As The Rock used to say, "Know your role." These guys feature themselves to be 3-point shooters, but the numbers say otherwise:
21st Worst Chucker -- A. Pavlovic -- 298 threes attempted, shot 29.8% -- wonder why they got Wally?
20 -- Charlie Villanueva -- 185, 29.7% -- 6'11" of three-shooting clanger
19 -- Matt Barnes -- 181, 29.3% -- just took a bad shot in a YMCA game somewhere.
18 -- Eddie Jones -- 116, 29.3% -- in his defense, he began his career when there was no three-point shot and a jump ball after every made basket, so it is a novelty for him.
17 -- Tracy McGrady -- 295, 29.2% -- great year, T-Mac, great year.
16 -- Kevin Durant -- 205, 28.8% --if I just KEEP shooting, they won't vote for Al Horford
15 -- Dwyane Wade -- 77, 28.6% -- in limited games
14 -- Willie Green -- 179, 28.5% -- "volume shooter," just not a "volume maker"
13 -- Jamal Tinsley -- 141, 28.4% -- never liked his game, hard to figure out why
12 -- Arenas -- 78, 28.2% -- in limited games
11 -- Sebastian Telfair -- 114, 28.1% -- Al Jefferson triple teamed, out to Telfair.......no......
10-- Ray Felton -- 200, 28% -- wonder why Charlotte isn't better?
9-- Jeff Green -- 76, 27.6% -- (congrats PJ, you have two starters on the list!)
8 -- Zach Randolph -- 80, 27.5% -- 6'10", very hard to stop inside, jacks up 80 3s. Nice.
7 -- Lamar Odom -- 113, 27.4% -- see above, in his defense, Kobe doesn't allow him many touches, so he shoots it when he can.
6 -- Marquis Daniels -- 102, 26.5% -- should I pass to Tinsley or take it myself? Doesn't matter much....
5 -- Kyle Lowry -- 140, 25.7% -- for a guy who is like 3 feet tall, you would like to see 40%
4 -- Josh Smith -- 99, 25.3% -- already discussed; just inexcusable.
3 -- Smush Parker -- 78, 23.1% -- in his defense, he switched teams and his numbers went from a sizzling 25% to a meager 23.1%.
2 -- Antonio Daniels -- 74, 23% -- well, with Gilbert hurt, we need someone to jack up some really awful 3s -- Calling Mr. Daniels!
1 -- Casey Jacobsen -- 72, 22.2% -- 547 minutes, 16 of 72. Jacked a three more than once every 8 minutes, but he hit a three once every 34 minutes. Kyle Lowry to Casey Jacobsen, Casey back to Lowry. Why was Memphis so terrible again??? His minutes and general suckiness are almost identical to Smush's. Could they be the same guy???
Occasional Dabblers worthy of dishonorable mention: Andre Miller -- 3 of 34 (8.8%); Kevin Garnett, 0 of 11.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Good NBA Players Who Don't Play Like Good White NBA Players
Unlike Steve Nash, Rip Hamilton and Derek Fisher, these guys shoot a low percentage from the floor and the free throw line and turn the ball over a lot, but are good at getting steals and blocked shots:
Almost, But Not Quite: Lamar Odom, Chris Wilcox, Dwight Howard, Emeka Okafor -- Lamar Odom shoots too well from the floor (52.5%) aas does Howard (60%) and Okafor this year (53%); so does Wilcox (52.4%) and Chris also misses out because he doesn't get enough steals or blocks. All four are poor free throw shooters and turn the ball over a lot.
Borderline -- LeBron James shot 48.4% this year and he turns the ball over a lot and is a poor free throw shooter. He also gets a ton of steals and blocks. 48.4% is a good percentage, but he is certainly ranked behind the guys stated above in FG%.
The Three Musketeers -- Serving as the prototype for this sort of player are:
3rd place -- Andre Iguodala -- 45.6%, 72.1%, 2.61 turnovers a game, 2.7 steals plus blocks
2nd place -- Tracy McGrady -- 41.9%, 68.4%, 2.42 turnovers a game, 1.4 steals plus blocks -- S+B number is somewhat low, but you really cannot ignore his greatness in the other key categories
"Un-whitest" player -- Josh Smith -- 45.7%, 71%, 3.02 turnovers, 4.3 steals + blocks -- while his shooting numbers are better than McGrady's, his alarming rate of turnovers and his unbelievable steals plus blocks number move him up to #1 (and secretly I have to give him props for shooting 25% from 3 but still taking 99 threes -- poor shot selection is sometimes as important to winning this category as being a poor shooter).
*** A review of the stats shows that NO ONE in the league who shot more threes than Smith had a worse percentage from 3. 158 guys shot more 3s. None shot it worse. Smith was 265th in the league in 3-point percentage, 159th in 3s attempted.
Almost, But Not Quite: Lamar Odom, Chris Wilcox, Dwight Howard, Emeka Okafor -- Lamar Odom shoots too well from the floor (52.5%) aas does Howard (60%) and Okafor this year (53%); so does Wilcox (52.4%) and Chris also misses out because he doesn't get enough steals or blocks. All four are poor free throw shooters and turn the ball over a lot.
Borderline -- LeBron James shot 48.4% this year and he turns the ball over a lot and is a poor free throw shooter. He also gets a ton of steals and blocks. 48.4% is a good percentage, but he is certainly ranked behind the guys stated above in FG%.
The Three Musketeers -- Serving as the prototype for this sort of player are:
3rd place -- Andre Iguodala -- 45.6%, 72.1%, 2.61 turnovers a game, 2.7 steals plus blocks
2nd place -- Tracy McGrady -- 41.9%, 68.4%, 2.42 turnovers a game, 1.4 steals plus blocks -- S+B number is somewhat low, but you really cannot ignore his greatness in the other key categories
"Un-whitest" player -- Josh Smith -- 45.7%, 71%, 3.02 turnovers, 4.3 steals + blocks -- while his shooting numbers are better than McGrady's, his alarming rate of turnovers and his unbelievable steals plus blocks number move him up to #1 (and secretly I have to give him props for shooting 25% from 3 but still taking 99 threes -- poor shot selection is sometimes as important to winning this category as being a poor shooter).
