I am going to have to say the most has been the Nuggets. The Raptors were a team I really like heading into the season for an 8 seed and they have won a staggering 4 games so far. As for the Nuggets, this is a team that is 9-10 heading into tonight. They have one of the hardest schedules in league in not only competition level but travel. They are 24th in defense efficiency, which I guess is why they statically are struggling. They just sometimes doesn't look like they same team the night before, good or bad. I think they will turn it around because of cold shooting, but this isn't suppose to be a sub .500 or even .500 team.

8:36 pm: Zack Garrow
I expected you to say the Nuggets. I just think they're cold as a team. They'll get it going soon. Same with the Raptors. They've lost a lot of close games and I expect them to be competing for a spot in the playoffs. My team is going to be the Sacramento Kings. You're probably going to ask my why I think a team that's consistently a bottom feeder in the West is so disappointing. But just look at that roster. Cousins, Evans, Thomas, Thornton, with the new additions of Aaron Brooks and Thomas Robinson should be doing a lot better. There's just too much talent there. I just think this is sad case of a few players that have just become accustomed to losing. Something needs to change there to get them to win. I think it will have to come in the signing of an old veteran like Kevin Garnett that just knows how to win.

8:39 pm: Cole Patty
That roster is definitely talented. I think a coaching and management face lift could make that team a lot better, even if they kept this same roster for a while.

8:42 pm: Zack Garrow
What is next in this discussion?

8:43 pm: Cole Patty
Well I think it is time to talk rookies, and keeping with the negativity what rookie or rookies are you most disappointed with so far into the season?

8:46 pm: Zack Garrow
I've got one that I'm disappointed in production-wise, and one I'm disappointed in their team.

8:47 pm: Cole Patty
Very good to look at it this way, so who are your marked men?

8:48 pm: Zack Garrow
The first one is Jared Sullinger. He has not lived up to what the expectations were for him coming out of college. He's only averaging 5.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game with the celtics in 19 minutes. Not exactly what I wanted him to do with his NBA ready body. His jumper has looked bad so far in an area I expected him to improve on.

8:50 pm: Cole Patty
Sullinger was a guy that was labeled early on as a "steal" so that is a very good choice because he hasn't been grossly overproducing his 21st overall selection.

8:51 pm: Zack Garrow
I just expected better things from the man on a good team to step into. The second is Andre Drummond. The Pistons have been playing him much less than 20 minutes per game when his production suggests that he should be playing much more. His per 36 minute numbers have been consistently better than Dwight Howard's rookie per 36 which is crazy to think about.

Once labeled a "work in progress," Andre Drummond has been one of the best rookies right away

8:52 pm: Cole Patty
That is probably the stat of the day:
Dwight Howard's rookie production per 36 minutes is: 13.2 Pts, 11.1 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, and 1.8 Blk on 52% shooting with 2.2 turnovers. Meanwhile Andre Drummond's per 36 minutes production is: 13.0 Pts, 13.3 Reb, 0.9 Ast, 1.6 Stl, and 2.7 Blk on 56.7% shooting with 1.7 turnovers. Dwight went on to play 32.6 minutes, finish second for rookie of the year, and become the best Center in the league. Meanwhile Drummond is playing 17.6 minutes, and also Drummond has a 20.9 PER while Dwight's rookie year's PER was 17.2 for one final comparison.

9:00 pm: Zack Garrow
That's all very impressive stuff. What rookies have you had your condescending eyes on?

9:10 pm: Cole Patty
Well, you and anyone who knows how I talk sports know my affinity for young talent. I liked this rookie class going into the year also. So I am going to take the time to say the WHOLE rookie class has been a disappointing and here are some players who have helped contribute:
Anthony Davis: can't stay healthy
Bradley Beal: good shot selection, awful field goal percentage
Dion Waiters: awful shot selection, gets hot but sometimes too wildly inefficient
Thomas Robinson: Either the Kings REALLY want to play Jason Thompson more for no reason, or Robinson isn't who we thought he was
Harrison Barnes: reread Dion Waiters explanation
Terrance Ross: had to reread who the Raptors took, that guy
Austin Rivers: oh yea the other Hornets/Pelicans draft pick
Jeremy Lamb: hello D-League
Kendall Marshall: hello D-League even though Sebastian Telfair is getting minutes
Royce White: google search "Royce White twitter" that happened
Terrance Jones: This guy doesn't get minutes?
Evan Fournier: This guy gets minutes?
Jared Sullinger: Steal Who Wasn't a Steal Part 1
John Jenkins: you mean Kendall Marshall's D-League teammate (pro-tip: D-League games are full videos on YouTube if you are bored watch the Bakersfield Jam they start Marshall, Jenkins, Damion James, and former Wisconsin big man Brian Butch.)
Perry Jones III: Steal Who Wasn't a Steal Part 2 (Note: Also the Tulsa 66ers feature Perry Jones, Jeremy Lamb, and former first rounder Daniel Orton. They are also a pretty decent YouTube watch.

