UNC Basketball Recruiting: Pinson Commitment Proves Roy Hasn’t Lost His Touch
Following two somewhat disappointing recruiting seasons by North Carolina standards, Roy Williams is back to his dominant ways.
Yesterday, 2014′s 13th-ranked recruit (ESPN 60), Theo Pinson, committed to UNC after just about everyone had him slated to land in Bloomington with Tom Crean and the Indiana Hoosiers. Little did we know, the North Carolina native—and self-proclaimed Duke fan—had the Tar Heels on his mind.
And a Carolina blue hat in his bag.
“Me and Roy had a very good relationship, and I feel comfortable with him being my head coach,” Pinson told Inside Carolina (subscription required). “I feel like he’s going to put me in the best situations and I still want to play in front of my peers.”
With Pinson‘s verbal commitment, Coach Williams has managed to lock up the No. 12, No. 13 and No. 14 recruits for 2014. Point guard Joel Berry and small forward Justin Jackson were the others to make the early pledge to North Carolina.
Considering only two other players in the top 15 have even committed, it’s safe to say Ol‘ Roy is off to a great start—and could very well end up with the top class when all is said and done.
So what happened the other two years?
My theory on that has been—and still remains—that the concerns over the academic scandal at UNC and Williams’ health affected recruiting.
Investigations of the scandal have been ongoing for a couple years now, and were ramped up again last November. That just happened to be during the early signing period for the 2013 recruits Coach Williams was still trying to land.
For the last two years, the News & Observer‘s timing on its investigative reporting has been impeccable. There is no doubt the timing of these reports has affected his ability to pull in top recruits.
In September of 2012, before the aforementioned report surfaced, Coach Williams was in surgery to remove a tumor on his kidney. That brought immediate speculation on how much longer Roy would be able to coach the Tar Heels—if ever again.
These are the things that will scare recruits away. Nobody wants to commit to a program and a coach they respect and then have him leave before they do. And nobody wants to pay for others’ violations by being banned from postseason play.
As it turned out, Carolina’s leader was just fine, and continued to coach through the 2012-13 season without a hitch. He was the same spunky Roy we’ve always known.
Though there are people out there that refuse to drop the scandal, it would appear UNC athletics is clear of any wrongdoing. And Coach Williams no longer has to recruit with a handicap.
Now that he has Pinson and Jackson at the small forward spot, you can expect Roy and company to focus heavily on the shooting guards they have offered. That list includes No. 9 Rashad Vaughn, No. 19 Devin Booker and No. 24 D’Angelo Russell—who has been playing alongside Joel Berry in the Nike EYBL.
UNC will lose rising senior Leslie McDonald to graduation, and it is very unlikely P.J. Hairston will stay for his senior season. That leaves no shooting guards on the 2014-15 roster, making the 2-guard a position of priority for the Tar Heels.
But the way things are going for this recruiting class, that may not be a concern for very long. Already having three top-15 recruits and a wide-open spot at the 2 should be quite the lure for the remaining prospects.
It has been a very sticky situation in Chapel Hill for the past few years. But as the clouds of gloom begin to depart, we can clearly see Roy Williams is still the shining light of the program.
His two titles in 10 years wasn’t an accident. And it looks like the program is shaping up to make another run.
Never count Roy out until he turns in his whistle for a set of golf clubs.
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Gasol: ‘About time that Miami lost’
MINNEAPOLIS The 1971-72 Lakers can exhale. Their 33-game winning streak is still the NBA’s longest.
The current crop of Lakers took some pride in its preservation after the Miami Heat’s streak ended at 27 with a 101-97 loss Wednesday to the Chicago Bulls.
Some players were even happy.
“In a big way, I am,” said Pau Gasol, who in his six seasons with the Lakers has become friends with the coach of that ’71-72 team, Bill Sharman. “I’m glad that we kept the streak. It was about time that Miami lost.”
The Heat put together a string of come-from-behind victories to prolong its winning ways since a Feb. 1 loss to Indiana, but it finally ended against Chicago as Bulls fans chanted “End of streak! End of streak!”
