☆☆ 2012 NBA Finals ☆☆ The King has been crowned; Heat win 2012 NBA Finals! Bron Finals MVP.

Originally Posted by ATGD7154xBBxMZ

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

I honestly think that whichever team loses tonight between the Knicks and Wizards, will have a new coach by Monday.
Is it really that bad for Flip? Damn I mean what is the owner/FO expecting of this WAS team this season?
well in that case i hope the wizards win
 
Originally Posted by Ballinsam23

Originally Posted by ATGD7154xBBxMZ

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

I honestly think that whichever team loses tonight between the Knicks and Wizards, will have a new coach by Monday.
Is it really that bad for Flip? Damn I mean what is the owner/FO expecting of this WAS team this season?
well in that case i hope the wizards win
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Originally Posted by ATGD7154xBBxMZ

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

I honestly think that whichever team loses tonight between the Knicks and Wizards, will have a new coach by Monday.
Is it really that bad for Flip? Damn I mean what is the owner/FO expecting of this WAS team this season?
Everyone has tuned him out and this team looks worse and worse by the day....

correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that Flip's MO?  In his stops in Minnesota and Det, he had veteran-laden squads handed to him (same w. DC when he had the big-3), and everyone ended up losing respect for him and not listening...
 
Originally Posted by HOOD17

Originally Posted by PMatic

Originally Posted by HOOD17

After watching recap of that Heat/Hawks game I feel bad for Al Horford. He was hardly being used. Still can't understand why they never brought in a center so he can play the 4.
Clogs up the floor on offense due to lack of spacing if your moving Smith to SF.
True

I was thinking last night..When does the ATL management say it's time to start over?

They should have started over last season.  I would gut everyone outside of Horford and start anew.

You're absolutely right DJ's.  Flip needs the door.  Really hope they bring someone in who can get control of the team, keep the frustration low and let the kids (especially Wall) have some fun out there.
  
 
David Thorpe's Rookie Watch.
Spoiler [+]
We're only into the second week of the NBA season, but it seems like the it's been going on for weeks because of the condensed schedule. And no group is suffering more from the fast pace at this point of the season than the rookies, who have so little time to study and learn about their craft, new systems, teammates and opponents.

A trick I like to use for young players who have so much to learn is to get them to clean up just one mistake they are making repeatedly. Then focus on the next one, and so on from there, rather than try to fix multiple issues at the same time. Many of the guys in our top 10 are doing lots of things well, which we'll discuss in depth next week. For now, though, here's a handy to-do list for the rookies that can keep them occupied this week.

[h4]ROOKIE 50 RANKINGS[/h4]
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We're keeping track of every NBA rook. Here are the latest Top 50 rankings.
[table][h2][/h2][tr][th=""]Rank[/th][th=""]Player[/th][th=""]Stock[/th][/tr][tr][td]1[/td][td]Ricky Rubio[/td][td]
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[/td][/tr][tr][td]2[/td][td]Norris Cole[/td][td]
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[/td][/tr][tr][td]3[/td][td]Markieff Morris[/td][td]
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[/td][/tr][tr][td]4[/td][td]Marshon Brooks[/td][td]
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[/td][/tr][tr][td]5[/td][td]Kyrie Irving[/td][td]
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[/td][/tr][tr][td]6[/td][td]Kemba Walker[/td][td]
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[/td][/tr][tr][td]7[/td][td]Tristan Thompson[/td][td]
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[/td][/tr][tr][td]8[/td][td]Jon Leuer[/td][td]
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[/td][/tr][tr][td]9[/td][td]Greg Stiemsma[/td][td]
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[/td][/tr][tr][td]10[/td][td]Brandon Knight[/td][td]
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• Click here for the complete rankings »



1. Ricky Rubio, Timberwolves
Rubio has long been a better defender than most American fans realize, using his long arms and amazing instincts to make steals and get deflections. But I noticed that he tends to stare at the ball when his man doesn't have it, and that's a dangerous mistake when guarding someone who's great at slashing or crashing the glass or shooting the 3.