*** A review of the stats shows that NO ONE in the league who shot more threes than Smith had a worse percentage from 3. 158 guys shot more 3s. None shot it worse. Smith was 265th in the league in 3-point percentage, 159th in 3s attempted.
League Moves One Step Closer To a Lakers Final
Now, I know the league doesn't want the ratings-sucking Spurs in the finals, but, um, folks.....Spurs are at home. Fisher lands right on Brent Barry. And Joey Crawford (who once challenged Tim Duncan to a fight) is the senior referee on a crew that looked on with their whistles somewhere in their pants pockets??? How can Joey Crawford be allowed to do a Spurs game? I mean, come on. He challenged their star player to a fight and then sat out the 2007 playoffs rather than agree to apologize. THIS is the impartial referee you want calling a Spurs game?
Nice of Popovich to claim no foul, but watch the play. In a road playoff game, that is a foul, even in a close game ------------ ask Scottie Pippen about Game 5, 1994 (watch 3:30 to 4:00 minutes into the footage).............
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Trip Recap
Well, things did not necessarily end up as I had wanted out in New York:
1) My grandma (95) has basically lost her memory or ability to reason. She had trouble recognizing my mom (her daughter), let alone me.
2) My mom advised me of a number of deficiencies that I have: a) bad hair cut; b) can't drive (more on driving problems later); c) watch TV shows that are "stupid" (The Office? "Worst show I have ever seen"); and d) just generally I am overly sensitive and "mean" to her.
3) I now see November as a VERY uphill battle for Mr. Obama. At least 3 people I saw out on NY who are self-professed Democrats say that they will never vote for Obama. A few samples: "Why would I do that? He will give the whole country away to the blacks. Don't they have enough already?" "What he has done to Hillary is just awful." "They are only 15% of the population, why do they need their own president?"
So......John McCain -- things are looking up for you.
4) Driving home on Interstate 390 I got hit broadside by a deer. Ran out of the median (it was 4:50 a.m., I never saw him until he was 5 feet away) and ran right into my car. Shit. If you ever see any of the Matt Damon "Bourne" movies, watch the car chase scenes where he gets t-boned by a car and keeps driving. That is exactly what it feels like. You see it at the last second and there is nothing you can do. I-390, by the by, is LITTERED with dead deer. I saw 5 on the way home and about 7 plus the one I hit on the way up.
So, not the best ending, but it will provide me with stories for years to come!
HM
1) My grandma (95) has basically lost her memory or ability to reason. She had trouble recognizing my mom (her daughter), let alone me.
2) My mom advised me of a number of deficiencies that I have: a) bad hair cut; b) can't drive (more on driving problems later); c) watch TV shows that are "stupid" (The Office? "Worst show I have ever seen"); and d) just generally I am overly sensitive and "mean" to her.
3) I now see November as a VERY uphill battle for Mr. Obama. At least 3 people I saw out on NY who are self-professed Democrats say that they will never vote for Obama. A few samples: "Why would I do that? He will give the whole country away to the blacks. Don't they have enough already?" "What he has done to Hillary is just awful." "They are only 15% of the population, why do they need their own president?"
So......John McCain -- things are looking up for you.
4) Driving home on Interstate 390 I got hit broadside by a deer. Ran out of the median (it was 4:50 a.m., I never saw him until he was 5 feet away) and ran right into my car. Shit. If you ever see any of the Matt Damon "Bourne" movies, watch the car chase scenes where he gets t-boned by a car and keeps driving. That is exactly what it feels like. You see it at the last second and there is nothing you can do. I-390, by the by, is LITTERED with dead deer. I saw 5 on the way home and about 7 plus the one I hit on the way up.
So, not the best ending, but it will provide me with stories for years to come!
HM
Friday, May 23, 2008
comminication breakdown -- it's always the same
I went through my typical 18 hour blackout in cell phone coverage. For some reason I come down here and my phone NEVER works. Then we drive to my old school and it finally kicks in.
Went by my old farm house and drove to school. Interviewed 5 great kids, picked a girl who hits .600 on the softball team and plays point guard for the basketball team.
Every time I try to place a call my mother starts banging on pots and pans or dishes in the kitchen. Had a work call today -- 3 minutes in BANG BANG, then starts unloading the dishwasher -- plates smacking together. AaaaaaHhhhhh! Took the call out to the porch. After the call; "Boy are you easily distracted.".
Well, at least I won at 500 and Skip-Bo last night. So I got that going for me.
Now we need to figure out what we can do today for under 8 bucks a person, which is about the limit of what my dad can watch get spent without feeling horrible.
Went by my old farm house and drove to school. Interviewed 5 great kids, picked a girl who hits .600 on the softball team and plays point guard for the basketball team.
Every time I try to place a call my mother starts banging on pots and pans or dishes in the kitchen. Had a work call today -- 3 minutes in BANG BANG, then starts unloading the dishwasher -- plates smacking together. AaaaaaHhhhhh! Took the call out to the porch. After the call; "Boy are you easily distracted.".
Well, at least I won at 500 and Skip-Bo last night. So I got that going for me.
Now we need to figure out what we can do today for under 8 bucks a person, which is about the limit of what my dad can watch get spent without feeling horrible.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
living on eastern time
Gotta set my watch back to it, cuz you know we gotta do it. Living on eastern time.
Rochester airport, slept the whole way here. Of course it is 51 and overcast here, won't reach 66 until the day I leave. So I have returned to what I most recall....cool crappy weather.
Sat next to a young woman on the plan who was wearing rubber sandals with five individual toes. Um, ok. She says you can buy them on line "but you never will get them to fit right that way.". So.....you make a product you basically can't sell on line? Good business strategy in 1981.
