After battling the Clippers and Thunder vigorously, the Memphis Grizzlies proved that they are ready to contend for anNBA title.
The only problem standing in their way, is the most complete team left in the western conference; the San Antonio Spurs.Though the Spurs struggled against the hot shooters in Golden State, they made the correct adjustments and overcame a much younger more athletic team. In part due to Danny green and Kawhi Leonard, the young stars were phenomenal in defending both Curry and Thompson. It is because of these rising players that the spurs will have the advantage.
The season series was split 2-2, but neither team was complete for any of the four games. This series will showcase both teams at full strength. The Grizzlies and DPOY Marc Gasol, versus Tony Parker Tim Duncan and a lethal team of young stars.
At 6’7 Leonard has the size and wing span to disrupt shooters and he as physical as most when it comes to rebounding. He is resilient and shows a knack for locking down players. He will be needed to contain Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince, if Leonardcan continue to develop…
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Dirk Nowitzki Talks Paycut, Wants Dallas Mavericks to Contend
After a tough season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time this century, the Dallas Mavericks have reason to be optimistic heading into the near future. Dirk Nowitzki, who has been the heart, leader and best player for the Mavericks for several years now, is reportedly planning on taking a major pay cut in order to help his team win sooner rather than later.
According to ESPNDallas.com’s Tim MacMahon, Nowitzki plans to take a “significant pay cut” one year from now when his current (guaranteed) contract runs out. Said Nowitzki, “At this point of my career, it’s all about competing and winning. It’s not about money.”
Now heading into his 16th year in the NBA, Nowitzki continues to amaze me with his loyalty, selflessness and pure dedication to basketball and the city of Dallas. I still remember vividly prior to the 2010 NBA season when people around the country expected Nowitzki to go and join a contender.
That was the summer of free agency, when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and others were all trying to find their respective paths onto teams where they could win without having to carry the load. Already people were talking about Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Amar’e Stoudemire and all the other players who switched cities in 2010 and 2011 in the pursuit of winning championships.
While plenty of players went with the biggest paycheck and many more went with the best team, I remember Nowitzki’s experience the most because he had a very specific goal. He wanted to win a championship, and he wanted to win it in Dallas.
When Nowitzki decided to stay in Dallas, choosing to not even take a maximum contract, it surprised nearly everyone. With no star power beyond Nowitzki himself, the Mavericks were written off quickly enough as no longer being title contenders.
While the Miami Heat were the obvious favorites, the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and even the young Oklahoma City Thunder all seemed more interesting than the Mavericks, whose only remaining star lingered only out of loyalty.
It would be an understatement to describe the national reaction to the Mavericks winning the championship that year as shock.
What separated Nowitzki from his contemporaries that year in terms of his legacy was not that he had won his first championship. It was that he had won it in the city where he began his career with some of the same teammates he had spent years losing with. Rather than simply skipping town and joining a team that was already ready to win, he transformed the team that was already there into a team that was capable of winning.
Many stars in their later years join up with teams that are obvious contenders. Some well-known examples include players like Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Shaquille O’Neal, Steve Nash, Ray Allen (twice) and a plethora of others.
There is nothing necessarily wrong with doing so. However, in this era when players have far less attachment to the cities in which they play than they ever did in the past, it is refreshing and at least intriguing to see that Nowitzki still cares about playing in Dallas. It appears to be obvious that Nowitzki would rather try and fail in Dallas than go anywhere else and succeed.
For all of these reasons, I believe Nowitzki completely when he says that he will willingly accept a pay cut to help the team win one year from now. Doing so opens up the possibility for the Mavericks bringing in top-tier players to help them win a second championship in the city where he wants to win.
Chris Paul and Dwight Howard are obvious targets but not the only ones. With Nowitzki presumably willing to play for as little money as it takes to help the team win, one would expect that the Mavericks will find a way to turn that salary cap space into players of value, one way or another.
With free agency being more important than ever and with players more so than ever being judged on how many rings they win instead of what they did to win those rings, players like Nowitzki are a dying breed.
At least, health providing, we will be able to watch Nowitzki for a few more years.
Adam Waksman is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report who writes primarily about the New York Jets and the NFL. Be sure to follow Adam on Twitter to receive updates right away.