When opposing players notice he has lost them because he is focusing on the ball, they'll quickly move to a spot away from him and in position to do damage. He needs to see both the ball and his man at all times.

2. Norris Cole, Heat
Cole has a well-defined role in Miami, which is one reason why he's doing well. Part of that role is to make perimeter shots that are created by all the attention LeBron James and Dwyane Wade receive. So Cole is supposed to be ready to shoot as soon as he enters the game. But that does not mean he has to shoot the first time he's open, especially when he's been in the game for just a moment. His first two shots against the Hawks on Tuesday came within a minute of entering the game, and both were 3s that missed badly.

Normally, only a wily veteran can come in cold and immediately start making deep shots. Cole had been sitting on the bench for at least 30 minutes before he entered; he won't make many long shots before making at least a trip or two up and down the court. There is nothing wrong with passing up that early 3 and using a simple shot-fake attack move instead, or trying to spot up closer to the rim until he's warm.

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3. Markieff Morris, Suns
It may have been against the defensively challenged Warriors, but 16 points and 9 rebounds always look great in a win. And how Morris got those numbers is more impressive. Banging weak defenders in the paint, posting up Monta Ellis on a switch, going to the offensive glass and hitting a 3-point shot -- Morris showed off his considerable skills and toughness all game.

Now he needs to focus on not being just a shooter in order to become an effective starting-level talent in this league. Morris is such a good shooter that it would be easy -- and wrong -- to look only for pick-and-pop 3s. He has to find a way to bang inside for a bucket or a foul. He's a big, strong man who is a much better low-post scorer than many people realize. So he needs to take advantage of it.

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4. MarShon Brooks, Nets
Brooks puts his long arms to good use on offense and on the glass. But they are not yet weapons for him on defense -- and they should be.

His arms should be post-pass inhibitors when guarding the ball on the perimeter. They could help him be a better help defender on dribble-drives or cuts. And, perhaps most importantly, they should be straight up when contesting shots -- this is a hallmark of the best defensive players and teams, whether closing out the shooter they're guarding or rotating to another.

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5. Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers
Irving is not just a good shooter for a young player, he can get to the rim, too. He is getting five shots a game at the rim, which is great. But he is making less than half of them, which is poor. As a rookie, Derrick Rose attempted 5.9 shots at the rim and made 58 percent of them (he's making 60 percent of his attempts there this season).

There are two things Irving can work on that will pay immediate dividends:

1. Try to finish shots higher off the backboard. You've heard the saying, "The board is your best friend," and that's because there are so many places on the backboard that you can kiss the ball off of and still make the shot. Getting it up higher means increased chances to find the right spot, including when Irving is hit as he shoots.

2. Identify when the shot-blockers are hugging the basket and, when they are, release the shot before getting to the rim. Overpenetrating is a problem for most young NBA guards since they are getting used to the amazing height and length of most NBA bigs. Drives that have always ended up in buckets for them are now misses or blocks. (Rose had 14 percent of his "close" shots blocked as a rookie; Irving is now at 24 percent.)

Learning the floater would enable Irving to get a better shot over the trees. And when he begins to make that shot consistently, he'll force those tall guys to come out more to challenge him, giving him the space to finish at the rim that he doesn't have now.

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6. Kemba Walker, Bobcats
There is some irony to one of Kemba's biggest problems as a pro early this season: He's one of the fastest ball-pushers in the league, but he's at his worst as a finisher in the first 10 seconds of a possession. His effective field goal percentage in those first 10 seconds is just 38 percent, and he generates more than half his shots in that time span.

Compare that to D.J. Augustin, who is also small and quick, but not quite as fast in the full court. He takes 41 percent of his shots that early, but his effective field goal percentage is a robust 55 percent.

Walker makes three big mistakes in the early offense, which will improve with experience. First, he's fast enough to get wherever he wants to go, but he's moving too fast to read where the big help defenders will be. By the time he has beaten the primary defender and is getting to the rim, the second (and typically bigger) defender has arrived.

