Biggest Fall From Grace: Steve Francis, Stephon Marbury or Allen Iverson?

I’ve harped on it time and time again. Today’s game has become very perimeter oriented. Gone are the days where the Center ran the show. To take it a step further, it appears that Point Guards are running the league. From Chris Paul to Deron Williams to Derrick Rose to Rajon Rondo to Russell Westbrook to Tyreke Evans to Brandon Jennings to Raymond Felton, these young point men are all extremely valuable contributors to their teams. But this isn’t exactly an anomaly, because there used to be a crop of young athletic guards about a decade ago. Perhaps you’ve heard of them: Stephon Marbury, Allen Iverson and Steve Francis.

Marbury, Iverson and Francis used to run the league from the perimeter. They were tabbed as the 3 best PGs (until people realized that Iverson was better as a Shooting Guard) for a handful of years and were featured together on many posters and NBA propaganda. All 3 were more than capable of scoring however many points they wanted on any given night. They were also fully equipped to embarrass whoever was unfortunate enough to guard them one on one at the top of the key. But as they say, nothing is forever. If you don’t believe me look no further than these 3. It has amazingly gotten to the point where these former All-Stars were not able to find employment in the Association. All 3 were playing ball overseas this season. That is until Steve Francis just recently left the Chinese Basketball Association’s Beijing Ducks by way of a mutual decision between him and the team. Francis reportedly signed with the Ducks for $800,000 this season.

But who could forget Francis in his prime? The high flying guard from the University of Maryland was the feature of countless highlights, primarily because of what he was able to do above the rim. Most noted for his days in Houston, Francis last saw significant game action with the Knicks during the 2006 – 2007 season before eventually being waived by Memphis in 2009. For his career, Francis averaged 18.1ppg and 6apg with his best year being 21 and 7.

Then there’s Stephon Marbury. The last we saw of Marbury he was inexplicably banished from the New York Knicks by Mike D’Antoni before finding his way in Boston. He was actually playing at a high level for the Celtics the last time we saw him in the league. I was surprised that he couldn’t find work because I don’t think he was done. I mean, he was only 31 at that point. He’s also in the Chinese Basketball Association and recently signed to play three more years out there.

Marbury was an outstanding player in his prime. He was powerful and unguardable. He was somewhat of a journeyman once he forced his way out of Minnesota but his talent was undeniable. During his best years, he was a top 3 PG in the leauge but never really got that sort of recognition because he was widely regarded as a malcontent. For his career, Steph was a 19.3ppg and 7.6apg guy and posted countless 20 and 8 seasons. His best season came when he was in New Jersey where he pretty much had a 24 and 8 campaign.

And do I really need to insult you by reminding you how great Iverson was? No, but I will anyways. He was a born scorer but was forced to play the point early on simply because of his diminutive stature. Before long in Philly, he was moved to the 2 so that he could be let loose. The former league MVP, scoring champ, multiple All-Star, All-Star Game MVP, greatest NBA trendsetter (I’ll stop there) has career averages of 26.7ppg and 6.2apg.

His impact on the league goes much further than what he did on the court. He could quite possibly be the most influential guy to ever play in the league because of how he forever changed the look and style of play. I would’ve much rather he retire than agree to play in Turkey because it diminishes his legacy to a degree. Also, it’s nothing short of a travesty that not a single team wanted him on their roster. This is Allen Iverson. Slower? Yes. Just as explosive and dynamic? No. But this is Allen Iverson.

Between Francis, Marbury and Iverson, A.I. is the only one headed to the Hall so perhaps the obvious answer (no pun intended) to the original question is that he is the worst fall from grace. However, if nothing else, the fact that all 3 of these guys were told that they were no longer wanted and forced to find love overseas is a sad case.

If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook

12-Year Old Jordan McCabe’s Game is Nice

About 8 months ago, a 12-yr old kid named Jordan McCabe and his family moved to Seattle from Wisconsin. Jordan, as it turns out, can play a little basketball. In fact, it’s quite possible you’ve never seen anything like him before on a basketball court, especially for his age. Jordan McCabe showcasing his talents was even chosen for this week’s episode of “The Little Heroes” on Komo News.

