The Hoop Doctors Daily Dimes: 08/25

Monday, August 25, 2008

Prescribed NBA reading from all over the world wide web

J.E. Skeets live blogs the USA Gold. Worth readin’ folks!
Ball Don’t Lie: Live Blog – USA vs. Spain

Jerry to keep the USA a rollin’ to golds…
Colangelo expected to return for 2012

Hardwood Paroxysm talkin’ biznass with NBA bloggers
The Role of Small Markets in the League

Like Contests? Cuzoogle has somethin’ for ya!
Cuzoogle’s Pigskin Picks Contest

D.Miles to wear Celtic Green…
Thank you Danny, for calling Portland’s Bluff

Meet Greg Oden, your 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year…

August 22, 2008 – Dr. Anklesnap

The Portland Trail Blazers don’t know Greg Oden. The media doesn’t know Greg Oden. The fans don’t know Greg Oden. Heck his college team Ohio State from 2006-07 doesn’t even know Greg Oden. So who does know Greg Oden? In a basketball sense, probably nobody but Greg Oden knows Greg Oden.

The 2007 NBA Draft #1 overall pick by the Portland Trailblazers has yet to play even one game in an NBA uniform, yet the guy is larger than life. Maybe not on a scale as big as King James, but certainly in a similar fashion the media has dogged this guy since he first stepped on the basketball court as a youngster. He was bigger than everybody, better than everybody, and all watcher’s were sure he was special. But just how special? No one actually knows at this point, just how special.

In his one and only season in the NCAA, he put up some big numbers 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game in only 28 minutes. Seems impressive, right? What is impressive is he did all that playing the whole season wearing a cast on an injured right wrist, rehabbing from surgery to repair torn ligaments. As far as the Portland Trail Blazers were concerned those college numbers were significant enough to pick Oden #1 solely on what was seen as limitless potential due to his size and athletic ability, as many figured Kevin Durant would be the consensus #1 pick that year after a monstrous season of 26 points and 11 rebounds per game. Kevin Durant was chosen #2 by the Seattle Supersonics. Oden then came up gimpy requiring serious micro fracture knee surgery before ever having logged minutes for the Blazers. Flashbacks of Sam Bowie Blazers fans?

I have to admit I was a skeptic for a while when it came to Oden. I am one of those people that needs to see before I believe. After watching the video below of Greg Oden last week working out publicly for the Portland Media, i’m more now on the fence waiting to be dazzled in real live NBA games. Her certainly has a hop to his step in the workout that gives you glimpses of the potential greatness to come. Here is a quick video look-in of the workout that has me going out on a limb to predict Mr. Oden will be your 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year:

Dunks, Dunks, and more Dunks! I love Slaaaam Dunks…

August 21, 2008 – Dr. J-Water

Who doesn’t love dunks? I’ve come to the conclusion that if you don’t love dunking there is something wrong with you in your brain. And if for genetic reasons you can’t dunk, then you love watching people dunk. I’m not sure what the actual science behind the fascination is, but what I do know is that whatever chemical is released in your brain to notify you that you are happy or excited about something, it is released in abundance when you see a basketball player rise up and throw the ball down hard through the hoop. Especially if the dunk is on an opposing player trying to block it.

I have always been obsessed with dunks. Even as a youngster if practicing by myself I always slacked off on the fundamentals and focused on being able to touch the mesh. Then as I got a bit older all I cared about was being able to touch the rim. Then it was throwing self alley-oops off the bounce in an empty gym, because my hands weren’t big enough yet to palm the ball. Then that fateful day when an ‘in-game dunk’ came, almost by surprise. A hard drive to the basket for a lay-up somehow turned into a dunk. It may have been a ‘tweener’, but hey it was still a dunk. It was official, from that day forward I would consider myself an ‘in-game dunker’. Being a late bloomer meant that on that day I was 18 years old. Unlike some of the genetic misfits I hear about, who had their first dunk on a 10 foot hoop when they were 12 or 13 years old, I had no such luck.