9:16 pm: Zack Garrow
A lot of the players who we thought would step right in and play well just, haven't. But that's what you get for putting your trust in a rookie. I can't believe I'm saying this as a Pistons fan accustomed to big men not doing anything (Darko), but Andre Drummond has been one of the most productive members of this draft class so far.

9:22 pm: Cole Patty
Going into the draft, many opinions of this draft class were praising them. I think they will be better down the road but so far they have been disappointing as a whole. So let's bring some optimism in our NBA youth in here. Most surprising, or maybe not so surprising in your eyes if you pick the man I think you might pick since we already have addressed Drummond.

9:30 pm: Zack Garrow
I think one of the most interesting guys in the class has been Dion Waiters. He has had to step in and be the guy for the Cavs with Kyrie out of a lot of games and he has done a decent job of it. He's never going to be a guy who's going to shoot 50% and still put up 27, but he'll find a way to get you 27 (on 10 of 28 shooting). Another guy I'm proud of the way he's played so far is Andrew Nicholson. A very unknown draft commodity, Nicholson has only gotten 12 minutes a game behind Glen Davis, Gustavo Ayon, Nikola Vucevic, and Josh McRoberts. But in those minutes he's had a very solid 6.7 points per game on 54% shooting. He has a lot of range and can pass well for a big man. I definitely look for him to get more and more playing time as the Magic realize they've got themselves a young talent.

9:32 pm: Cole Patty
Nicholson and Moe Harkless have both definitely been doing well as the Magic's higher profile rookies. Nicholson also rates as the 7th best rookie so far in ESPN Rookie 50.

9:37 pm: Zack Garrow
Did you have any other rookies you liked so far?

9:44 pm: Cole Patty
Definitely to be fair there is a need to mention that Alexey Shved has been way better than earlier thought, Valanciunas has been solid and steady, Lillard is right now in a one horse race for ROY, and MKG has done everything that the Bobcats could ask for him. For my non Drummond surprise, that is a bit under the radar, it has to be John Henson. This was a guy I didn't like going in to the draft, then watched a D-League game and thought "maybe he can do this." Now I think the Bucks actually found a pretty solid ball player. Now he may not be nightly turning it out with consistently great play, but has been steady and in the Larry Sanders birthday ejection game put in 17 pts and 18 reb with 8 offensive boards. That isn't shabby especially when I just went one by one on everyone that has been disappointing me as a rookie.

9:45 pm: Zack Garrow
Not bad at all.

This wraps up the first of hopefully many to come NBA commentaries. Let us know if you like them as we may expand into podcast or video.

NBA Commentaries: Part 1

In order to bring back this blog, Cole Patty and Zack Garrow decieded to bring you into one of their nightly basketball discussions. Here was the results of this talk:

Cole Patty: Alright, I will start off with asking what you think about the Hornets changing their name to the Pelicans? It was announced literally ten minutes ago.

Zack Garrow: Well... I don't really know what to think about this. It gives the city of New Orleans some sort of connection to the team because the Pelican is the state bird and is on the state flag. Other than that, doesn't really seem like a great idea. I think they should get a cooler mascot than a pelican, but that's just me. Ultimately, I just think New Orleans is looking to change the losing atmosphere that surrounded the Hornets.

CP: Well, the one thing I like is the Bobcats might go back to being the Charlotte Hornets. I think that is great. As for the name Pelicans, I can easily agree they could do something better than that. Especially since bird names in general are so common.

ZG: I can agree with that. It would be great for Charlotte to go back to being the Hornets. I'm totally having deja vu with Jamal Mashburn, Glen Rice, and Muggsy Bouges.

CP: For a younger franchise there is some history there. Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson are in there too.

ZG: True. Do you want to talk about some surprises (positively and negatively) with some players in the NBA this year?

CP: I would love to talk about this, and I would like to throw out there Most Improved candidate Jrue Holiday. How good can he really be? Also, what do you see as the difference this year?