Although timing, how much he grows, how athletic he becomes, how much he improves etc. will all be factors in whether or not Jordan McCabe can make it to the pro’s one day, he certainly can have a future as a streetball entertainer if he wanted one….

Jordan McCabe this week on “Little Heroes” of Komo News

Footage During Halftime at University of Washington Game Dec. 6th, 2010

Ouch! Blazers Fan Dunks With His Face

Everyone loves those entertaining halftime shows when either the mascot or professional dunkers bring out the trampolines and do their best impersonation of those Slamball dunkers. I get it, it’s entertainment at it’s best to see everyday people leaping just as high as the NBA players, even if they are getting a little bit of help.

The only problem is that everyone seems to forget that those entertainers performing those highlight reel dunks that we love so much are professionals and not like you and me, who are generally vertically challenged.

Of course, even those so called professionals mess up like during last season’s NBA Playoffs when the Lakers’ Shannon Brown had arguably the worst dunk fail in history. Even the great Lebron James even missed 4 dunks over 4 games back in 2009. But when it comes to amateurs, this girlin high school has to take the cake as the worst dunk attempt in history..

So when someone gives you a brainy idea to give the old trampoline jump a shot in front of a live audience maybe you should remember this video of a Portland Trailblazer fan getting a little too much air on a dunk attempt and hitting his face on the rim. Ouch!

Check out a Blazers fan dunking with his face:

Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.  Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.

Shaq Fined $35K by NBA for Criticizing Refs After Magic Game

Shaquille O’Neal has been one of the most difficult players to officiate his entire career due to his sheer size and power. He is so much bigger than anyone else on the court they seemingly bounce off him making it hard for refs to determine who is being fouled, Shaq or his opposition. Although not to the same extent, Dwight Howard has also had to deal with much of the same inconsistent treatment from NBA officials.

But after Shaq and the Celtics lost to Howard and the Magic this week, Shaq had some pointed things to say about the officiating…

Shaquille O’Neal has been fined $35,000 by the NBA for his public comments about the officiating.

O’Neal criticized the referees following the Boston Celtics’ 86-78 loss at Orlando on Christmas. He was angry after picking up his sixth foul when Magic center Dwight Howard fell to the ground as they were wrestling for position.

O’Neal said: “I just wonder why I’ve never gotten that call in 20 years. Don’t pick and choose when you’re going to make the call. … That’s what happens when you’ve got control freaks.”

The NBA announced the fine on Monday.

Read more details via AP on NBA.com

The Magical Free Throw in Idaho State vs. Utah State Game

In the NCAA college basketball contest between Idaho State and Utah State last week you wouldn’t expect anything amazing to happen. All in all the game was quite dull. Except for one particular free throw by Idaho State’s Kamil Gawrzydek. He tossed the ball toward the rim in a normal fashion, but it clanged off the back iron, shot upwards and came down with such a precise angle that the ball actually balanced for many seconds on the front rim. Eventually the ball fell throw for the point but those moments balancing on the front rim were seemingly defying the laws for physics. It was amazing to the eye, so check it out:

Michael Jordan “Invincible” Trailer by LK12 Productions

Amateurs who closely border the line of professionalism with their NBA highlight mixtapes on YouTube are all the rage these days, not only on YouTube but also in the basketball blogosphere. In fact we have our own resident YouTube sensation at The Hoop Doctors with the addition of Meir21 to our staff this season. But we still have a deep appreciation for the art of NBA mixtapes, so when we saw this trailer for the LK12 Productions mixtape of Michael Jordan’s career called “Invincible” we had to share it with you. I think you’ll all agree that the full feature when it’s released will be something special that all basketball fans will want to watch. Here’s the LK12 Productions description of “Invincible” and the trailer:

This is the trailer for my huge Michael Jordan project, called “Invincible”. It will be a movie about MJ’s whole career and will include all the highlights of His Airness. I decided to make the mix, after collecting thousands of Jordan clips (500+ min). “Invincible” will be about 10-20 minutes long and it will come out in 2011. I wanted to make something special and I hope you like the idea of the mix too.

