2 Lakers, 2 Clippers get All-Star starts (AP)
From Kobe Bryant to Chris Paul, Blake Griffin to Andrew Bynum, the NBA All-Star game is shaping up as an L.A. story. Two Lakers and two Clippers were voted as starters Thursday for the game, the first time in 15 years that two pairs of teammates have been voted to start for one conference. Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant prevented a clean Los Angeles sweep of the Western Conference starting lineup…
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NBA 2012: Why Making the Playoffs Always Starts at Home
At the start of every season, there’s always a blueprint to making the NBA playoffs.
Give the ball to Derrick Rose; don’t get monstered on by Blake Griffin.
Obviously some plans are a little more complicated than others, but every team, despite the realistic chances, has a blueprint to making the playoffs.
And yet despite sometimes simple and sometimes complicated blueprints, underlying each plan is the basic notion that winning home games makes you a playoff team.
Winning home games makes you a playoff team.
It sounds so simple and so basic, yet the numbers all point to it proving to be true. In the past few seasons, the sides that have dominated at home have been playoff contenders—even when they’re probably not the greatest sides in the league.
2009-10 Regular Season
In the 2009-10 regular season, the Atlanta Hawks finished with the number three seed heading in to the playoffs, despite having a 19-22 record on the road. Milwaukee finished with the number six seed after going 18-23 on the road; Charlotte the seventh seed after going 13-28 on the road.
All that was possible because because of their impressive home records. The Hawks were 34-7 at home, the Bucks 28-13 and the Bobcats 31-10.
A similar story happened in the Western Conference. Both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns finished with the first and third rankings respectively, despite having average road records. The Lakers were 23-18 on the road, and the Suns were 22-19.
You guessed it though, as the Lakers went 34-7 at home, and the Suns notched a 32-9 record.
2010-11 Regular Season
Again, home court prevailed in the 2010-11 season, as the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics secured the first and third seeds in the East while only going 26-15 and 23-18 respectively on the road. Both sides lost less than ten games at home all year though.
Adding to that mix, seeds five through eight all progressed through to the playoffs, despite putting up losing road records. The Philadelphia 76ers recorded a 15-26 record on the road and the Indiana Pacers went 13-28, showing the significance that a home record plays.
The West for 2010-11 also showcased the necessity to win home games to make the playoffs.
Denver Nuggets, fifth seed, 17-24 on the road, 33-8 at home.
Portland Trailblazers, sixth seed, 18-23 on the road, 30-11 at home.
The Hornets, seventh seed, 18-23 on the road, 28-13 at home.
Memphis Grizzlies, eighth seed, 16-25 on the road, 30-11 at home.
All sides that wouldn’t have made the playoffs if not for their outstanding home records.
2011-12 Regular Season
And despite the season only being a month old and the contenders only just beginning to separate themselves out from the pretenders, we can see again the importance that a dominant home court has towards making a playoff appearance.
Currently, no divisional leader has dropped more than two games at home, and three of them have only dropped a single game at home, despite the fact that three of them have poor road records.
The 12-6 Philadelphia are 4-4 on the road, but 8-2 at home. The same goes for the LA Clippers who are 1-4 on the road, but are 8-2 at home and lead this division as a result. Look also at the San Antonio Spurs, who are 2-6 away from home but 10-1 at home.
All teams with playoff aspirations and all teams that will most likely be there come playoff time, yet have losing records.
It’s not magic, it’s not anything spectacular; it’s simply the truth that winning home games gets you in to the playoffs. And if the sides that are solid on the road, and have solid records could start to win a few more tight home games, they too will be making a genuine playoff threat.
It’s not the most complicated blueprint, but it is one that’s working.
And when it comes to playoffs, that’s all teams ever want it do.
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Ricky Rubio starts to get grudging respect
ATLANTA When Minnesota played Milwaukee in its second game of the season, Kevin Love had 30 and 20 and the Wolves lost a close game 98-95. Interestingly, Bucks guard Brandon Jennings didnt create a national stir with his performance.
Jennings, the flashy and candid point guard had 24 points and seven assists, clearly outplaying Minnesota rookie Ricky Rubio. The Spanish import had just six points and four assists with three turnovers, but Jennings didnt have much to say. Not anything antagonistic, at least.
When asked about his relationship with Rubio, Jennings said, I wouldnt say its a rivalry. But trust that Jennings got some pleasure out of the win and outplaying Rubio.