Well i’m now in my late 20′s and guess what? I’m still obsessed with dunks! This is why I bring you my latest YouTube hidden gem. The 2008 Top 40 NBA Dunks! Enjoy:

The Hoop Doctors Daily Dimes: 08/21

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Prescribed NBA reading from all over the world wide web

The Arbitrarian….lovin’ it.
500 Greatest Individual Performances in NBA

The Bucks takin’ a big ol’ kick in the ‘you know what’
Four Words Bucks Fans Don’t Want to Hear: Bogut. Injury. Ligaments. Damage.

Could Curry have beated the strong Chinese contingent on the Rings?
No, no, Eddie Curry really was a gymnast

Could Bolt (oops I mean Amare) reach his potential finally with the Suns this year?
Some can’t help but think of Amare when they watch Bolt

NBA now gives green light to Iranian player to sign. Good side step Stern!
NBA teams cleared to negotiate with Iranians

Is Jermaine O’Neal the missing piece to a Colangelo masterpiece in Toronto?

August 20, 2008 – Dr. Browntorious

Yesterday I read a great Sports Illustrated post by Ian Thomsen on Jermaine O’Neal and his summer rehab efforts in Las Vegas. If you are even remotely a J.O. or Raptors fan, you definitely have to check it out as it will get you more than just a little excited for the upcoming NBA season. For me, it’s not so much that i’m either a Raptors or J.O. fan, but more that i’m a Bryan Colangelo fan. The guy is an absolute genius when it comes to putting the right mix of players on a roster for a team to thrive. The speed at which he has turned the Raptors franchise around, back to respectability has been nothing short of miraculous.

What I found most interesting about the Sports Illustrated preview of Jermaine O’Neal for next season however was Colangelo’s comments on the mindset of Jermaine O’Neal and how this played into his decision to make a move for O’Neal. Colangelo had this to say:

“He is extremely motivated right now to answer any questions about his health, his attitude and who he is as a basketball player. I can’t think of a better mental or emotional state to find a player in.”

While many other NBA General Managers and scouts are out there evaluating talent based on their skill, health, and ability to fill a gap in their current roster, Bryan Colangelo is taking it to another level by evaluating a player’s personality, emotional state, and psyche as these factors are hugely important to how well a player will mesh with a team’s current personnel and team philosophy. Regardless of the fact that Jermaine O’Neal is only 30 years old, he has seemingly been through it all during his career. From being the leader and focal point of a team that had an NBA leading 61 win season, to being suspended and charged for punching a fan, to being involved in legal issues away from basketball, to playing injured, to rehabbing from knee surgery. But there is one thing O’Neal has not done, and that is win a championship. It’s for this reason that Colangelo felt that not only does O’Neal have the skill set to fill a couple major needs of the Raptors (defense and rebounding), but he also has the drive and motivation to prove all his recent nay sayers wrong, and show he has a lot left in the tank, and he can be a big factor for a winning franchise once again.

What I always found humorous when Colangelo first arrived in Toronto, was the notion developed by the mainstream media that his goal was to somehow re-create an Eastern Conference version of the 2005-06 Phoenix Suns with the Raptors roster. Essentially a run and gun offense, where the ultimate goal was to outscore your opponent with little regard for defense. Instead, Colangelo made moves to bring in pass-first heady players, and spot-on perimeter shooters that really wanted to play basketball “the right way” (as Coach Larry Brown always says). The only problem with their defense (a major one however) up until O’Neal’s arrival has been, Chris Bosh could not be in two places at once, and therefore the team couldn’t defend at the rim. Couple that with the fact that the Raptors were one of the weaker defensive rebounding clubs among the Eastern Conference playoff teams, and you have a very large hole that needs filling. In comes Jermaine O’Neal.

After telling you how I disagreed with the thought that Colangelo is attempting to recreate the Phoenix Suns in the East, my thoughts on the current roster make-up of the Raptors now creates a very glaring internal irony for me. If you look fairly closely at the player skill sets and how they play, you will actually notice a pretty strong similarity between the current roster of the Raptors and the make up of the Phoenix Suns. While I used to laugh at the notion that Colangelo would be re-creating an Eastern Conference version of the 2005 Phoenix Suns, he may just have re-created in Toronto a similar style and roster to the 2008-09 Phoenix Suns. Here is a quick look at what i’m thinking:

Center: Jermaine O’Neal, Shaquille O’Neal

Both players have been the subject of criticism that their careers are in decline. However, regardless of how well either one plays in comparison to 4 or 5 years ago, no one will deny they are game changers on defense through intimidation in the paint and strong defensive rebounding abilities.