Reynardo Sidney Suspended Indefinitely for Post-Game Brawl w/Teammate

To the average person, Mississippi State sophomore forward Renardo Sydney has been given way more chances to succeed at the collegiate level than most. Apparently the 6’10 and 270 lb one time prized recruit doesn’t agree as he was caught on national television having a knock-down, drag-out fistfight with teammate Elgin Bailey immediately following Mississippi State’s victory over San Diego in the Diamond Head Classic.

If you remember, Sydney was forced to repay more than $11,000 in improper benefits and sit out all of last year and 9 games this season while the NCAA investigated his amateur status, then was suspended one game for “conduct detrimental to the team”, and was benched for the team’s 1st round loss to tourney runner up Washington State on Wednesday.

The once highly touted big man, who was a McDonald’s All American and was ranked among the truly elite high school prospects in the 2009 Class, supposedly had skills comparable to that of DeMarcus Cousins and Derrick Favors. He was also thought of as a one-and-done talent who surely had his sites set on the NBA.

Now, after totaling only 31 points and 9 rebounds in his 2 collegiate games, the future looks bleak for Renardo as he surely faces a severe punishment by the university, possibly even including being thrown out of school altogether. Villanova’s highly touted freshman JayVaughn Pinkston, deemed “Baby Barkley” for his outstanding ability to rebound the basketball at only 6’6, was forced to leave the program earlier this season for a somewhat similar incident involving fighting with other students on campus.

In a statement by Bulldogs head coach Rick Stansbury, the school expressed their extreme displeasure over the unfortunate incident:

“In my 13 years as a head coach, we’ve never had anything like this happen before,” he said. “I am very disappointed in the actions of Elgin Bailey and Renardo Sidney and in no way does it reflect the overall picture of our program. It is not how we want our men’s basketball team to be viewed nationally.”

While although it seems a tad forced and a bit after-the-fact, Sydney also released a statement:

“I’m very sorry for this incident,” Sidney said in a statement released by the university. “I had no intention of this ever happening. I apologize for embarrassing my family, all the Mississippi State fans, my teammates and coaches. “I will learn from this and move on.”

Sorry Sydney. It’s a little too late for an apology, isn’t it? Thousands of high school players would give their right arm(figuratively) to have the chances you have already been given and promptly blown. Here’s hoping that the university comes to their senses(just like USC and UCLA) and dismisses Renardo from the program, admitting they made a mistake.

Surely you’ve already seen the footage as it aired on ESPN, but here it is again:

Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.  Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.

Miami Heat Bench Gives Ron Artest an Elbow for Christmas

If it wasn’t bad enough that good ole Ron Artest’s Lakers got routed 96-80 on Christmas, or that he tallied only 8 points and 5 rebounds against the Miami frontcourt, it appears that he may have a hidden feud with 11 year veteran Jamaal Magloire.

After dribbling the ball off of his leg in the middle of the 3rd quarter against Miami on Saturday, Artest chased down the loose ball which was headed straight towards the end of the Heat bench. In his typical disregard for human life fashion, Ron did his best Superman impression by diving head-first into the first row of seats in an attempt to save the ball from going out of bounds.

Most players assume that either the fans or players sitting in the first row will help ease the fall of diving into the stands but the man sitting at the end of the Heat bench was none other than former Kentucky Wildcat stand-out and one time NBA All Star Jamaal Magloire, who has been known to have a nasty on-court demeanor from time to time.

Magloire, also known as “The Big Cat” during his prime, decided to seize the opportunity to throw an elbow at Artest rather than helping him land softly, which prompted both players to have a mini 3 second stare down prior to Artest returning to his feet with the help of some fans in proximity.  I actually thought Magloire was going to throw down with uncle Ron-Ron for a brief moment.

I’m not exactly privy if Magloire and Artest have some sort of prior unresolved beef (doesn’t everyone) or if the “Big Cat” got upset that Ron spilled water all over his best Sunday suit but the two definitely shot daggers in each-other’s directions, even if for a brief moment.

Check out the footage:

Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania.  Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.