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How John Calipari Can Learn from His 2013 Mistakes and Contend in 2014
For those who hate Kentucky—and that group grows each year John Calipari is in Lexington—this past season was justice.
Calipari started the year with a reality television show and reason to puff his chest. You could not really argue with his philosophy of bringing in the best recruiting class in the country every year, coaching them up for one season, waving goodbye and welcoming in the next class, because that philosophy had just produced a dominant champion.
What’s Calipari supposed to do, try to recruit lesser talent?
Some coaches recruit to their system, but most, like Calipari, recruit the best players they can get. It just kind of irks everyone outside of Big Blue Nation that Calipari rarely loses out on his wish list.
So when it finally backfired, when UK went from preseason No. 3 to missing the NCAA tournament to losing in the first round of the NIT to ROBERT MORRIS, it was reason to turn our noses up at the one-and-done train in Lexington.
Calipari’s solution was to simply go out and get more pros. It wasn’t that his system was broken; it was that, for the first time he didn’t have enough talent.
“The best thing that is going to happen to us next year is that we’re going to have unbelievable competition at every spot,” Calipari told the The Lexington Herald-Leader after losing to Robert Morris. “So there’s no one promised, saying ‘OK, I played 30 minutes a game.’ You may play five. The stuff I had to accept this year, the program almost got hijacked.”
Oh, poor Cal. That’s the narrative that he’s pushing, and if you want to criticize him, this is a fair point to go after. This is taking the blame and putting it on the players, and that’s not exactly fair. He messed up too. For once, he experienced what other programs that have to start five new starters experience: some growing pains.
But it’s a narrative that works out nicely to motivate the next group, and it’s one they’ve already bought.
“There was no leadership on that team,” incoming point guard Aaron Harrison told Sports Illustrated. “It looked like everyone had his own agenda.”
Calipari’s good, isn’t he?
Getting better talent than everyone else is a big reason why he’s been so good, but what he does with the talent is why he’s been so consistently good.
It’s an NBA approach at an NBA factory. Calipari manages egos and gets his guys to play hard on the defensive end and share the ball on offense. If you can do those things and you have talent, you’re going to win.
Until this past season, that’s what he had done.
And at some point early in the year, I’m sure UK’s players had bought in and the system was working, albeit at a slower pace. The problem was the parts just weren’t what Calipari was used to working with, and this is the blame game he can play.
At point guard, he had Ryan Harrow, a transfer from North Carolina State who was also one-and-done at Kentucky. His next destination? The NBA? No, Georgia State.
It was the first time since 2007 that Calipari started a point guard who will never play in the NBA. That was an issue.
Archie Goodwin, the wing who was UK’s go-to scorer, was also a one-and-done. However, he’ll likely end up in the D-League next season, because he’s not ready to be a pro yet. He’s a great athlete without a jumper. That was an issue.
Alex Poythress, a powerful specimen at power forward, disappeared for long stretches and did not always use his physicality to his advantage. He was a player who needed more seasoning and was smart to come back. But when he needed to be a beast right away for Kentucky to be really good, that was an issue.
Calipari had freshmen who played like freshmen, and when he didn’t have other options, that was an issue.
The season was on the upswing until Nerlens Noel tore his ACL against Florida. The ‘Cats had started 8-2 in the SEC and had won five straight games.
They responded to Noel’s injury by losing by 30 at Tennessee. Noel had allowed Kentucky to hide its biggest weakness: perimeter defense. When he was no longer around to play goalie at the rim, that was an issue.
But to fail like the Wildcats failed was part of a flawed approach. It’s hard to cry for Kentucky when the talent was still pretty darn good. Calipari led his team through a pity party, and he was part of it. There’s no other explanation for Kentucky losing to Robert Morris.
If Calipari had a lesson to learn, that was it.
He may also be pouting this coming season only because he has so many options. Kentucky has eight McDonald’s All-Americans on the roster. Calipari will have a second five that could be the first five almost anywhere in the country.
Those incoming freshmen are already talking 40-0. They’re already anticipating the battle for playing time.