Prior to the 2009 NBA Draft where Rubio was selected fifth, five spots ahead of Jennings Jennings had this to say about Rubio: Yeah, I think Im a better player than he is. I just shoot the ball better than he can. The only thing Ive seen him do sometimes is when he has a home-run pass or something like that. I think the dude is all hype.
You know Jennings went at Rubio extra hard when the two were on the court. You know every opposing guard probably goes at Rubio a little harder than usual in a let me see what this young Spaniard is about kind of way.
On the Hype Meter, Rubio is registering right up there with leagues biggest stars these days and hes just a rookie, playing for a mediocre (but blossoming) squad.
Timberwolves assistant coach Terry Porter, a former point guard, was quoted after the game saying, When you’re a player and you got a young point guard and a guy who has a lot of hype, as a veteran you want to go at him and see what he’s made of. That’s part of the process. That’s the initiation, so to speak, to the point guard-hood of the NBA.
Thats what Rubio is up against this season.
Hes like the NBAs Tim Tebow on a smaller level. Hes polarizing. Some people love him and some people dont like him very much (hate is too strong).
At a recent game in Atlanta, Rubio was booed several times. This is notable because the Hawks crowd can be one of the most placid in the league, conjuring up enthusiasm or ire for only the most compelling teams and athletes. That they booed Rubio is telling. They chanted JONAS-BROTHER at the kid because of his Jonas-like wig.
Any time Rubio drew a foul the crowd moaned louder than usual. OH! Anytime his hair flops its a foul, now? shouted one fan.
Now, in contrast, No. 1 pick Kyrie Irving visited Philips a few after Rubio. Irving played at Duke and the crowd couldnt muster any ill will. Love and hate from fans is only for big stars like Rubio? Yep, like Rubio.
Its always been clear why Rubio has captivated. He sees things on the floor that only the most gifted passers see. Hes a Houdini with the ball. Hes unique and precocious. Hes a highlight reel. Love was the NBAs Flavor of the Month last season, now he takes a backseat at least interest-wise to Rubio.
I think its great, said Love. It brings a lot of attention to our team. And it takes a lot of attention and pressure off me.
Rubio Mania is definitely a thing.
But, even though he has a lot of fans and admirers, theres always been and still is an undercurrent of skepticism and resentment from others.
Jennings wasnt the only dissenting voice back in 2009. He was called a Spanish Globetrotter, one former AOL columnist wrote, He very easily could be a Eurobust, who has brainwashed us with YouTube reels that conveniently ignore his turnovers and no-look flips with no-chance recipients.
Purposed or not, there seemed to be some xenophobia and ethnocentrism at work when it came to Rubio questioning (and sometime outright bashing). Some of it sprang from a subscription to good ol American exceptionalism (We are the progenitors and perfectors of basketball), some of it was the product of a string of Eurobusts (Rubio who? Oh, please not another Nikoloz Tskitishvili).
By the early 2000s, the NBAs foreign explosion was in full swing and sometimes it seemed like, for an American fan, there were more and more players getting drafted with names they couldnt pronounce. American born college players probably didnt too much appreciate the first round guaranteed contract pool growing smaller and smaller.
Twenty foreign-born players were drafted in 2003, including, fair or not, Eurobust posterboy Darko Milicic, picked second and ahead of future All- Stars like Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh. In the subsequent years there were too many Pavel Podkolns and not enough Dirk Nowitzkis. Fans, analysts (and many scouts) started souring on the foreign boom too many unknowns.
People get a chance to watch the college guys, so you have an idea of the kind of player that youre dealing with, said Vladimir Radmanovich.
The current Hawk was the No. 12 pick of 2001 Draft, a draft that featured some future All-Stars, like Spains Pau Gasol and American busts, like top pick Kwame Brown. Most of us that come from Europe are enigmas and mysteries to 99 percent of the people other than the scouts and GMS that come to see us.
As Milicic, forever burdened with never living up to his pre-draft hype, said, For a foreign player to come in and be the second pick, it was like Who is he?
Thats part of what Rubio has dealt with these past three years incredulity, ignorance and cynicism. It also didnt help that it took him two full seasons to finally come stateside, not without him reportedly trying to finagle his way to a more attractive city and organization. And its not like he was averaging a triple-double while he stayed in Spain, either. So, when he finally arrived in Minneapolis to begin his pro career, there were more eyes on him than any of his fellow rookies. Its the kind of pressure that could make a make a weak dude crumble. Rubio, to the surprise of many, has thrived.