Monday’s Weekly Knicks Notes: Week 10

I’ve never really been a fan of the Knicks’ alternate green jerseys, but in the spirit of Christmas, I guess I can live with the fact that it was supposed to be a red and green theme when they took on the Bulls on the 25th. But even before that game, I like how they handled Kevin Durant and company. That mini 3-game skid was an aberration. They’re still for real.

Housekeeping:
Record: 18 – 12
Streak: W2
2nd in the Atlantic Division
4th in the Eastern Conference (yes, as in home court advantage)

Team Leaders:
Points: Amar’e Stoudemire, 26.2
Rebounds: Amar’e Stoudemire, 9.3
Assists: Raymond Felton, 9.2
Steals: Raymond Felton, 2.0
Blocks: Amar’e Stoudemire, 2.2

Wednesday, December 22 vs. Oklahoma City. Final score: Knicks 112 – Thunder 98
Coming off the heartbreaking loss to the Celtics a week and a half ago, the Knicks followed that up with embarrassing losses to LeHeat and then the Cavs. That 3-game losing streak came right after their 8-game winning streak which was part of a 14 of 15 stretch. So it brought the Knicks faithful back to Earth quickly. The Knicks’ hot start was criticized because of their early season schedule which included many wins against teams under .500. This portion of the schedule was really supposed to test them, so losses to Boston and Miami hurt.

But then they had Oklahoma City and Chicago last week; two playoff bound teams. This would really show what they were made of. I have to admit, I wasn’t optimistic for the Thunder game. I thought the Cavs loss would linger. Luckily it didn’t. The Knicks actually led by as many as 22 and the game never really seemed in doubt once they pulled away. The Thunder were at full strength so this was an encouraging win. Kevin Durant’s 26 and Russell Westbrook’s 23 didn’t really matter.

The Knicks dominated this game but I didn’t like the fact that they were destroyed on the offensive glass, 22 – 7. It seemed like OKC always had second chances. It also seemed like the Knicks were playing stellar defense (finally holding an opponent to under 100) so it didn’t matter.

Saturday, Christmas Day vs. Chicago. Final score: Knicks 103 – Bulls 95
The Knicks embarrassed the Bulls in Chicago back in November. They put on an absolute clinic in that one, where they scored 70 in the first half. I actually think that was their best outing of the season. The Bulls were without Joakim Noah, but I don’t think that would’ve mattered. As I was told by a die hard Bulls fan after the game: “the better team won.” They sure did. The Bulls were playing catch up all game. Too bad the Knicks wouldn’t let them gain any ground. Amar’e asserts himself early every single game, which a true leader is supposed to do. Raymond Felton has been nothing short of amazing this year and absolutely needs to be in L.A. during All-Star weekend.

The Bulls are way too dependent on Derrick Rose, who is second in the league in shots taken. But I’ll let them figure that one out. And for a guy who allegedly doesn’t play any D, Amar’e had 6 blocks, by the way.

General Thoughts
I don’t know what took Mike D’Antoni so long to place Timofey Mozgov at the end of the bench. After starting for most the season, I was beginning to question my own basketball acumen because I just wasn’t seeing what would entice D’Antoni to keep playing him, let alone start him. Then Knicks play by play man, Mike Breen, would also continuously rave about Mozgov. I’m glad I wasn’t crazy. I guess it just took them a while to see it my way.

The Knicks are first (yes, first) in scoring in the entire league and 11th in assists, so offense isn’t a problem. The issue is that they give up the 4th most points in the league.

This week, the Knicks have the Heat and the much improved Magic who are now in the discussion of the best team in the East, with their recent trades. LeBron just had a triple-double in when these two met recently and they haven’t played the Magic yet this year. This must be the road version of “Dream Week.” To be taken for real, they must beat both of them. I’ll fill you in next week.

If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook

Happy Holidays from The Hoop Doctors!

The Hoop Doctors want to wish you all a very safe and happy holiday season. Here’s hoping you were all good boys and girls so Santa will wipe out that xmas list. We too will be visiting family and friends, so we will be closed for business until December 27th, 2010. Of course if we get word of some blockbuster trade, or earth shattering news we won’t do you like that over the holidays, we’ll be sure to get something up.

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