“With people that hate losing, there’s bound to be fights,” incoming freshman forward Marcus Lee told the The Lexington Herald-Leader. “The big men and the guards—we just go at it so hard. Especially during practice. I wouldn’t doubt that there would be fights.”
This could have come from the lips of Calipari. He wants a team that’s hungry. He wants a team that plays with a chip on its shoulder.
Last year, he had a team that wasn‘t as good as the hype. Maybe there was a sense of entitlement there. The talent was there, but not like the others, and when adversity hit, it withered. When he needed to adjust, he never figured out an adjustment.
No one is going to dispute that this team will be more talented. But at some point, they’re not going to look as good on the court as they do on paper.
So the Baby ‘Cats better not crown themselves just yet. They might want to cool the 40-0 talk. They would be wise to learn from last season; the product rarely meets the hype, especially with freshmen.
Calipari can manage some egos. He can deflect pressure from his players. That was what he did in 2012 when everything went right. That’s the Calipari he needs to be again.
That’s the Calipari who rubs people the wrong way…and wins.
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Duke Basketball: Blue Devils Don’t Have the Defense to Contend for the Title
The Duke Blue Devils may have the offense to make a deep run in the 2013 NCAA tournament, but their defense (or lack thereof) will see them fall short of the national title.
It’s not a coincidence that the Blue Devils ranked 166th in the nation in opponents’ field-goal percentage last season (via TeamRankings.com) and ended up falling to Lehigh in the Round of 64, getting blown up by C.J. McCollum in the process.
It’s also not a coincidence that they ranked in the top 35 in opponents’ field-goal percentage when they were national champions in 2010 and reached the Sweet 16 in 2011.
Duke (27-5, 14-4 ACC) is coming off a 83-74 loss to unranked Maryland in the ACC tournament. In that game, the Blue Devils allowed the Terrapins to go 26-of-51 from the floor, including 8-of-20 from downtown.
Duke also had a letdown in the 73-68 loss to Virginia on Feb. 28. Mike Krzyzewski’s squad allowed the Cavaliers to shoot 46 percent from the field. Virginia junior guard Joe Harris dropped 36 points on 12-of-20 shooting. Junior forward Akil Mitchell added 19 points on 5-of-11 shooting.
The Blue Devils rank 114th in the nation in opponents’ field-goal percentage this season. The recent losses to Maryland and Virginia weren’t flukes, but rather clear signs of the team’s struggles on defense.
Krzyzewski is obviously one of the greatest coaches in history. I wouldn’t put it past him to lead the Blue Devils to a deep run in the tournament this season. But you can only do so much with the defense Duke has exhibited.
Barring a miraculous turnaround on that side of the floor, the Blue Devils won’t make it to the national championship game. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t make it to the Final Four.
*Be sure to download a printable NCAA bracket and check out Bleacher Report’s live bracket
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L.A. Lakers Still Have Work Cut out for Them to Contend with NBA Elite
The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-105, which may come as a bit of a surprise after they played them strong and beat them soundly, 105-96, back in January.
What does it all mean? Well, basically it means that the Lakers aren’t as good a basketball team as the Thunder. It’s as simple as that.
It really is as simple as the Thunder are just a better team right now. Much better. The Lakers are improving but that is the bar to clear.
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) March 6, 2013
This is one loss to break up their solid streak of games. It’s not a sign of the coming Los Angeles apocalypse, a sign of things to come or evidence that they can’t make the playoffs. It’s simply another example of why they aren’t one of the elite teams in the NBA.
It seems as if their 30-31 record would be enough to prove that, but throwing together an argument based on actual games is just as easy as citing their record.
Los Angeles is able to beat teams they must in order to compile wins, but they’re going to continue to struggle with younger, deeper or just better-coached teams.
What they were able to do was show that they’re more resilient than they were earlier on in the season. The Lakers were miserable in the first six minutes of the game and were down big for most of the first half. When the first 24 minutes were past they saw a 16-point deficit in front of them.
They fought all throughout the second half and cut the game to six points with plenty of chances to get closer. They just couldn’t get over the hump.