• 

  Jrue Holiday has been the center of attention
  for the Most Improved Player talks.

  
  ZG: We've seen very steady improvement from him so far, but I guess I'll go ahead and talk about him cause I'm fortunate enough to have him on my fantasy squad. I was just thinking about this and I really think a few things have contributed to his growth as a player:
  1.) Andre Iguodala is gone. Andre Iguodala is gone this year from the 76ers and he is a guy who has been "the guy" for them for a long time now. He takes a lot of shots, but not only that.. he takes a lot of shots that aren't assisted on because he can create his own shot so well. He also struggles knocking down that three point shot from the wing that Jason Richardson, Nick Young, and others have been doing this year for him. That must have been hurting Jrue's assist numbers in the past. This year both of those things are helping him. 
  2.) Andrew Bynum is out. With Andrew the big LeBynum sitting out with a knee injury all year, Jrue is the leader of the team and has to be able to put up points and he has definitely stepped up to the challenge.
• CP: Jrue has definitely needed to step up, his usage has moved up from a 20.7 average the last two years to a 26.0. Also though his PER has moved up from a 14.74 (slightly below average) to 18.7 which is a good number. A good positive is that he isn't just on fire either, he is shooting average numbers for him. So this isn't just a case of a hot 17 game stretch, he is playing at a level he can hold on to.
  
  ZG: Agreed. You know, a lot of my surprises have been on my own fantasy team (Lillard, Bynum, Ilyasova, Chandler Parsons, James Harden). Is there anyone else you'd like to talk about? Doesn't have to be any of those guys.
• 

  
  Larry Sanders has had 
  a breakout 3rd year.

  CP: I had a poor experience with him, but Larry Sanders is another guy who is on the short list of Most Improved Player. Any thoughts of him?
  ZG: This year has been about the curious case of Larry Sanders. He started out on a roll averaging 11 points, 7-8 boards, and 3 blocks a game. Then for some reason he dropped the ball in points and blocks and dropped down to about 8 points and 1.5 blocks during that stretch. But in his last three games, he's had 10, 7, and 5 blocks respectively. As any fantasy owner knows, blocks are very crucial and one man can lead your team to be a good blocking team. Another thing I like about Larry Sanders is that his production is directly related to how many minutes he plays. When he has great games (like his past three) he has averaged in the 30 minute per game area. When he hasn't gotten the numbers he's in the lower 20's. The more you play Larry Sanders, the more he produces... which is a good sign.
  CP: The management of the Bucks have been enamored with this thin hybrid 4-5 with pterodactyl arms lately. The problem with Larry is he fouls WAY too much. He averages 4 a game and has been ejected 3 times already. When he is on the court though he has been a shot-blocking, rebound grabbing, 55% shooting in the post kind of guy. I love his ceiling even if he is already 24. His per 36 numbers are great and he has been an 18.65 PER guy this year. He needs to learn to stay on the floor, especially for the post Dalembert days coming. He also already tripled his career double doubles. I like that stat for how much he has improved.
  ZG: Definitely. Is this his third year in the league?
  CP: Yes it is, also that 10-12-10 game was a really impressive triple double.
  ZG: It's impressive when anyone gets ten blocks, let alone a triple double with blocks.
  CP: It's also impressive to put together an 18pts-16reb-5blk stat line. I want him to figure out his foul issues so Skiles can trust him because like you said in extended minutes this guy can be good.
  ZG: How do you think the Harden trade has worked out?
  CP: Kevin Martin has definitely played better than last year. Still past his prime but this role I think has been a better fit for him than I would have first guessed. He is having a career high in True Shooting Percentage and is shooting a career high 47.7% from three. The team in OKC can make some guys look better and may be a more enticing team to play for than last year's Rockets. OKC has also barely missed a step now that they are 14-4. As for Harden, he has struggled some nights and may be shooting some career lows. I do feel this is more of a growing pain thing in becoming a bona fide one guy, he has put out some nights that were just plain special. So this has been good all around really minus the fact Jeremy Lamb has been MIA.
  ZG: I would really like to say that I've seen Harden's assist numbers go up because of the increased ball handling he's been exposed to. I really like what Houston did by bringing in this young core of Lin, Harden, Parsons, Patterson, and Asik. They're all good at what they do and they're all team first guys. They have a lot of young talent that has room to grow as well. The Thunder would be alright even if I was their two guard. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka are just different kinds of animals. Kevin Martin is so similar to Harden, I just see him as the same kind of player but less able to create for others. Long run, I believe this also helps out the Thunder with their added draft pick from this deal and Jeremy Lamb's potential.
  CP: I think, had Harden stayed on the Thunder you are correct with the Kevin Martin and Harden similar part. This Houston Harden is a bit of a different animal, and the fact that he is still only 23 helps. I like Harden's 9.1 free throw attempts and his ability to get to the rack. I really am feeling a great month in him later in the year when he has adjusted to this role. Only thing about the Rockets that worry me is the whole Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik contracts with the 15 mill in the third year, but that can be addressed when they get there.
  ZG: Who has been the surprise team so far this year?
  CP: There have been some candidates, and I am not about to touch the Lakers thing because I am sure they will turn it around. I feel like the answer has to be the fact the Grizzlies have been this dominant. I don't know if it is a hot month, or the chemistry is better without Mayo. I would say chemistry because Bayless can accept a 7.1 points per game role and Mayo couldn't, but it confuses me just a bit.
  ZG: I have a few candidates. One of them has to be the Knicks with how they came out of the gate guns a' blazing. I really think the Knicks have something to prove this year and Carmelo knows he's the next one on the list that has yet to win a ring. He's definitely got his team in a great position to contend with the Miami Heat. One of the least thought of teams in the league is the Atlanta Hawks. Surprisingly, they're 9-5 with a revamped roster that doesn't really have a ton of diversity. They love to shoot the three ball, and this team reminds me of some of the magic's teams in the past with Dwight Howard. By that I mean that they go inside to Josh Smith and Al Horford and have those guys create shots by passing out to shooters and rotating the ball around the three point line. I expected the hawks to be much worse this year, but they have time to do so because their schedule hasn't been very tough thus far. They've only beaten two teams above .500.
  CP: I actually thought this Hawks could be a 5 or 6 seed. They have talent and are kind of radically built with a bunch of guys that do the same thing. Jeff Teague was pretty stifled by the Joe Johnson game and I think we are finally seeing what was wanted out of him. I am not a big fan of the lack of perimeter size either, and they can lean too much on Horford and Smith. Anytime you have both Horford and Smith, you can be a 5-8 seed in either division.
  ZG: Okay, so how do you feel about Lebron's game in the early part of this year?
• 