Now in an impossibly long line for budget rentacar.
After that? 70 miles straight down 390. Then the REAL entertaining stories begin.
Rochester airport, slept the whole way here. Of course it is 51 and overcast here, won't reach 66 until the day I leave. So I have returned to what I most recall....cool crappy weather.
Sat next to a young woman on the plan who was wearing rubber sandals with five individual toes. Um, ok. She says you can buy them on line "but you never will get them to fit right that way.". So.....you make a product you basically can't sell on line? Good business strategy in 1981.
Now in an impossibly long line for budget rentacar.
After that? 70 miles straight down 390. Then the REAL entertaining stories begin.
miracle at security gate 1
I am gonna miss my flight and I tell the old couple infront of me that fact. Old lady (a key demographic for me -- always have been a big favorite of old ladies) says really loud, "folksn this guy has a plane in 27 minutes, let's let him through.". 20 plus people move aside and let me through. Security chick says she has to check my CPAP machine. I say, "I have a 10:30 flight.". Cursory look -- ok, looks fine to me.
Now in chicago, just ate a cheese dog and a Polish, listening to BB King -- day is improving.
I love Chicago by the by.
Now in chicago, just ate a cheese dog and a Polish, listening to BB King -- day is improving.
I love Chicago by the by.
msp airport
In line to get my ticket. By my honest evaluation I am the 4th best looking person in line, second best guy. So things aren't real pretty in this line.
I wouls say I make my flight barring some unforeseen snafu. Since I left my itinerary at home, I still have that screw up working against me.
More to come.
I wouls say I make my flight barring some unforeseen snafu. Since I left my itinerary at home, I still have that screw up working against me.
More to come.
blogging to new york?
In the cab, late for the plane, cabbie is around 80 and driving exactly 55 mph. Yikes. Tried to engage him in some small talk regarding baseball but my knowledge of Iron Man Joe McGinty and Three fingers Brown wasn't up to snuff. And he didn't care for Ty cobb or Honus Wagner.
Please step on the gas. Please.
If this works from my Blackberry I will try to do more.
Please step on the gas. Please.
If this works from my Blackberry I will try to do more.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
KG 1 Flip 0
The Pistons are old and creaky, just like Boston. I really believe that this matchup favors the Celtics far more than the athletic players they faced in Round 1 and certainly more than having to face LeBron in Round 2.
P.J. Brown -- um, Fountain of Youth???
P.J. Brown -- um, Fountain of Youth???
Dennis Prager on California's Gay Marriage Ruling
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/05/california_decision_will_radic.html
Prager's argument is that 4 justices seem to want to impose "their will" on everyone else, so the ruling that gay people must be allowed to marry must be wrong.
If you take this to its logical end, Brown v. Board of Education must be wrong. After all, since slaves arrived in America in 1609, everyone in the American South (and most in the North) considered black-skinned people as inferior and undeserving of equal rights. This was affirmed in 1857 (Dred Scott v. Sanford). Even after the constitution was amended by the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, the South generally did whatever it wanted to blacks and the courts generally upheld the Jim Crow laws (Plessy v. Ferguson anyone?). So, decisions that schools may not be segregated, decisions regarding hiring practices, interracial marriage (recall that the interracial marriage bans were around into, I believe, the 1960s) were all........wrong?
The courts have upheld the right of gay people to have sex, straight people to engage in consensual sodomy and to use birth control. This was all done despite the fact that laws have been on the books banning this sort of thing for 100+ years.
There are many people alive today who believe that these decisions were wrong, but the general opinion is that they were logical and necessary ways to move us into a reasonable world where individuals' liberties must be protected.
Prager really has no point to his argument other than "well, this is the end of the world as we know it -- a kid might have 4 moms and no dad some day...." Note to Dennis: a lot of kids have no dad around, and they have no stable parent at all to love them and take care of them. Should we amend the constitution to make these sort of family situations illegal? Should it be illegal to have a kid if you are not married? Why not?
At the end of the day, Prager's argument in favor of limiting gay rights is that people have strong anti-gay religious beliefs and they should be able to express those beliefs without being called a bigot. The Mormons until 1978 believed that black people were inferior and the descendants of Cain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacks_and_The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints
This was the belief of the church. It was a firmly-held belief until it became so contrary to law and out of public favor that the church said that a revelation from God occurred in 1978 in which God basically said, "Hey, black folk are OK with me!"
If one religion can change its ways, imagine what others may do in the face of a change in the law and in public opinion. Since Prager has nothing personally against gay people (I was waiting for the whole "some of my best friends are...." statement) and since the churches will come around once they are forced to, what is the big deal? Answer -- there isn't one.
Truth be told, the rich wing of the GOP doesn't care if you are gay (see Prager ending comment) or if you are having gay sex or living with your gay lover. The rich wing of the party isn't even particularly religious. What THEY oppose is a situation in which people get benefits (read "money from corporations") for being "married".
If they would come right out and say this -- "We can't have all these gay folk getting married, corporations can't keep up with health care costs as it is" then I would applaud their honesty. But they won't. They will scramble for cover behind the poor wing of the party and say that the very fiber of good churchgoing society is being torn asunder by gays. Then they will ask the guy in upstate NY working on his 3rd wife and 4th mistress to make sure he continues to ignore his 7 kids so he can go to the polls to keep this country from going to hell in a handbasket at the hands of gay lovers everywhere.
God bless America.
HM
Prager's argument is that 4 justices seem to want to impose "their will" on everyone else, so the ruling that gay people must be allowed to marry must be wrong.
If you take this to its logical end, Brown v. Board of Education must be wrong. After all, since slaves arrived in America in 1609, everyone in the American South (and most in the North) considered black-skinned people as inferior and undeserving of equal rights. This was affirmed in 1857 (Dred Scott v. Sanford). Even after the constitution was amended by the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, the South generally did whatever it wanted to blacks and the courts generally upheld the Jim Crow laws (Plessy v. Ferguson anyone?). So, decisions that schools may not be segregated, decisions regarding hiring practices, interracial marriage (recall that the interracial marriage bans were around into, I believe, the 1960s) were all........wrong?