Watching him play when we first came to practice, what we didnt know was that he was such a competitor, said Wolves coach Rick Adelman. Hes going to compete with people.
Rubio passes are SportsCenter staples, that part of his game gets the buzz; but the hallmark of his early career has been his ability to meet the expectation and pressure head on. Hes skinny and he looks pre-pubescent, but the kid isnt a punk.
Rubio was 0-10 before he hit his game-tying three-pointer against the Clippers, a game the Wolves won on a no he didnt 25-footer from Love at the buzzer. Rubios trey took as much, if not more, resolve than Loves game-winner. Rubio is a gamer.
His competitive streak, production and obvious skill are gradually winning over people that used to be critics.
Back when Jennings was calling Rubio all hype, he intimated that Rubio was the worst of all the first-round point guard prospects. He might have been mostly right. Theres a good chance Rubio will never be as good as Jennings, Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson or Steph Curry. But thats debatable.
Its clear, however, that Rubio has already outperformed Jonny Flynn (whom Jennings mentioned), his fellow Minnesota draft pick that year. Flynn can barely stay out of the D-League.
Whats Jennings have to say now?
Hes going to be good.
Yeah, thats a little ho-hum, but you can sense Rubio winning begrudged respect from even his most stern skeptics. If he finds a way to get over the inevitable Rookie Wall, maybe opposing fans will stop clowning him with boy-band references. Thats gotta get old.
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Indiana Pacers: Toughest Stretch of the Season Starts at the Lakers
The Pacers are set to begin their toughest stretch of the season with 11 of the next 14 games coming against current playoff teams along with dates against the defending champion Mavericks and the surging Minnesota Timberwolves sandwiched in between. (The combined winning percentage of the Pacers’ opponents is an astoundingly high .610)
To make it worse, eight of those contests come on the road. The only cupcake on the otherwise gruesome schedule is a home date with the hapless New Jersey Nets.
When all is said and done, Indiana will have a very clear idea of where they stand and whether or not they’ve successfully climbed from borderline playoff pretender to a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.
This crucial stretch will also either prove or discredit Larry Bird’s six year theory in the making that a complete team can compete and win against a team with a collection of superstars, or in Chicago‘s case, the reigning MVP.
So far, Bird’s wisdom has paid dividends. The Pacers are off to a hot 10-4 start and have been one of the league’s darlings in the early going.
In large part, the success can be attributed to the fact that the Pacers have assembled what is perhaps the most complete starting five, if not team, in the league. From point guard Darren Collison all the way down to center Roy Hibbert, the Pacers don’t have a glaring weakness.
On any given night, any of the Pacers’ top seven players could go for 20 points without such a scoring output being seen as a career night.
Perhaps, though, this is the team’s very problem. Without a superstar, the Pacers still look unsure as to who will be the go-to guy on any given night. More importantly, Indiana doesn’t have a player they can depend on in the clutch.
So while defenses must remain on their toes, Indiana too must fret in close games, hoping that someone will step up and find their rhythm in time to close out the game.
The added stress was evident against the Sacramento Kings as the Pacers took a 14 point lead into the fourth quarter before going cold and squandering the impressive effort. It wasn’t Sacramento that held Indiana to only eight fourth-quarter points, it was the Pacers themselves who did it. Nobody knew where or to whom the ball should go. Ultimately the lack of confidence spread to the Pacers shooting touch as players made timid decisions and hoisted weak looking shots.
The following game, the Pacers nearly let it happen again. Were it not for a solid defensive effort including George Hill’s spectacular steal and three-point play to win the game, the Pacers would have let another winnable game slip away.
Fortunately for Indiana, a majority of their games have come with comfortable margins.
For the Pacers to survive the upcoming gauntlet, they must figure out who wants the ball and who is clutch down the stretch. If they can do that, eight, nine, even 10 wins is a possibility and Larry Bird will continue to stake his claim as General Manager of the Year.
If not, Indiana will suffer through a lot of close losses and come out battered and bruised.
10 wins would be spectacular over the next 14 games, seven to nine would be respectable and six or less could derail what has been a pleasantly surprising season to date.