The Lakers (37-35) have been pretty preoccupied in recent weeks trying to keep their heads above .500. Most of them still kept at least a casual eye on the Heat streak.
“I guess now that it’s over, it’s kind of nice that the Lakers still have
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Michael Jordan won NBA All-Star weekend; who lost it?
Michael Jordan’s 50th birthday served to remind the world how relevant the legend remains.
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Lakers season looks like lost cause
Howard returned Thursday after Kobe Bryant called him out, but the Lakers were blown out.
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5 Things Philadelphia 76ers Management Must Do If This Season Looks Lost
It would be tough to find a fan that wants to admit it, but could the Philadelphia 76ers season be close to lost?
As of right now, it’s still alive and kicking, but a 17-23 start has them starting near the bottom and looking to fight their way up.
Having a bad year and struggling to make the playoffs doesn’t mean that management can just give up and quit their jobs, though. Their main focus needs to be on what steps they need to take to turn the Sixers into a better team for the future.
Being an owner or general manager certainly can’t be easy. You’re pretty much in charge of decisions that will affect a team that thousands, maybe even millions, of people love and care about. On top of that, those fans dictate how much money goes into management’s pockets.
Not an easy job at all.
That doesn’t mean that we as fans should give them any breaks, however. The best way to show that we care is by being diligent in making sure that we give them our best ideas.
How was that for a pep talk?
Okay, so maybe my inspirational speeches are not that great. Before I dig myself a bigger hole, let’s get back to talking about Philadelphia and what their next moves should be.
Here are five things that Philly’s management must do if this season looks lost.
All statistics in this article are accurate as of games played through Jan 18.
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6 NBA Teams That Have Reclaimed Their Lost Identity
Now that we are in the new year, some NBA teams have taken turns for the better. In the blink of an eye, their identities have returned and the players appear to have remembered how to play the game.
As a die-hard fan of the game, I can say that it’s refreshing to see this new competitive edge. Races that once appeared to be open-and-shut are now completely up for grabs, especially in the NBA Atlantic Division. The Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets are back, and they won’t stop until the rest of the league knows not to mess with them.
Out west, teams that had no identity for years finally have one, and the standings show it accordingly.
The fact of the matter is that though everyday fans may not discuss it regularly, an NBA team having an identity is critical to its success and future. Without one, on-court chaos happens to the fans groans.
With one, however, teams are a complete and competitive unit to the fans’ absolute delight. In the case of a small handful of teams, finding their identities again can only mean good things for the future, and for their fans as well.
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NY Knicks Desperately Need To Capture Lost Defensive Identity
The Knicks’ defensive fire is starting to flicker, and it’s beginning to darken their season.
New York is coming off a home loss to Chicago where Luol Deng scored 33 of the easiest points you”ll ever see.
It’s becoming a theme. The Knicks have difficulty slowing down the other team’s top scorers, most of whom are all perimeter-oriented.
Before Chicago, New York was stumped by Paul George, burned by Paul Pierce and torched by Nicolas Batum. It’s like they’re so amped up to play offense that they’re giving teams open looks just to get the ball back quicker.
There always seems to be someone on the other team that the Knicks just don’t have an answer for.
Maybe they’ll get going again with the return of Iman Shumpert, who was recently cleared for full contact and is a player the team believes in.
New York Daily News writer Frank Isola was waiting around when Shumpert was given clearance, much to the excitement of Carmelo Anthony:
Carmelo just yelled out “Shump is back.” Dr Allen just slapped Shumpert‘s hand as if to congratulate him (Waiting for LA media to refute it)
— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) January 7, 2013
The upgrade the Knicks will get to their perimeter defense will be dramatic. Though Jason Kidd has been a revelation, his mind is quicker than his feet, and his feet aren’t getting any quicker.
At full strength, the Knicks might have to sacrifice offense for defense in their fourth quarter closeout lineup. Assuming Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton will be locked in, that leaves J.R. Smith, Amar’e Stoudemire, Iman Shumpert and Jason Kidd to fill the final two spots.