Power Forward: Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire

Both Bosh and Stoudemire are freaks of nature when it comes to their ability to score in a variety of ways regardless of their size. It is still uncommon to see power forwards put the ball on the floor with such ease, have deep range on their jump shots, and yet still dominate opponents in the post with footwork when a bucket is needed. Both Bosh and Stoudemire not only can create their own shot, but have great hands in traffic when on the receiving end of passes from teammates.

Small Forward: Jamario Moon, Matt Barnes

Jamario moon has made a name for himself in the NBA for being a high flyer. But the real Cinderella story surrounding Moon is predicated on his ability to rebound, hustle, defend, and do whatever else is necessary to help the team win. These skills and attributes of Moon are exactly the reason the Phoenix Suns signed Golden State Warriors forward Matt Barnes. Barnes has coupled his athleticism and speed with a toughness and grit on defense that helps him bring similar traits to the table as Jamario Moon. They both are excellent defenders, shot blockers, and rebounder’s, but the biggest offensive similarity is their ability to hit the open jump shot up to and including 3-pt range.

Shooting Guard: Anthony Parker, Raja Bell

Probably two of the more unsung heroes on their respective squads. These two guys are given the job night in and night out of defending the oppositions top perimeter scorer. How would you like to be in charge of shutting down Kobe Bryant, TMac, Lebron James, or DWade? What amazes me most about these two similar role players, is their ability to still have something in the tank for offense. You rarely see these two guys take “bad shots”, as they have excellent discipline and sweet strokes from the perimeter.

Point Guard: Jose Calderon, Steve Nash

It’s really hard to compare anyone to Steve Nash. Let’s face it, there is nobody like him and there probably never will be. But if someone put a gun to my head and told me to name a player most like Steve Nash, i’d undoubtedly throw out the name Jose Calderon. Both players are amazing passers and ball handlers, but unselfish to a fault. And what is that fault? The fact that these guys are such high percentage shooters for a guard, it makes it almost too bad that they don’t shoot more often. However, both possess a special trait of just somehow knowing when their team needs a scoring spark and then they aren’t shy about getting the job done. Stoudemire and Bosh might be the scoring leaders on their respective teams, but everything on offense starts and finishes with Nash and Calderon.

I don’t presume to know who the eventual starters will be on either squad heading into the new season, and I realize that there are many differences in some of the other players that fill out these rotations like Andrea Bargnani, Grant Hill etc. But the roster similarities are enough to have me admiring the genius of Colangelo and Kerr in building a well rounded squad for success in the ‘New NBA’. This next season or two for the Raptors will determine whether this masterpiece of Colangelo’s will have us all calling him “MiColangelo“.

The Hoop Doctors Daily Dimes: 08/20

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Prescribed NBA reading from all over the world wide web

C’mon boyz, stick to what you do best…..Basketball incase you weren’t sure!
Gilbert Arenas reality show in the works?

Another one bites the dust. Suns have enough shooters to survive though.
Giricek signs in Turkey

BDL looks at who’s leading the men’s Team USA
Behind the Box Score

Dallas signs Devean George, hey didn’t they try to move him in Kidd trade?? haha
Big D welcomes back George

Colangelo motivates Dwayne Wade
Mission accomplished

The Hoop Doctors Daily Dimes: 08/19

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

The paint security post is filled in Philly
Sixers and Ratliff agree to 1-year deal

Fantasy bball junkie? Here are some value picks that might slip to later rounds
Top 10 Fantasy Value Picks

Dino Nation has a good sum up of the ‘SMitch’ job status
The Sam Mitchell Debate Ends This Season

Dwyer at Ball Don’t Lie gives some of the best Ben Gordon coverage…seriously
Why … you should take Ben Gordon with a grain of salt

C’mon Wade, everyone knows you can’t ‘bud’ in China – Don’t they?
DWade scores memory at Great Wall

For some more of our recent Daily Dimes click here.

