NBA First Impressions
Written by Big Poppa TC, Friday October 30 2009
So we’re three days into the 2009 NBA season, and everyone has played once or twice. The biggest headlines are top draft pick Blake Griffin pulling a ‘Clipper’, the Shaqalicious Cavs going 0-2, and Charlotte putting up a 59 spot against the Celtics. But as we’ve seen, I don’t go in for the big headline stuff. I go in for the marginalized stuff, as well as discussions about why the Warriors suck and will continue to suck. So these are my first NBA impressions.
1. San Antonio is soooooo deep. Their second team of Manu Ginobilli, Antonio McDeyess, Dejaun Blair, George Hill, and Roger Mason (w/ a side of Theo Ratliff) could beat the Warriors, Grizz, Clippers, Bobcats, Knicks, and the Kings. After two games, their weak link is the engagement-breaker Richard Jefferson (think Stephen Jackson but an inch taller and worse defense), who coincidentally is the weak link on my fantasy basketball team. But man I love this team. The organization will develop the younger players, rest the vets, and then be ready come playoff time. It boggles the mind how other organizations don’t try harder to emulate the Spurs, who win consistently in a small market and have for soooo long. Here’s to you, David Robinson, Popovich loves you more than you will know, woh woh woh.
2. Trevor Ariza absolutely made the right decision to leave the Lakers to go to Houston. Laker fans may deride him, but how many people make a movement to a rival if somewhat smaller, less renowned company in order to get a better position, more responsibility, and a higher paycheck. You can’t blame a guy for that. And the Rockets were a pretty good team last year, and there was a pretty good chance he would get to be the star this year, alongside either Mcgrady or Yao, or on his own. He carried the Rockets in the first half against the Warriors, and really has a chance to grow. Don’t forget, he played his first few seasons for the Knicks, one of the most poorly managed and overpaying franchises in sports history. Ariza didn’t just take a bunch of money to go play for a loser. He took more money to get on a contender where he could grow and lead and still compete for a championship (note: they won’t compete this year due to injury, but at least organizationally they have a chance to improve and compete soon).
3. My sleeper pick for the East is the Toronto Raptors. If you watched former top pick Andrea Bargnani last year, you would noticed that he developed into a pseudo-center who can shoot from the outside, and has gotten tougher than people thought he would be. Paired with superstar Chris Bosh (yes, he is a superstar, he’s like the Brian Adams of basketball in Canada) and newly signed all-star Hedo Turkoglu, and they have an extremely prolific frontline. Add that with assist-machine Jose Calderon and USC draft pick Demar Derozan, and you’ve got a legit lineup that actually matches up with every other team in the East that doesn’t rhyme with the Moston Meltics. Jarrett Jack and Rasho Nestorovic are serviceable reserves, and the Raptors nailed down my point by beating the ‘King’dom on opening night. Of course we’ll never see a game as they’ll never be on American television, but keep an eye out come playoff time.
4. Steph Curry ain’t bad, but the Warriors are. If you were a somewhat superficial fan and just looked at the box score from opening night, you’d say, “Hey, the Warriors only lost by one to a playoff team with Yao Ming and T-Mac. Not bad.” But upon further examination, the Rockets played without T-Mac and Yao, and the Warriors gave up a 10-point third quarter lead and were unable to get defensive stops when necessary. And per usual, Corey Maggette and Stephen Jackson were very obviously the reason that the Warriors lost (free throw missing and jacking up stupid threes). Not that they are necessarily terrible, but when they are relied upon to lead, your team is not going to be a winning team. On the upside, Steph Curry looked solid. A little bit lost on defense (although that is the Warrior way), and tried to get too fancy a few times, but he didn’t take stupid shots. So now the race begins to see which talented youngster Don Nelson will ruin next: Steph Curry, Anthony Randolph, and Anthony Morrow. Please note that he’s already ruined Al Harrington (so much potential, turned into a taller Stephen Jackson), Andris Beidrins (you though he would have improved more by now, right?), and Brandon Wright (maybe not ruined yet, but precariously close). And if you think Monta is out of the woods in terms of being ruined by Don Nelson, you’re more wrong than Fox News is right.
5. I don’t believe at all in the Suns. How in the world is Alvin Gentry a head coach??? Were they that impressed with how he coached up Darius Miles and Michael Olowakandi on the Clippers?
6. I love Roy Hibbert and feel like he’s gonna be the next big block-meister.
7. I’ve decided that the Magic will not be as good with Vince Carter.
8. I think Big Baby (non-Glen Davis variety) wins one next week for Rampage. Although Rampage makes everyone worse. He’s like the Isaiah Thomas (post-Pistons) of MMA.
9. I can’t believe the Hawks traded for Jamal Crawford. He’s one of my least favorite players, ever. He’s boring and selfish. At least StackJack is exciting and selfish. This is one trade the Warriors got right. Although they wouldn’t have had to trade him away if they didn’t trade for him initially…
10. No shoddy ref fallout yet…
11. I can’t believe Jerry Hairston Jr. started a World Series game for the Yankees. I’m not sure he could start for the A’s, which is saying something.
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