  Lebron James has recently been named
  Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year.

  
  CP: Oh man, you set me up here, I could gush about LeBron's season so much. I am definitely on board on the efficiency over total numbers revolution in basketball. I feel like minus the free throw struggles this has easily been one of LeBron's best years. He is shooting 43.8% from three first of all. Which shooting above 40% is considered good and so the thing people like to point out as his weakness is not really there right now. He is shooting his career high inside the three point line too, even if this is a marginal improvement. So he keeps this up, and hit some more free throws, and LeBron is a monster in True Shooting Percentage. The Heat aren't leaning on him nearly as much as in the past which is shown in his lowest usage since his rookie year, so this is in correlation his worst scoring year since his rookie year. He is also though having a career low in Turnovers (2.5), which was more of a problem for him in the past also. Career high in Rebounding and Rebounding Rate, which is very impressive. I would like to personally like to see some more assists out of him, as I can admit I am a huge fan of his passing. His assist ratio though, is his second highest of his career. So this guy is balling out at an even higher level. He just doesn't get the ball as much which is probably a product of wanting rings over MVPs.
  
  ZG: You've pretty much said it all about Lebron so far. I've just got to add one more thing. It isn't just his play on the court that has been impressive to me, it's his psyche off the court. He's become a winner over the years and has been a very family oriented person with his basketball team and home life. People want to go play for the Heat because of Lebron's unselfishness.
  
  CP: I think it is great how LeBron has grown off the court also, I strongly believe that got him over the hump. (Note: Somewhere in this gushing over LeBron he got his first triple double of the season against the Wizards)
  
  ZG: Just goes to show, Lebron has only exceded expectations since coming into the league. And the scariest thing about him is that I can see 6-8 more years of being the best player in the league and another few being a top tier player. I never see him dropping out of the top tier. I think he'll retire as one of the greats if not the greatest to ever play (well, top two).
  
  CP: I think this guy can play that long also. With his development of being a 4 on the offensive side of the floor, he might have honestly extended his career 3 years. Wade's game is based off athleticism and you can see him winding down. LeBron has so much to look forward to now that he can put his back to the basket.