The Lakers failed to score a single point in the final 6 minutes, finishing the game like they started it.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) March 6, 2013
The Lakers came close but the Thunder closed out their win with a huge 12-0 run to pull away for good. #YoungLegs
— Numbers Never Lie (@ESPN_Numbers) March 6, 2013
What is evident is that the Lakers are going to be competitive down the stretch, and they’re going to have the fight in them to put the scare into a team once they fiddle their way into the playoffs.
Oklahoma City beating them was a smack in the mouth, not a whack in the knee with a sledgehammer.
Not a bad thing for lakes though. RT @espn: It’s been blue skies and sunny for the Lakers lately. Tonight, they encountered a Thunder storm.
— Eric Freeman (@freemaneric) March 6, 2013
They watched as Dwight Howard was completely ineffective on offense, Kobe Bryant was ailing, Antawn Jamison missed two wide-open three-pointers down the stretch, Russell Westbrook threw up nearly 40 and Reggie Jackson and Derek Fisher combined for 20 off the bench, yet they still put up enough of a fight to make this a game.
The final score won’t reflect this, but Los Angeles was able to put a scare into Oklahoma City, which Oklahoma City soon rebuffed.
At least they can say that somebody on their team was smiling by the end of the game.
Don’t worry though. The important thing to remember is… Dwight’s having fun.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) March 6, 2013
Los Angeles is going to get back to winning after this. They’ve played too well of late, and a playoff berth is well within their grasp.
The only question they have left to answer is whether or not they’ll be able to improve enough down the stretch to give Oklahoma City a run come playoff time.
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Dwight’s Health, Kobe’s Drive Are Only Two Reasons Lakers Can Still Contend
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant recently guaranteed that his team However no one besides Bryant’s teammates and die-hard fans appear to be taking his promise seriously.
Most analysts and pundits have already decided that any hope for the postseason for these Lakers is dead on arrival, and the common thread in numerous opinions is that the Lakers have lost far too much ground to catch up now.
Come again?
Last I checked the Lakers are two and a half games behind the Houston Rockets for the eighth seed with 25 games left to play, which is not insurmountable by any means.
Of course the margin of error for Los Angeles is extremely tight, but counting the Lakers out of the postseason right now would be just as ridiculous as assuming that they can’t make up a two and a half game deficit over the next 25 games.
In case you haven’t noticed, things have begun to look up lately for the Lakers, and Kobe’s passion and drive and Howard’s improving health are not the only reasons the sun is shining a little brighter on the franchise.
Bryant and Howard are indeed the main cogs in the Lakers engine and it doesn’t hurt that as Howard seems to be getting healthier Bryant is definitely feeling hungrier.
The Lakers are 3-0 since the All-Star break and the death of legendary owner Jerry Buss. In that span Bryant and Howard have both had two very impressive performances, and one subpar showing each.
Howard was spectacular in the Lakers win over the Boston Celtics and for maybe the first time this season he was able to exhibit consistent dominance on both ends of the court.
The 24 point and 12 rebounds against Boston were nice, but the athleticism and spring in Howard’s legs may have been the most encouraging aspect for the Lakers going forward.
You could tell that Howard’s timing is still off a bit as many of the Celtics’ shot attempts in the paint were just beyond Howard’s reach, but it’s also positive for the Lakers that the issue seems to be about timing and not about lift.
Howard was dominant yet again in the Lakers next win over the Portland Trail Blazers, turning in a 19 point, 16 rebound performance. This time Bryant joined him with 40 points of his own, and Bryant was even better in the Lakers third straight victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
While Howard struggled with foul trouble, Bryant picked him up by scoring 38 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out seven assists to lead the Lakers to victory.
Those three games have proved the Lakers can still be a great team when Bryant and Howard are in tune and focused, and they can still be very good when one of them isn’t.
Beating Boston, Portland and Dallas is nothing to get excited about, but the Lakers have been losing tight games like this all season and finding the will to win builds character and confidence.
And confidence for a team with Bryant and Howard can be a scary proposition when you consider the rest of the team might be improving as well.
Head coach Mike D’Antoni may still seem strategically clueless at times, but I’m sure he has some input on how the Lakers have occasionally attacked in transition, and used the pick and roll as a secondary break on offense.