Create a Caption Contest – Winner receives a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor Classics

Are you a basketball shoe buff? Does your collection contain a pair of the original basketball shoe yet, the Chuck Taylor Hi-Top All-Star Classics? Here is your chance to win a pair!

First off, The Hoop Doctors want to give a special thanks to Baggins Shoes (www.bagginsshoes.com) for sponsoring our Create a Caption Contest. The beauty of the ‘Create a Caption’ contest is winning is easy! Just follow these two easy steps to enter:

1. Subscribe to our RSS Feed by using the button on the top right of our website. All entrants must subscribe to our feed to be eligible to win.

2. View this picture below and let us know what you think a funny caption would be. Use your imagination!! You can either submit your idea for a caption as a comment to this post, or you can email your funny caption to (admin@thehoopdoctors.com). If submitting a comment below, be sure to enter a valid email address that we can reach you at, so we can notify the winner and coordinate prize delivery.

Alright folks, you have just under one week to enter. The contest deadline is Sunday August 24th, 2008. Check back here on Monday August 25th, 2008 for our winner’s announcement.

Michael Phelps 8 Golds vs. Bill Russell’s 8 straight NBA titles?

August 17, 2008 – Dr. Dime

What can you say about Michael Phelps and last night his clinching 8 gold medals in one Olympic Games? How about ‘wow’? Hell, that just doesn’t seem to cover it. There are no words that can do justice to his Olympic accomplishment. Some people are calling him Superman or Aquaman, or whatever other superhero comes to mind to try and describe what the world has just witnessed in Beijing. Coming into these Olympic games that started on (coincidentally) 08-08-08, Phelps and his team had talked about his goal of winning 8 gold medals in one Olympic games, this to break the previous standing record for any Olympian set by swimmer Mark Spitz who won 7.

Nah….that’s not possible in the modern era of sports and athletics….or is it? Well it looks like it’s in the books. Michael Phelps now has a total of 14 gold medals spanning two Olympic Games (new all-time record) and 8 golds in one shot (new all-time record) at these Beijing Games.

I watched the final medley race live (thanks NBC), then following the race I watched the post-race interviews intently like virtually everyone else in the world. I couldn’t help but giggle wildly when Phelps teammates spoke with NBC correspondents about seeing Lebron James and Kobe Bryant in the stands, and how they swam like hell because they didn’t want to let those USA basketball superstars down. All I could think was “hey shouldn’t you have been more concerned with letting your teammate Michael Phelps down, as he was trying to re-write the history books for your great sport?”

Ah well, I realize it was just all in good fun, but it did get me thinking about the link between this amazing athletic accomplishment in swimming and another history setting accomplishment in basketball (more about that in a sec). For the past several days I’ve heard nothing but “if Phelps can win 8 golds in one games, it will be the greatest Olympic accomplishment ever, and maybe even the greatest accomplishment ever in the history of any sport!” What Phelps has done at these games was undoubtedly the greatest Olympic performance of all time. But hold on there little Nellie….wait one second son. Greatest accomplishment in the history of sport? Hardly. I may be extremely biased given my passion for basketball and other team sports, but I can’t help but scoff at the thought of Phelps being considered some level above the great athletic accomplishments of a Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Bill Russell etc. etc.

And as these great sport heroes of mine went racing through my head as I listened to NBC repeatedly call Phelps accomplishment the greatest thing to ever happen in sports, I kept coming back to the last hero I mentioned. Bill Russell. Why? Because of the number 8.

Bill Russell has the NBA record for the most NBA championships with 11. He won those 11 NBA championships in only 13 years in the league, and in one of the years he didn’t get the title he was slowed by an injury. Essentially he was an unstoppable force on the hardwood. But Phelps accomplishment was all about a streak right? A streak of 8 gold medals in one Olympic games. Well in arguably the greatest NBA accomplishment of all-time, Bill Russell led his team to 8 straight NBA titles from 1959-1966. How about that for a streak? Eight straight NBA titles is so hard to fathom for anyone that follows the NBA with even the lightest of interest. Heck, the greatest NBA player of all-time, Michael Jordan, ever only had streaks of 3 (twice).