The courts have upheld the right of gay people to have sex, straight people to engage in consensual sodomy and to use birth control. This was all done despite the fact that laws have been on the books banning this sort of thing for 100+ years.
There are many people alive today who believe that these decisions were wrong, but the general opinion is that they were logical and necessary ways to move us into a reasonable world where individuals' liberties must be protected.
Prager really has no point to his argument other than "well, this is the end of the world as we know it -- a kid might have 4 moms and no dad some day...." Note to Dennis: a lot of kids have no dad around, and they have no stable parent at all to love them and take care of them. Should we amend the constitution to make these sort of family situations illegal? Should it be illegal to have a kid if you are not married? Why not?
At the end of the day, Prager's argument in favor of limiting gay rights is that people have strong anti-gay religious beliefs and they should be able to express those beliefs without being called a bigot. The Mormons until 1978 believed that black people were inferior and the descendants of Cain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacks_and_The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints
This was the belief of the church. It was a firmly-held belief until it became so contrary to law and out of public favor that the church said that a revelation from God occurred in 1978 in which God basically said, "Hey, black folk are OK with me!"
If one religion can change its ways, imagine what others may do in the face of a change in the law and in public opinion. Since Prager has nothing personally against gay people (I was waiting for the whole "some of my best friends are...." statement) and since the churches will come around once they are forced to, what is the big deal? Answer -- there isn't one.
Truth be told, the rich wing of the GOP doesn't care if you are gay (see Prager ending comment) or if you are having gay sex or living with your gay lover. The rich wing of the party isn't even particularly religious. What THEY oppose is a situation in which people get benefits (read "money from corporations") for being "married".
If they would come right out and say this -- "We can't have all these gay folk getting married, corporations can't keep up with health care costs as it is" then I would applaud their honesty. But they won't. They will scramble for cover behind the poor wing of the party and say that the very fiber of good churchgoing society is being torn asunder by gays. Then they will ask the guy in upstate NY working on his 3rd wife and 4th mistress to make sure he continues to ignore his 7 kids so he can go to the polls to keep this country from going to hell in a handbasket at the hands of gay lovers everywhere.
God bless America.
HM
Monday, May 19, 2008
Time For Ray Allen To Either Show Up....Or Retire
Of all players who has appeared in the NBA playoffs this year, Ray Allen is 135th in Efficiency per 48 minutes:
http://aol.nba.com/statistics/player/Efficiency.jsp?season=42007&league=00&conf=OVERALL&qualified=N&position=0&splitType=9&yearsExp=-1&sortOrder=7&splitDD=All+Teams&pager.offset=100
135. There are only 16 playoff teams. So, Ray's level of play puts him at about an 8th or 9th man on a mid-level playoff team. So, basically a guy who you wouldn't trust to play a whole lot in the playoffs. The three guys above him: Big Baby, DeShawn Stevenson, Jarvis Hayes. The next three below him: CJ Miles, Barbosa, Mo Evans.
Um, ouch.
According to basketball-reference.com, Ray and Rip Hamilton have faced each other 20 times:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/fc/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=allenra02&p2=hamilri01. Allen enjoys the slight advantage in virtually every stat and his team has won 13 of the 20 games.
If Ray Allen cannot be even a starter-level player in the playoffs, he needs to have some pride and walk up to Danny Ainge after the season and say, "I quit. I do not deserve the remaining $36MM on my deal. I am sorry for the dreadful showing I have made when my team needed me the most."
Or he can just step up and play better. One or the other.........
http://aol.nba.com/statistics/player/Efficiency.jsp?season=42007&league=00&conf=OVERALL&qualified=N&position=0&splitType=9&yearsExp=-1&sortOrder=7&splitDD=All+Teams&pager.offset=100
135. There are only 16 playoff teams. So, Ray's level of play puts him at about an 8th or 9th man on a mid-level playoff team. So, basically a guy who you wouldn't trust to play a whole lot in the playoffs. The three guys above him: Big Baby, DeShawn Stevenson, Jarvis Hayes. The next three below him: CJ Miles, Barbosa, Mo Evans.
Um, ouch.
According to basketball-reference.com, Ray and Rip Hamilton have faced each other 20 times:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/fc/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=allenra02&p2=hamilri01. Allen enjoys the slight advantage in virtually every stat and his team has won 13 of the 20 games.
If Ray Allen cannot be even a starter-level player in the playoffs, he needs to have some pride and walk up to Danny Ainge after the season and say, "I quit. I do not deserve the remaining $36MM on my deal. I am sorry for the dreadful showing I have made when my team needed me the most."
Or he can just step up and play better. One or the other.........
LeBron James Traded to the Timberwolves -- Final Entry
Games 6 and 7 -- entire Wolves team and our #1 pick for this year.
That leads me to ask this question seriously: If the Wolves had LeBron James but no #1 pick and no one else under contract, would they be a better team?
I think the answer is probably. The problem would be that you would need to rely upon Kevin McHale and Randy Wittman to procure and coach players. So that would leave you around the very bottom of the barrel for talent and for coaching.
But I cannot imagine any assemblage of talent around LeBron James that would win fewer than 30 games.
We won 22 this year.
Yuck.
HM
That leads me to ask this question seriously: If the Wolves had LeBron James but no #1 pick and no one else under contract, would they be a better team?
I think the answer is probably. The problem would be that you would need to rely upon Kevin McHale and Randy Wittman to procure and coach players. So that would leave you around the very bottom of the barrel for talent and for coaching.
But I cannot imagine any assemblage of talent around LeBron James that would win fewer than 30 games.
We won 22 this year.
Yuck.