Second, he tends to drive too deep into the paint, where the angle on a shot is steeper and thus more difficult (we refer to this as players putting themselves in jail as they are under the rim and trapped on all sides by defenders). Walker will develop a better floater and can use this to release a shot before the help defender comes while also having a better angle to make the shot.

Third, he doesn't take enough care in his perimeter shot selection. He's taking too many tough, long 2s and 3s for someone who's not yet a good perimeter shooter. Walker is a dynamite 10-15 foot jump shooter. I'd like to see him take more of those shots, which he's good enough to get.

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7. Tristan Thompson, Cavaliers

Thompson has proved that he can get to the line a lot as a pro, much as he did in college. Making those free throws, however, is another matter; he sank just 1-of-6 against New Jersey earlier this week. Don't panic, Cavs fans; I like his shot mechanics. What I don't like, though, is the flatness of his shot.

In my gym each summer, I often ask players who shoot the ball flat to exaggerate the arc on the next few shots just to see what they do. Almost always, the next shot they shoot goes in, with a perfect arc. I then take a shot myself and chuck the ball near the ceiling. That, I explain, is an exaggerated arc, and the shot they just made is what a pro free throw should look like.

The higher arc creates a better angle coming down, in a sense making the rim appear bigger and thus allowing for more imperfect shots to go in. When Thompson adds arc to his shot, he'll make more free throws.

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8. Jon Leuer, Bucks
Leuer reminds me a lot of Omer Asik, but not because he's a pale, skinny dude playing in the post. It's because they are both 6-11 guys who do an excellent job of moving their feet on defense and thus are often in exactly the right position to help thwart an enemy attack. You don't have to be a shot-blocker to do this, nor an extremely powerful man. You just have to get to the right spot and be aware of your duties.

Leuer, of course, is not perfect. One mistake that jumped out at me recently was his failure to fully rotate to the other big man who had rolled to the rim after a ball screen. He was guarding Derrick Favors above the free throw line on Tuesday after Enes Kanter set a ball screen, and Leuer only momentarily stood in front of Kanter before hopping back to Favors.

The problem was his teammate, Larry Sanders, was already in better position to rotate high onto Favors, which is the customary switch on that kind of action. The other problem was that Kanter was now standing under the rim while Favors was 17 feet away; Kanter is the primary threat here and Leuer should have no other thought but to stay with the primary threat. Leuer has been one of the best rookies at playing intelligently in this class, and I'd expect him to quickly learn from this mistake.

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9. Greg Stiemsma, Celtics
Stiemsma is doing exactly what the Celtics thought he could do when they signed him; he ranks as one of the top shot-blockers in the NBA. He's fourth in blocks per game (2.6) and first by a mile in blocks per 48 minutes. Still, he's not having an impact on Boston's overall defense the way Kendrick Perkins did, and the team is shockingly in the bottom third in defensive efficiency.

This is, in part, because he's always raising up to contest shooters, even before they are ready to shoot. I like to see defenders with their hands up early, but their butts down, ready to slide. This also helps them stay grounded and not go for the shot-fake, another problem Stiemsma has shown the need to work on. There is a fine line great shot-blockers must walk between blocking and contesting shots while not fouling or moving themselves out of good defensive positioning. That's a big difference between what the Celtics had with Perkins and what they have now in the big rookie.

Great team defense largely depends on all five players moving at the exact moment the ball leaves a player's fingertips on a pass or his first dribble. As Stiemsma gets stood up contesting, and then the ball is moved or dribbled, it takes him an extra moment to first bend his knees and then to slide. Those extra moments add up to valuable seconds -- more time than Boston is used to giving up -- for opponents to get better shots.

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10. Brandon Knight, Pistons
Quite honestly, there are so many things Knight does stunningly well. But we'll address those another time. One issue I see with him -- and something I see from most young guards -- is a failure to shift to a higher gear and take a better angle when using ball screens early in the offense. Knight is content with simply moving from one side of the court to the other, and the lack of focus to force the defense to work to defend the action makes it easy for the opposition.

