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?
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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.
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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?
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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.
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