HM
Friday, May 16, 2008
Fried Apple Pies
Building on the post below, why does AOL miss fried McDonald's apple pies? I mean, OK, the baked ones are horrible. Granted. But if you have a psychopathic girlfriend who tries to cut your Achilles tendon while you sleep and trade her in for one who tries to shoot you dead, do you REALLY miss the first one? Not really.
Anyone who traveled 1,200 miles a summer in a car (as I did for 9-10 years as a child) recalls this about fried apple pies: 1) not really very good; 2) when cold they were inedible; 3) McDonald's served them basically like they serve their coffee -- scalding. So you would beg and beg and beg your dad for a 39 cent apple or cherry pie (cherry was WAAAAAY better, as Warrant and spokesmodel Bobbie Brown later pointed out quite convincingly). He would finally say "OK" and you got your "goddamned pie" (my mother's reference) and you couldn't eat it. It was 1,000,000 degrees and if one tiny droplet of apple filling actually hit your mouth, you would be in pain for 2 hours. I literally recall peeling skin from the inside of my mouth an hour after I once took a full bite of a freshly-fried pie.
This left you as a kid in a no-win situation -- you hated McDonaldland cookies, and so you were hungry and needed the goddamned pie. You wore your dad down and pried the 39 cents out of his wallet (meaning you had to hear about it for a week and how when he grew up everything cost a nickel and he worked 82 hours a week on the family farm for no pay and his dad never let him play sports because he was the oldest....). You had the pie. Now, if we had one of our two new cars that we ever owned (1972 Pontiac Tempest, 1980 Reliant K) you couldn't bring the pie in the car ("you goddamned kids are ruining my new car!").
So, new car situation -- just downed the pie and suffered the burns. Dad wasn't going to lose 20 more minutes of driving time while you waited for your pie to cool. I once actually just went into the bathroom and ran the pie under cold water. Bad idea.
Old car situation -- you became a guardian of the pie. Brought the pie along, once they posted the "pie filling is like nuclear material" warning, you kind of stared at that for 5 or 10 minutes down the road. Then you tried to eat the pie. Amazingly, it would sometimes STILL burn your mouth. Other times its heat had plummeted and you now had the awful, awful cold pie. Then you began acting generous -- "Hey sis, sis, bro, want some of my pie?" Everyone knew that this signaled a cold pie, but often you really didn't care. It was 300 hard road miles until something new would be offered up. You could generally give out the rest of the pie eventually.
Do I miss McDonald's Fried Apple Pies? As Homer Simpson said when he was asked if he loved the musical "Cats" -- "Oh God, no!"
Anyone who traveled 1,200 miles a summer in a car (as I did for 9-10 years as a child) recalls this about fried apple pies: 1) not really very good; 2) when cold they were inedible; 3) McDonald's served them basically like they serve their coffee -- scalding. So you would beg and beg and beg your dad for a 39 cent apple or cherry pie (cherry was WAAAAAY better, as Warrant and spokesmodel Bobbie Brown later pointed out quite convincingly). He would finally say "OK" and you got your "goddamned pie" (my mother's reference) and you couldn't eat it. It was 1,000,000 degrees and if one tiny droplet of apple filling actually hit your mouth, you would be in pain for 2 hours. I literally recall peeling skin from the inside of my mouth an hour after I once took a full bite of a freshly-fried pie.
This left you as a kid in a no-win situation -- you hated McDonaldland cookies, and so you were hungry and needed the goddamned pie. You wore your dad down and pried the 39 cents out of his wallet (meaning you had to hear about it for a week and how when he grew up everything cost a nickel and he worked 82 hours a week on the family farm for no pay and his dad never let him play sports because he was the oldest....). You had the pie. Now, if we had one of our two new cars that we ever owned (1972 Pontiac Tempest, 1980 Reliant K) you couldn't bring the pie in the car ("you goddamned kids are ruining my new car!").
So, new car situation -- just downed the pie and suffered the burns. Dad wasn't going to lose 20 more minutes of driving time while you waited for your pie to cool. I once actually just went into the bathroom and ran the pie under cold water. Bad idea.
Old car situation -- you became a guardian of the pie. Brought the pie along, once they posted the "pie filling is like nuclear material" warning, you kind of stared at that for 5 or 10 minutes down the road. Then you tried to eat the pie. Amazingly, it would sometimes STILL burn your mouth. Other times its heat had plummeted and you now had the awful, awful cold pie. Then you began acting generous -- "Hey sis, sis, bro, want some of my pie?" Everyone knew that this signaled a cold pie, but often you really didn't care. It was 300 hard road miles until something new would be offered up. You could generally give out the rest of the pie eventually.
Do I miss McDonald's Fried Apple Pies? As Homer Simpson said when he was asked if he loved the musical "Cats" -- "Oh God, no!"
AOL -- "25 Things We Miss"
http://money.aol.com/special/top-25-things-we-wish-would-come-back?icid=1615984945x1202437297x1200305573
This listing badly misses the mark. There a majority of stuff on the list is stuff I will not miss, here are some that deserve at least some feeling of loss:
Chrome -- I do agree that cars look better with at least some nice shiny chrome
Drive Ins -- if there are only 405 left in the country, I may have to go to the one 30 miles from my parents' house that is, in fact, still open.
Full-sized spare -- I mean, cars now cost $22,000 -- they can't set us up with a full-sized spare tire? I mean, when cars cost $2,000 you got a full-sized spare....
Playoff Day Games -- I would extend this to not only baseball, but basketball. I mean, that magical year when the Wolves made the playoffs, they had some 9PM starts. 3 hour game, got home around 1AM. Would I have preferred a 3PM start? You bet I would.
Phone booths -- even if they didn't have phones in them, would it kill us to have a few booths around so people didn't have to scream out loud "wanna pick me up, wanna pick me up, I can't quite hear.....you wanna pick me up"?
Easy Open Packages -- Should it really take 8 minutes to get a CD out and into a CD player? Should I actually consider using the Jaws of Life?