Up first will be Kobe Byrant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
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James starts, Wade still out for Heat
LeBron James is back in the starting lineup for the Miami Heat, but Dwyane Wade is missing his third straight game against the New Jersey Nets.
The All-Stars both were sidelined for the Heat’s 116-109 triple-overtime victory in Atlanta on Thursday, but only James’ sprained left ankle was healed enough to return to the lineup Saturday. Wade worked out before the game before the Heat decided he would sit out his third straight with a bruised left foot.
James Jones started at shooting guard.
For the Nets, center Mehmet Okur missed the game with back spasms and Damion James was out with a sore right foot. He had an MRI exam Saturday that showed no breaks.
Anthony Morrow started for the Nets after having a partial root canal earlier Saturday.
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Dallas Mavericks and Other NBA Teams off to Surprisingly Bad Starts in 2011-12
After an unfortunate lockout delayed the NBA season, it appears that some teams are still in lag mode to start out the chase for the playoffs. While some of these teams could be favorites to bring home a championship, it’s clear they must do something to snap out of their respective slow starts.
Most of these teams will find playoff spots at the end of the season, but they could truly benefit from finding chemistry and stringing together wins now.
However, let’s not forget that the last time the NBA was halted by a lockout an eight seed in the Eastern Conference made an appearance in the Finals. With that said, nothing is a lock, but these teams must kick it into gear before other issues arise.
Let’s check out these teams…
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Dallas Mavericks and Other NBA Teams off to Surprisingly Bad Starts in 2011-12
After an unfortunate lockout delayed the NBA season, it appears that some teams are still in lag mode to start out the chase for the playoffs. While some of these teams could be favorites to bring home a championship, it’s clear they must do something to snap out of their respective slow starts.
Most of these teams will find playoff spots at the end of the season, but they could truly benefit from finding chemistry and stringing together wins now.
However, let’s not forget that the last time the NBA was halted by a lockout an eight seed in the Eastern Conference made an appearance in the Finals. With that said, nothing is a lock, but these teams must kick it into gear before other issues arise.
Let’s check out these teams…
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Kentucky Basketball: Slow Starts a Big Concern Going into SEC Play
The Kentucky Wildcats need to be careful heading into their Southeastern Conference schedule.
They have been having some slow starts this season, and that could be dangerous when they start playing bigger, faster and more physical teams than they have become accustomed to over the first 15 games of the year.
On Tuesday night, they went into the home locker room at halftime down three points to Arkansas-Little Rock before ripping off a 23-1 run in the second half to put their weaker opponent away. Those small deficits are going to be a lot harder to overcome against the likes of Florida, Mississippi State, Alabama, LSU and the powerhouses in the conference. They cannot afford to be down and expect their inexperienced freshman to consistently bail them out with big runs late in the game.
It’s been a luxury that they have been able to use when matched up against Loyola (MD) and other lesser opponents from small conferences, but that style of play simply won’t fly in the SEC.
Freshman phenom Anthony Davis, a lock to go towards the top of the 2012 NBA draft if he declares, understands this as well: “I heard it’s very physical,” Davis said. “The way we came out and played in the first half is not going to be acceptable in SEC play.”
Teammate Darius Miller, now a senior with the Wildcats, also knows by now that they need more consistent play:
In the beginning of the game, we came out and we had no intensity and we were very sluggish. We have to do a better job of coming out and taking care of business from the beginning.
Well see, starting Saturday against South Carolina, if coach John Calipari can get a solid 40 minutes of basketball out of his boys in SEC matchups.
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With foot OK, Wade starts against Wolves (AP)
Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade was in the starting lineup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night after being considered a game-time decision with a sore left foot. Wade tested his foot both at the team’s morning shootaround and before the game to determine if he was ready to play. The injury bothered him in the game at Charlotte on Wednesday, but not enough to prevent him from making…
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Bird: Pacers to be active before season starts
Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird says he will actively look to improve his team before the season begins.
The Pacers have significant salary cap space, and Bird says he wants to add pieces to a solid young core that features Danny Granger, Darren Collison, Roy Hibbert, Tyler Hansbrough, Paul George and newcomer George Hill. Of that group, only the 28-year-old Granger is older than 26.
Bird says he won’t rush because Indiana will be in a strong negotiating position again next year.
Bird wouldn’t address the team’s rumored interest in Boston point guard Rajon Rondo and Utah forward Paul Millsap.
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