D’Antoni has also humbled himself and let the experience of Bryant and Nash guide the Lakers through one of the roughest patches in recent Lakers history.
The Lakers reserves have played below expectations for most of the season, but as D’Antoni has begun to rely on an eight man rotation that includes Antawn Jamison, Steve Blake and Jodie Meeks, the bench has been more productive.
Jamison, Meeks and Blake have averaged a combined 28.1 points per game during the Lakers three game win streak, and if they can maintain that type of effort imagine how good the Lakers reserves might be once Pau Gasol and possibly Jordan Hill return?
And just how good can the Lakers be if Nash keeps getting more comfortable playing beside Bryant and with his role as the team’s deadliest three-point threat?
Are the Lakers still an eight seed team if Bryant keeps playing with the same determination and scowl, and Howard keeps backing him up with words and effort?
The Lakers still have three of the greatest players at their respective positions in the NBA, and they might finally be finding their groove.
If the Lakers can get healthy and remain that way then the eight seed might be aiming a little low.
With 25 games left it’s not impossible to think the Lakers can make up the couple games they trail the Rockets and possibly catch Golden State as well.
Neither of those teams have much experience when it comes to qualifying for the postseason in tight conference races, and the Lakers years of combined playoff experience could prove vital if the situation arises.
There are still issues the Lakers must overcome like finding some consistency on defense, but if the Lakers continue to improve who really wants to face them in the postseason?
Bryant’s guarantee was mostly dismissed because so many other players have made the same gesture under similar pretenses and failed miserably.
But few of those players have possessed Bryant’s individual drive and legacy of success on a championship stage.
And none of them have had as talented a supporting cast when healthy.
The Lakers still have an opportunity to be the biggest bust in professional sports history, but they also have a chance to be it’s greatest story.
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Grizzlies still trying to contend without Rudy Gay (Yahoo! Sports)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies have shown once before that they can be a contender without Rudy Gay.
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Los Angeles Lakers: Too Injury-Prone to Contend in 2012-13?
The Los Angeles Lakers have some issues.
Some optimism returned this week after the Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder and put together a nice three-game winning streak.
Then Los Angeles started their crucial seven-game road trip with a loss to the Phoenix Suns—a poor way to start out away from Staples Center.
A bigger problem may be that Dwight Howard hurt his shoulder…again.
At this point, the Lakers cannot afford another injury. This roster is not built to withstand the loss of another starter.
According to J.A. Adande of ESPN and others, Howard needs surgery if this injury is going to heal properly.
Howard is trying to get through the season and stay productive. However, if the pain or the risk of long-term injury becomes too great, he may need to be shut down.
Los Angeles has not been a picture of health this season. Through 46 games, a number of players have missed significant time.
Kobe Bryant and Metta World Peace have been the healthy warriors, as both starters have played in all 46 games. Unfortunately, those are the only two players on the roster that have played in every game.
How long can the mostly-durable Bryant go at 38.7 minutes per game before he misses time due to a nagging injury? Despite his tenacity, Kobe has only played in all 82 games four times during his 17-year career. Metta has only played 82 games once in 14 years.
Despite struggling with injury, Dwight Howard has started and played in 43 games. Whether he can continue to stay on the floor throughout the season is yet to be determined. But it is not looking good, as he his back issues could flare up at any time.
Most fans are well aware of the other players who have missed significant time.
Pau Gasol, despite his struggles, is still a key part of this team, but he has only played in 33 games. Steve Nash is mostly healthy now, but he has only played in 22 games. Steve Blake has only played in nine games this year.
Jordan Hill played in 29 games this season and was a key contributor off the bench, but he is now done for the season.
The Lakers have had a numbers of issues on the floor, including poor defense and a lack of offensive continuity. Issues with Pau Gasol and playing time have seemingly reached a boiling point (via ESPN). Gasol is upset and Mike D’Antoni is getting sick of talking about it.
Ironically, the solution to Gasol’s problem with coming off the bench may be an injury to Howard, but that won’t help the Lakers at this point. It is reasonable to suggest that not many fans want to see Pau get back into the starting lineup because of an injury to D-12.
Since the beginning of the year, this team has been a collection of “if” and “when” statements.