Great guards are almost always on the attack, or at least aware and ready to attack when they see even the slightest mistake from a defender. Being in attack mode early in the offense can force those mistakes.

[h3]Advice for five other rooks ...[/h3]
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Jimmer Fredette, Kings
I remember years ago when the Pistons were playing against a strong team in Europe in the preseason. Isiah Thomas was providing commentary on the game when he saw one of the Euro guards with the ball sizing up Joe Dumars, hoping to take him one-on-one. Thomas started to laugh. Then the player ended up taking a horrible shot that had no chance of going in. The play-by-play announcer asked what was funny, and Thomas responded, "That's Joe Dumars he's trying to take by himself."

I mention that here because Fredette did the exact same thing late in a blowout in Memphis against Tony Allen. Yes, Allen, who many people think is the best wing defender in the NBA not named LeBron James. Fredette ended up driving, jumping up with no plan and weakly passing the ball directly to the other team.

The lesson? Don't try to take elite defenders one-on-one. Instead, make an easy pass and force that defender to chase you past a screen or two. Then the odds will turn more in your favor.

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Jeremy Pargo, Grizzlies
Pargo put together two nice games against OKC and Houston before playing horribly against the Bulls. He's ultra-quick and powerfully built, which is why it's hard to swallow his weak shot attempts when he drives toward the rim. Pargo tends to throw up horribly off-balance shots rather than initiate some contact before squaring up and attempting the shot; the latter would increase his chances at drawing the foul while also giving him a better chance at making the shot.

With Mike Conley returning and Josh Selby breathing down his neck for more playing time, Pargo needs to finish better or he's in danger of going from NBA starter to the D-League.

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Josh Selby, Grizzlies
Selby has high-level pro talent and a big body for a guard, but to make it in this league he has to prove he's willing to do the little things. So when he's back in transition defense protecting the paint and sees a hard-driving Derrick Rose attacking down the middle, stepping in to take a charge would mean a lot to his coaches, which would directly help Selby earn more playing time.

This situation came up against the Bulls on Monday, and I'm not sure Rose or Selby saw each other as there were some trees in the paint . Advantage, Selby. At least, it should've been. Selby should always know where the ball is, and when it's Rose, stopping the Bulls' point guard is priority No. 1. But instead of stepping into Rose's path and taking the easiest charge of his career, Selby walked outside the paint and just watched Rose go by him.

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Josh Harrellson, Knicks
Anything the Knicks get from Harrellson on offense other than some spot shooting is more than they expect this season, but it doesn't mean he can't score off classic half-court action. He has good hands, long arms and a big body, so after setting a ball screen and rolling to the rim, he can't just float deep into open space. That's a turnover waiting to happen, as smart defenders waiting on him can slide around him as the pass comes.

He needs to run right up to the defender and then seal him by using his hip, butt and back to lock the defender behind him. That will give his passer confidence that an entry pass will end up as an assist, not a turnover.

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Charles Jenkins, Warriors
Jenkins made the most of his 14 minutes in Golden State's first game in 2012 by hitting a long jump shot in each of the first three quarters against Phoenix. Now he has to recognize that he's better off taking a 3-pointer than a 22-footer (which his first two shots were). Nobody is making a career out of making long 2s.
 
Bargnani getting loose again, is it too early for me to start making Lamarcus Aldridge jokes again? Those were the days huh chester?
 
Yes thats Flip's MO.
The Knicks are more likely to stick with Mark just cause they and not Dantoni decided to sign a guy who makes Amare an exclusive jump shooter.
 
Without Lowry, the Rockets have no chance against the Thunder. Ibaka just hit his first career 3 I think outside of the ones he hit in the Rook/Soph All Star Game.
 
The hell is anthony pushing Wall for????



His home court, game leading bucket. Stop being a baby Melo
 
One night after Hawks go into triple OT with the Heat, they go into their first OT against the Bobcats on their back to back to back.
 
This Wizards team might have the worst basketball iq of all time. They look like a YMCA team.

Also Carmelo is the most overrated player ever!
 
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