The Far Side -- it was a great comic strip and there has been nothing that stepped in to fill the void. I mean, the newer strips try, and there have been a ton of imitators, but it is like if the NBA lost Jordan and instead of LeBron and Kobe the best new star they had to offer was Jason Richardson or Corey Maggette.
This listing badly misses the mark. There a majority of stuff on the list is stuff I will not miss, here are some that deserve at least some feeling of loss:
Chrome -- I do agree that cars look better with at least some nice shiny chrome
Drive Ins -- if there are only 405 left in the country, I may have to go to the one 30 miles from my parents' house that is, in fact, still open.
Full-sized spare -- I mean, cars now cost $22,000 -- they can't set us up with a full-sized spare tire? I mean, when cars cost $2,000 you got a full-sized spare....
Playoff Day Games -- I would extend this to not only baseball, but basketball. I mean, that magical year when the Wolves made the playoffs, they had some 9PM starts. 3 hour game, got home around 1AM. Would I have preferred a 3PM start? You bet I would.
Phone booths -- even if they didn't have phones in them, would it kill us to have a few booths around so people didn't have to scream out loud "wanna pick me up, wanna pick me up, I can't quite hear.....you wanna pick me up"?
Easy Open Packages -- Should it really take 8 minutes to get a CD out and into a CD player? Should I actually consider using the Jaws of Life?
The Far Side -- it was a great comic strip and there has been nothing that stepped in to fill the void. I mean, the newer strips try, and there have been a ton of imitators, but it is like if the NBA lost Jordan and instead of LeBron and Kobe the best new star they had to offer was Jason Richardson or Corey Maggette.
"LeBron Traded to the Timberwolves" Trade Monitor -- Game 5
If he cannot play any better than that..................Al Jefferson and Rashad McCants. I would also toss in Mike Doleac.
HM
HM
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
George Gervin -- Defensive Stopper?
Every once in a while you stumble over something where you say, "Huh?" As a lawyer, it is generally a case in some jurisdiction where the law is the complete opposite of what it is everywhere else b/c some judge in 1974 decided that was the law and it has been ever since.
Well, looking at LeBron's season led me to look at Jordan's seasons, which led me to ask, "What guards have ever averaged at least one steal and one block per game over the course of a season?" This led me to about 29 such seasons. Not real helpful or worthwhile for a Blog posting. So I said, "Well, how about the guards who are 1+1 and whose total S+B for a season equaled 3.0 or better?"
Use a basketball-reference.com tool -- now we are talking! I found 5 guys and 11 total seasons:
1) Michael Jordan 4.8, Michael Jordan 4.4, Michael Jordan 3.7, Michael Jordan 3.3 (18 games)
2) Ron Harper 3.5, Ron Harper 3.5 (35 games)
3) Dwyane Wade -- 3.3 (51 games)
4) Mike Gale 3.1
5) George Gervin 3.2, George Gervin 3.0, George Gervin 3.0
That is all I get. Now, Gale's season and 2 of Gervin's are ABA seasons, but if you start cutting down the list that way, you have to toss out Jordan's short season and Harper's short season and possibly Wade's short season.
So, sorting again and adding a requirement of 70 NBA games played in that year:
Jordan -- 3
Harper -- 1
Gervin -- 1
Gervin also had NBA seasons with 2.9 steals plus blocks and 2.8 steals plus blocks.
So, why do I (born in 1964) recall George Gervin as such a horrible defender? 1) I watched the Braves play in the East, and I really started following the league closely once Bird and Magic arrived for the 1979-80 season. 2) Starting in 1979-80, Gervin never approached 3.0 again. He went to 2.4 and then slid downward to the area of 1.6, and 3) the Spurs and Gervin were known for offense.
Per basketball-reference.com, Gervin's "Defensive Win Shares" in the ABA are 13th best in league history, and #1 amongst all ABA guards! But adding in all of his NBA years, he drops all of the way to 149th overall on the combined list.
But the conclusion I draw from this review -- for a period of 1973 through 1979, George Gervin was a productive defender and may have actually been one of the best defensive guards in the leagues he played in during that stretch!!
LeBron's Regular Season
While I have taken to ripping LeBron in the Celtics series, I just want to note that I am really a huge fan.
LeBron this year put up 30-7.9-7.1. There are only 2 other players in the history of basketball who have had seasons where they went 30-7-7 or better. Oscar Robertson (5 times) and Michael Jordan (once).
So, in case I failed to give LBJ his proper respect for this historic regular season, I do so now.
LeBron this year put up 30-7.9-7.1. There are only 2 other players in the history of basketball who have had seasons where they went 30-7-7 or better. Oscar Robertson (5 times) and Michael Jordan (once).
So, in case I failed to give LBJ his proper respect for this historic regular season, I do so now.
Maven Scholarship Time Again
Next week I take my annual jaunt to upstate NY to interview kids for the "Maven Family Scholarship" at my old high school. Unfortunately, due to the school's schedule and my schedule and my sister's schedule, I didn't get a final date scheduled until May 12. That date? May 22. Arg.
Airfare to upstate NY isn't generally cheap, but I lucked out and priceline got me a rental car and flight to Rochester for under $500, so I can't really bitch. NWA.com? Flight priced at $912. Nice. Can't wait until there is LESS competition!
Requirements for the $1,500 scholarship (funded half by me and half by my sister):
1) High school senior
2) Top 10 in class
3) Lettered in two sports, one of which may be cheerleading (3 of 5 recipients have been cheerleaders, leading me to ask why I allow this to count as a sport)
4) Must attend a college and achieve a 2.5 GPA for your first semester.
So it goes: 1) qualify, 2) interview, 3) get your certificate/award at graduation, 4) still don't get the money unless you get through one good semester at school.
2 years we have had a clear winner and two we didn't. The years where we don't are FAR more interesting as me, sis, mom and dad all sit in the school conference room and express our disdain for the preferred candidate of the other people in the room.