If the Lakers can get everyone healthy…
When the Lakers get everyone back healthy…
If the Lakers can improve their defense…
When the Lakers start playing better together as a team…
The team is running out of time for the “ifs” and “whens” to come to fruition.
This road trip has started out badly. The Lakers needed a win and they needed their stars to stay healthy.
Instead, Los Angeles lost more than a game against the Suns.
That scene of Dwight Howard wincing in obvious discomfort may sum up this season for Los Angeles.
Painful.
Kobe still believes. At least, that is what his Twitter posts indicate.
We r on track. Gave one away tonight, let it slip away from us but I like how we are playing as a team. It will all come together this way.
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) January 31, 2013
Developing an identity has been an ongoing challenge for this team and that will continue. However, development may not matter if the stars are forced to come to the games in street clothes.
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LA Clippers Need Blake Griffin to Be More Than Human Highlight Reel to Contend
Forgive me for the Jerry Seinfeld shtick, but what’s the deal with the Los Angeles Clippers? A four-game losing streak since their monumental win at the San Antonio Spurs has rendered their scorching 8-2 start little more than a relic of the NBA season’s first few weeks.
There are fingers aplenty to point—Chris Paul‘s 2-of-14 flop against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a stinker from the supporting cast in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks, a collective fourth-quarter collapse at the Brooklyn Nets.
Blake Griffin has been complicit in at least some of these struggles. That was apparent on Monday night when the Clips lost to the Anthony-Davis-and-Eric-Gordon-less New Orleans Hornets at the Staples Center, 105-98.
Not even a franchise-record nine three pointers from Caron Butler could cover for Griffin’s awful evening. The two-time All-Star tallied a career-low four points (on 1-of-9 shooting), six rebounds, three assists and four turnovers before fouling out after 35 minutes of play.
To be fair, it’s not as though Blake has yet to show up for the 2012-13 season. He’s chipped in six double-doubles in 14 games, including four of the 20-10 variety. He’s also busied himself with the usual array of jaw-dropping jams:
But if L.A.’s other team is to be a serious title contender, it’ll need Blake to be something more (if not better) than his usual, flying-death-machine self.
Which, in some ways, he hasn’t been in 2012-13. Save for his assists, steals and blocks, Blake’s numbers are down nearly across the board. He’s scoring, shooting and rebounding at career-low levels. He’s also getting to the free-throw line just 5.5 times per game—down from 7.1 last season and 8.5 the season before—which would be a blessing given his struggles (61 percent from the stripe).
Except, his infrequent visits to the charity stripe are, in part, indicative of a player who’s been far less aggressive than usual. The same goes for his splits from the field. According to Hoopdata, Griffin’s taking far fewer shots at the rim than usual—4.8, down from 7.3 and 7.2, respectively, during his first two seasons—and is converting them at a noticeably lower clip.
It’s one thing for Blake to take fewer shots right at the basket when his overall attempts are down. It’s another, though, for him to spend more time shooting from the perimeter. As it happens, Griffin has taken more long twos (73) than shots at the rim (67) this season.
Don’t get me wrong—Griffin expanding his game beyond the confines of the restricted area is a good thing in the long run. The threat of a jump shot should make Blake that much more dangerous when attacking off the dribble.
His career-high 5.2 attempts from 16-to-23 feet are much more palatable when considering that he’s hitting them at a 44-percent clip—well above the league average of 37.3 percent (per Hoopdata). Among players attempting five or more long twos per game, Griffin’s percentage is bested only by Gerald Henderson’s (45 percent) and Rip Hamilton’s (46 percent).
Thing is, those guys are both shooting guards who pay their bills with such shots. Griffin, on the other hand, is a power forward, and a darn good one at that. It’s all well and good that he’s something of a threat from farther out.
Just not when it comes at the expense of his game on the interior. The Clippers already employ plenty of gunners on the wing, including Jamal Crawford, Caron Butler, Matt Barnes and Willie Green. What they need from Griffin is for him to use his size (6’10″, 250 pounds) and freakish athleticism to punish his foes in the paint.
And not just with highlight-reel dunks, either. Blake’s post-up game has improved to an extent, though it’s hardly the staple of the Clippers offense that it should be.