Bill Russell did just about everything imaginable on the basketball floor. And he did so without ever trying to attract the spotlight or fire up 100 points in a single game a-la-Wilt Chamberlain. Russell only cared about one thing, winning. The man averaged 22.5 rebounds per game over the length of his career. As a basketball player, when you think of the hard work, banging, and grind it takes to pull down that many boards in just one game, let alone average that over the length of a 13 year career, you can be nothing short of astounded. Russell had many league MVPs, All-star selections, and other individual achievements but I like to focus on his rebounding as it is the perfect example of the hard work and team first attitude that defined his career in the NBA. This one always throws me back a little: He once had 51 boards in a single game, 49 in two others, and a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds. How do you like them apples Dennis Rodman?

This is only one man’s opinion (and a fairly skewed one given my basketball junkie status), but who do you guys feel had the greater accomplishment in the history of sport, Michael Phelps 8 golds in a single Olympic Games, or Bill Russell’s 8 straight NBA titles?

Jannero Pargo headed to Russia, and Ben Gordon might divorce the Bulls

August 16, 2008 – Dr. J-Water

Jannero Pargo signs with Dynamo Moscow

Just when I was starting to think the Phoenix Suns might finally get that coveted back up point guard for Steve Nash that could legitimately hold down the fort while Nash took his little 2-3 minute rests at the end of quarters, Jannero Pargo decided he didn’t want to wait to finalize an offer with Phoenix and went ahead signing a $3.8 million dollar, one year deal with Dynamo Moscow in Russia. Once again the almighty dollar has been the root cause of another NBA player defection overseas as the contract with the Russian team he signed is probably three times as big as any contract exception offer he would have received from Phoenix, San Antonio, Miami, or his last team New Orleans. All of which were rumored to have interest in signing Pargo. And why wouldn’t they? Hell this cat scored an impressive 10+ points per game for the Hornets throughout their impressive playoff run this year.

The good news is, Pargo’s contract is only for one year. I have a strong suspicion he will go over for a year, get his financial security, then be back in the NBA to contribute to a contending team who’s looking for a speedy guard that can fill it up in a hurry off the bench.

Ben Gordon throwin’ jabs at the Bulls

I’ve never been a huge fan of Ben Gordon’s game, because of the whole I play better coming off the bench vs. starting thing, as I really feel a true scorer can put the ball in the hoop consistently regardless of any little psychological effects on their game. But when I read this ESPN article on Gordon’s latest comments that he has “played his last game in a Bulls uniform,” I had to sort of side with Gordon a bit. He has led the Bulls in scoring for the past three seasons. And regardless of the fact that the Bulls supremely underperformed as a club last year, he did lead them with 18.6 points per contest. And what does he get for it? A $6.4 million one year qualifying offer and some ultra slow contract negotiations that are starting to feel like the Bulls are trying to shake him down or play a game of chicken. Even if the negotiations are truly “deadlocked,” as can happen in contract talks from time to time, given the Bulls overloaded back court with Rose, Hughes, and Hinrich, they should be at least working on a mutually beneficial sign and trade to get something in return for Gordon.

Hell there are plenty of teams in the league that would love a ‘lights out” perimeter shooter, that can hit the long ball under pressure and in the clutch. I swear that watching Gordon this season he hit more three pointers against an expiring shot clock than any other player in the league. The guy has ice water in his veins, I swear. I would find it extremely disheartening if another highly skilled NBA player leaves the USA to head overseas to avoid the stagnant contract negotiations of an NBA franchise. Especially when a high quality team like the Phoenix Suns or the San Antonio Spurs are probably only one “Ben Gordon” away from being the NBA Champions in 2009.

It’s clear Gordon has been insulted enough by the Bulls thus far that he doesn’t see himself playing another game for the Bulls, but what is Paxson thinking? Will he still try and get a deal done for Gordon, or does Gordon’s recent comments back him into a corner of pushing a sign and trade to avoid losing Gordon for nothing to an overseas team that has deep pockets and a crush on high scoring NBA Players. Could Gordon be the biggest NBA-Euro flip yet this summer?

Time will tell.

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