And it gives me a chance to go back home and see my family and remember why I have my love/hate relationship with my home area.
HM
Airfare to upstate NY isn't generally cheap, but I lucked out and priceline got me a rental car and flight to Rochester for under $500, so I can't really bitch. NWA.com? Flight priced at $912. Nice. Can't wait until there is LESS competition!
Requirements for the $1,500 scholarship (funded half by me and half by my sister):
1) High school senior
2) Top 10 in class
3) Lettered in two sports, one of which may be cheerleading (3 of 5 recipients have been cheerleaders, leading me to ask why I allow this to count as a sport)
4) Must attend a college and achieve a 2.5 GPA for your first semester.
So it goes: 1) qualify, 2) interview, 3) get your certificate/award at graduation, 4) still don't get the money unless you get through one good semester at school.
2 years we have had a clear winner and two we didn't. The years where we don't are FAR more interesting as me, sis, mom and dad all sit in the school conference room and express our disdain for the preferred candidate of the other people in the room.
And it gives me a chance to go back home and see my family and remember why I have my love/hate relationship with my home area.
HM
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Jeff Green or Jamario Moon -- Who Should Be First-Team All-Rookie
1st Teamer: 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals+blocks, 1.98 turnovers, 2.50 fouls, 43% from the floor, 28% from 3.
2nd Teamer: 8.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 2.4 steals+blocks, 0.65 turnovers, 1.90 fouls, 48% from the floor, 33% from 3.
Green's Efficiency number? 9.79
Moon's Efficiency number? 13.51
Green plays for the 2nd worst team in the league, Moon plays equal minutes for a playoff team.
Who Got Voted First-Team All-Rookie? Jeff Green.
2nd Teamer: 8.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 2.4 steals+blocks, 0.65 turnovers, 1.90 fouls, 48% from the floor, 33% from 3.
Green's Efficiency number? 9.79
Moon's Efficiency number? 13.51
Green plays for the 2nd worst team in the league, Moon plays equal minutes for a playoff team.
Who Got Voted First-Team All-Rookie? Jeff Green.
Some Thoughts On The Celtics' Current Series
First, I watched all of the postgame on TNT last night. Why? Because this is really the only series that interests me (OK, I am sure that if the Lakers lost that I would be real happy and might watch the post-game of the deciding game, but really, are the Jazz a compelling squad for me? Um, no. And it appears that they could start Okur, Harpring, AK47 and Korver, but then they run out of white players, so they'd have to go with Williams or Boozer for 4 1/2 white starters.)
Second -- what are Boston's deficiencies that keeps them from winning a road playoff game? Well, they are poorly coached and their three best guys are 1,000 years old. Since LeBron is bigger than Paul Pierce, that takes away any Paul Pierce post-up game, rendering him a chunky aging three-point shooter.
1) Problem #1 -- Paul Pierce
Pierce is a 44% career shooter, 36% from 3, and he has had several years where he got 640 free throw attempts (8 a game) or more. His playoff history is that he is a worse shooter in the playoffs (41-31%) but he USED to shoot between 8 and 12 free throws a game in the playoffs. This year? He is shooting about 4.5 free throws a game.
So........Paul Pierce........a glorified chucker who can't draw fouls anymore. Great.
2) Problem #2 -- Ray Allen
Ray Allen? Anyone who has watched Boston this year has to know that Ray Allen is a shell of his former Milwaukee/Seattle multiple all-star self. Ray Allen used to come into Target Center with Seattle and lay 40 on the Wolves. It wasn't just what he did, it was how he did it -- threes off the dribble, between the legs dribbles and slashing moves, acrobatic reverse layups.
Ray Allen has none of that left. He managed to get his regular season shooting numbers up to his historical averages, but his numbers per 36 minutes in every other category were down: rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, all down on a per-minute basis from his Seattle play.
So, in the playoffs he is getting bigger minutes and.........failing badly.
Playoff numbers:
Ray Allen: Seattle 2004-05 -- 39.6 minutes, 26 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Ray Allen: Boston 2007-08 -- 37.6 minutes, 14 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3 assists
Conclusion -- Ray Allen is also a shell of his former self.
3) Problem #3 -- KG's Lack of An Extra Gear
Most great NBA players, believe it or not, don't really put it all on the line in the regular season. Look at Duncan's overall stats this year, or LeBron's annual decision to take off about 10-15 games a year.
While Jordan hated to lose and played hard every night, he actually had YET ANOTHER gear when it came to playoff basketball.
Kevin has never had that extra gear. Kevin plays 100% every single regular season game. He has no extra gear for the playoffs. What you see when you look at KG's career stats is that the regular season and playoff stats are very close, but the playoff stats are inflated because Flip played Kevin a RIDICULOUS number of minutes per playoff game:
In 2003-04, the Wolves played 18 playoff games. Kevin's minutes per game? 43.4. I am not making this up.
By contrast, KG's 2007-08 playoff minutes are way, way down from that level. So, is Doc Rivers correct that playing Leon Powe and giving Kevin 8 extra minutes of rest is more conducive to a Celtics playoff victory than playing Kevin for 8 minutes more? Either way the answer is a bad one for Boston. If Doc is correct, that means KG is basically a 37 minute a game guy who needs a quarter of rest to be productive. If Doc is wrong, that means that that he is leaving KG on the bench unnecessarily.
But, truthfully, I think Doc is right. Tim Duncan hasn't averaged 40 minutes a playoff game since 2003. So Kevin is giving you 20-9-3.5 assists and about 2.5 steals+blocks. Duncan, against much tougher competition, is giving the Spurs 20.5-12-2.3 and 3.5 steals plus blocks.
So Duncan has that little extra gear that allows him to give you a little more on defense and rebounding and even a little extra scoring. Kevin really doesn't.
4) Problem #4 -- Other Guys Just Disappear On The Road
This is to be expected, I guess. You know, that is why you pay big money to "stars" is because they can take their game up a level and play well on the road. But frankly, the Celtics' role players at home have done a good job. On the road.........not so much.