Rather predictably, Griffin’s sojourn to the perimeter has diminished his impact on the offensive glass. Where once Blake was an elite board-crasher, with 3.3 per game, he’s since seen his offensive rebounding average (1.8 per game) and rate (6.3 percent) crater.
That’d be all well and good if, say, DeAndre Jordan were picking up the slack, but he hasn’t, at least not in totality. Jordan is shooting (7.4 attempts) and scoring (10 points) more than he ever has, particularly in the paint, where his attempts are up to 5.2 per night—more than Blake.
But DJ doesn’t exactly command the same sort of defensive attention that Griffin does. Nor is he crashing the offensive boards well enough to compensate for Blake’s absence in the paint. Strange as it may seem, the Clippers are better at creating second chances when Griffin sits, per NBA.com/stats.
More troubling, the league’s numbers suggest that L.A. is actually a superior team when Blake isn’t on the floor. With Griffin, the Clips score 2.5 more points per 100 possessions but give up 10 more on the other end. On the whole, they outscore their opponents by 2.4 points per 100 possessions with Griffin and by 10 points without him.
Granted, part of this difference is a positive comment on the Clips bench. Blake often sits when his team’s reserves—perhaps the best in basketball—are busy stomping their counterparts.
Nonetheless, there’s something to be said for Griffin’s deficiencies on the defensive end. He’ll never be a long-armed shot-blocker, but he could stand to use his strength, agility and lateral quickness to better defend his own man and to rotate when help is required.
Especially considering his aforementioned issues on the offensive end. In Blake’s defense, he’s been playing with a strained neck and a burst bursa sac in his elbow since the second week of the season. It’s possible, then, that the drop-off in Griffin’s effectiveness can be attributed to his health, or lack thereof.
In which case, the Clips had better hope that Griffin gets well soon. Otherwise, the question becomes, can the Clippers really hope to contend if their second-best player (behind Chris Paul) isn’t playing up to par on either end of the court?
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Can Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers Stay Healthy Enough to Contend?
The Los Angeles Lakers will need to overcome some challenges if they are going to contend for another title this season.
On paper, they have all the makings of their own super team. In reality, there are many things that can go wrong.
Many of the questions have already been posed: Can Dwight Howard find enough of a role in this offense to make him want to stay long term? Will Steve Nash be able to create a productive offensive flow? What role will Kobe Bryant play now that he has some new and potentially explosive weapons around him?
At this point, I think there is really only one key question: Can this team stay healthy for an entire season?
It does matter if this team can find their rhythm, but rhythm will not be effective if they cannot stay on the floor. With this squad, age and health could be ongoing issues.
Kobe Bryant. Steve Nash. Metta World Peace. Pau Gasol. Dwight Howard.
34. 38. 32. 32. 26. Those are not exactly their jersey numbers.
This is a veteran squad, to say the least. Everyone knows that this team is built to win right now, and two years from now the entire franchise might be completely rebuilt.
Kobe Bryant has a foot issue, and those knees have a lot of miles. Bryant is a warrior, but the body can only take so much. At some point in a star’s career, the will of a champion can no longer get it done.
Add in the fact that Dwight Howard is coming off back surgery, and you may have players rotating on and off the injured list all season. Howard’s back may be just fine, but if he has issues, Los Angeles could suddenly have a problem.
Bryant played 58 games last year in the shortened season. Nash played in 62, Metta in 64, Gasol in 65 and Howard in 54. From a durability standpoint, those are not bad numbers, but I suspect that there will not be any iron men in the starting five this year.
Granted, the Lakers do have more depth this year than they have had in past seasons. This will obviously help, but Los Angeles will need a healthy group of starters if they are going to contend with the likes of LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
Obviously, there is nothing to do at this point but see how things go. There may be some wisdom in Mike Brown managing the rotation in order to build in some rest throughout the season. However, the Lakers still need to gel, stay sharp and build momentum throughout the year.
A few missed games will not make a difference, but this team cannot afford to have their stars on the shelf for extended periods of time.
Never mind the 0-8 record in preseason. Watch the injury report. That report will tell you how far this team can go this season.
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