With Shumpert‘s lockdown tools and the Knicks’ struggles defending the perimeter, it would be hard to imagine not having Shump on the floor. This means one offensive weapon that’s used to playing crunch-time minutes might have to watch the end of games from the sidelines.
The way this team is constructed, it has no choice but to embrace a defense-first attitude.
With so many streak scorers to mesh with complementary shooters, the Knicks don’t generate enough offensive consistency to allow for defensive inconsistency. If they’re serious about contending and taking out Miami, this can’t just be a middle-of-the-pack defensive team.
New York allows teams to shoot 45.8 percent from the floor against it, which puts it in the bottom third of the league in opponent field-goal percentage. Most of the eight teams ranked below it will be lottery participants, while none are even considered potential title contenders.
The Knicks need to reestablish their defensive identity by emphasizing the significance of getting stops before getting buckets. It’s the only way they reenter the conversation with the rest of the big boys around the league.
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UConn Huskies Have Lots of Room to Grow in Lost Season
When Kevin Ollie took the reins of the Connecticut Huskies basketball team he knew he faced an extremely tough task.
The weight of expectations—nobody in Storrs will tolerate losing for long—following a legendary coach and facing NCAA sanctions that among other things ban the Huskies from 2013 postseason play would be enough.
Add to that mix a depleted roster, the loss of many recruits and a murderous meat of the Big East schedule that’s about to begin and you have enough problems to make most coaches run for the hills.
If you know anything about Kevin Ollie and his approach to basketball, you’d know he wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Huskies (11-3, 1-1) have been a pleasant surprise in the early going with a win over then-No. 14 Michigan State and tough, competitive losses against nationally ranked New Mexico and NC State.
But now the real challenges begin with a brutal three-game Big East stretch that includes two teams ranked in the top 20 and one that sits just outside of it.
It’s a tall task but a great chance for growth and learning experiences for a young team that relies more on guard play than would traditionally make fans of the team comfortable.
Both sophomore Ryan Boatright and junior Shabazz Napier are off to fast starts, averaging over 15 points per game.
Rebounding and physical play down low are key flaws that will need to improve as the season goes on and the competition level goes up.
Entering this weekend the Huskies rank 275th in the nation in rebounding. If you can find a more telling stat then good luck.
While the sanctions definitely hurt for this season, with star players Jeremy Lamb and Andre Drummond opting for the NBA rather than a year with no tournament, it also gives Ollie a chance to make his mark with a little less pressure.
Expectations, at least for this year, are not high. And that might be good with pending trips this weekend to South Bend to face No. 17 Notre Dame and then back to Storrs to welcome No. 3 Louisville on ESPN Monday night.
If the Huskies can sneak out a win in one of those games then they’ll have something to build on. It will be a huge confidence boost for a young team and their new coach.
Sometimes adversity is a good thing. It binds a team together, helps them develop an us-against-the-world mentality and buy into a system.
And that’s certainly a good thing for the UConn Huskies, because they’re about to find out what they’re made of with a brutal weekend schedule.
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Dwyane Wade Surprises Family Who Lost Apartment To Fire With Home Makeover
Dwyane Wade may be making headlines for having kicked Ramon Sessions in the family jewels, but the guys got a big heart and this story is something that should be trumping the suspension incident. Wade and his foundation showed up at the Lubin family’s temporary home because a fire burned down their apartment and all of their belongings. He brought them all new furniture and home appliances to get them back on their feet before Christmas.
According to NBC Miami:
Wade helped carry in some new furniture for the home. The Lubins had none. On Dec. 7, a fire destroyed everything in their Hallandale Beach apartment.
“I just went shopping and I lost everything I bought that day,” Lubin said. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I’m thankful.”
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How Boston Celtics Can Reclaim Their Lost Team Identity
The Boston Celtics are infuriating.
When the Celtics assembled this roster during the offseason, they envisioned it progressing into an immediate title contender, not a mediocre faction that would struggle to play .500 basketball.
Instead of contention, though, Boston has emulated the latter. For a roster of supposed championship pedigree, that’s unacceptable.
But that’s also the problem—the Celtics are not a championship-caliber team.
Why?
Because they’re void of an identity, void of an inspiring ideal that defines them. They’re void of a belief that unites them.
Troubling? Of course, but there is a silver lining—Boston can fix this.
The Celtics can still establish an identity or rather, re-establish one.
This was once a team whose success was predicated on their impenetrable defense. And, as A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com acknowledges, they remain a team who is still supposed to be characterized by their defense:
Even with all the new faces and roles this season, the Celtics were still expected to be a defensive-minded club which was supposed to carry them through the early stages of the season until everyone got on the same page.
But as far as the Celtics being a defensive team?
Even that’s up for debate at this point.
Though Blakely touches upon some nice points, he’s mistaken about one thing: Boston’s defensive execution—or lack thereof—is not up for debate. It’s clearly the team’s main problem, and no debate is necessary.
Even Doc Rivers is guilty of perpetuating such ambiguity.
After Boston’s most recent loss to the Chicago Bulls (via Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe) he failed to diagnose the heart of his team’s problems:
“This team is not a good team right now,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers whose team is now 12-12 on the season. “It’s who we are right now. We’re a .500 team and we play like that. We’ve won two games in a row for the season. Right now, we’re not a good team. We’re going to find, but not right now. We’re going to keep searching for it.”
I’m hardly one to contradict the ever-knowledgable Rivers, but simply resigning to the fact that the Celtics are “not a good team” and must keep searching for an identity isn’t enough. Admitting Boston needs to re-establish its defensive roots is.
Last season, the Celtics were first in points allowed per 100 possessions with 98.2. They also held their opponents to an effective field-goal percentage of just 45.2 (second-best in the league) while 14.9 percent of their defensive sets culminated in a forced turnover (fourth-best in the league).
This season, however, it’s been a different story.
Boston is allowing 104.3 points per 100 possessions (12th in the league) and opponents’ effective field-goal percentage has risen to 49.4 (18th in the league). They’ve also allowed 100 or more points in four straight games.
To some, this doesn’t scream identity crisis. But we must understand that for the Celtics it is.
Defense is what carried the Celtics all the way through to the Eastern Conference Finals. Defense is what is supposed to distinguish them from the rest. Defense is what will allow them to contend for a title.
The Celtics must understand that. Right now, they don’t.
Paul Pierce himself admitted defensive deficiencies have fueled Boston’s downfall thus far, yet failed to acknowledge that resolving such a conflict is their ticket back to relevancy:
“Right now we have no identity,” said a visibly disappointed Paul Pierce following Tuesday’s loss to the Bulls, their third straight. “We’re supposed to be a defensive team. But giving up 100 points every night, we’re inconsistent on the court … we’re still searching, trying to find out who we want to be for this season.”
Though Pierce comes closes to successfully identifying the root of the Celtics’ trials and tribulations, his refusal to definitively acknowledge it concerns me. Like Rivers, he preaches the concept Boston has some soul-searching to do, that it must a establish an identity.
But the Celtics don’t need to search for or create a new identity; they need to regain the one it already had.
Like it or not, offense is not the Celtics’ strong suit. Sure, Rajon Rondo can drop dimes like no one else, but Boston’s 103.3 points per 100 possessions gives them the 19th most potent offensive attack in the league.
It was the same story, different year only last season as well. The Celtics’ offense was 25th in the NBA, scoring at a rate of just 101 points per 100 possessions.
And yet, that team made pushed the Miami Heat to the brink of the Eastern Conference Finals. They came within one victory of an NBA Finals appearance.
They were title contenders.
So this isn’t a matter of the Celtics figuring out how to solve their identity crisis. They already know how to fix this, they just need to recognize it as a fact and not a theory.
Boston needs to sure up its defensive rotations. It needs to allow fewer than 42.8 points in the paint.
Simply put, it needs to embrace the art of defense in general, lest the Celtics find themselves fall out of the playoff picture while searching for resolution that has been staring them in face all along.
All stats in this article are accurate as of December 19, 2012.
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