Sam Cassell is shooting 35% for the playoffs. Kendrick Perkins never touches the ball more than 4 feet from the rim -- he is shooting only 54% and chalking up a 1 to 3 assist to turnover ratio.
5) Problem #5 -- they are scared shitless
I mean, look at these guys. Pierce and Allen appear terrified to shoot the ball. KG is having trouble with Anderson Verajoa. None of these guys has been in a playoff series since 2004-05 (Pierce with Boston and Allen with Seattle). None has ever won a conference title. So, they cannot turn inward for guidance. Then they look to the bench to find...........Doc Rivers?????? Does that inspire confidence?
Required Solutions
a) toss the ball to KG in the post -- the Celtics have no offensive structure, so at least tossing the ball into KG in the post would allow a guy who is still a great passer to run the offense.
b) Either Allen or Pierce has to become a star again -- you can't have 2 guys you are paying $30,000,000 to who are playing 72 minutes total and averaging 30 points a game while shooting 40%. You just can't.
In the playoffs, LeBron James (despite his struggles) is shooting 41% for the playoffs and is equaling or surpassing the combined totals of Pierce and Allen in 1) steals+blocks, 2) assists, and 3) rebounds.
In other words, for their $32MM the Celtics are getting production equal to one great player (who is having a bad playoffs). You can't win that way.
HM
Second -- what are Boston's deficiencies that keeps them from winning a road playoff game? Well, they are poorly coached and their three best guys are 1,000 years old. Since LeBron is bigger than Paul Pierce, that takes away any Paul Pierce post-up game, rendering him a chunky aging three-point shooter.
1) Problem #1 -- Paul Pierce
Pierce is a 44% career shooter, 36% from 3, and he has had several years where he got 640 free throw attempts (8 a game) or more. His playoff history is that he is a worse shooter in the playoffs (41-31%) but he USED to shoot between 8 and 12 free throws a game in the playoffs. This year? He is shooting about 4.5 free throws a game.
So........Paul Pierce........a glorified chucker who can't draw fouls anymore. Great.
2) Problem #2 -- Ray Allen
Ray Allen? Anyone who has watched Boston this year has to know that Ray Allen is a shell of his former Milwaukee/Seattle multiple all-star self. Ray Allen used to come into Target Center with Seattle and lay 40 on the Wolves. It wasn't just what he did, it was how he did it -- threes off the dribble, between the legs dribbles and slashing moves, acrobatic reverse layups.
Ray Allen has none of that left. He managed to get his regular season shooting numbers up to his historical averages, but his numbers per 36 minutes in every other category were down: rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, all down on a per-minute basis from his Seattle play.
So, in the playoffs he is getting bigger minutes and.........failing badly.
Playoff numbers:
Ray Allen: Seattle 2004-05 -- 39.6 minutes, 26 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Ray Allen: Boston 2007-08 -- 37.6 minutes, 14 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3 assists
Conclusion -- Ray Allen is also a shell of his former self.
3) Problem #3 -- KG's Lack of An Extra Gear
Most great NBA players, believe it or not, don't really put it all on the line in the regular season. Look at Duncan's overall stats this year, or LeBron's annual decision to take off about 10-15 games a year.
While Jordan hated to lose and played hard every night, he actually had YET ANOTHER gear when it came to playoff basketball.
Kevin has never had that extra gear. Kevin plays 100% every single regular season game. He has no extra gear for the playoffs. What you see when you look at KG's career stats is that the regular season and playoff stats are very close, but the playoff stats are inflated because Flip played Kevin a RIDICULOUS number of minutes per playoff game:
In 2003-04, the Wolves played 18 playoff games. Kevin's minutes per game? 43.4. I am not making this up.
By contrast, KG's 2007-08 playoff minutes are way, way down from that level. So, is Doc Rivers correct that playing Leon Powe and giving Kevin 8 extra minutes of rest is more conducive to a Celtics playoff victory than playing Kevin for 8 minutes more? Either way the answer is a bad one for Boston. If Doc is correct, that means KG is basically a 37 minute a game guy who needs a quarter of rest to be productive. If Doc is wrong, that means that that he is leaving KG on the bench unnecessarily.
But, truthfully, I think Doc is right. Tim Duncan hasn't averaged 40 minutes a playoff game since 2003. So Kevin is giving you 20-9-3.5 assists and about 2.5 steals+blocks. Duncan, against much tougher competition, is giving the Spurs 20.5-12-2.3 and 3.5 steals plus blocks.
So Duncan has that little extra gear that allows him to give you a little more on defense and rebounding and even a little extra scoring. Kevin really doesn't.
4) Problem #4 -- Other Guys Just Disappear On The Road
This is to be expected, I guess. You know, that is why you pay big money to "stars" is because they can take their game up a level and play well on the road. But frankly, the Celtics' role players at home have done a good job. On the road.........not so much.
Sam Cassell is shooting 35% for the playoffs. Kendrick Perkins never touches the ball more than 4 feet from the rim -- he is shooting only 54% and chalking up a 1 to 3 assist to turnover ratio.
5) Problem #5 -- they are scared shitless
I mean, look at these guys. Pierce and Allen appear terrified to shoot the ball. KG is having trouble with Anderson Verajoa. None of these guys has been in a playoff series since 2004-05 (Pierce with Boston and Allen with Seattle). None has ever won a conference title. So, they cannot turn inward for guidance. Then they look to the bench to find...........Doc Rivers?????? Does that inspire confidence?
Required Solutions
a) toss the ball to KG in the post -- the Celtics have no offensive structure, so at least tossing the ball into KG in the post would allow a guy who is still a great passer to run the offense.
b) Either Allen or Pierce has to become a star again -- you can't have 2 guys you are paying $30,000,000 to who are playing 72 minutes total and averaging 30 points a game while shooting 40%. You just can't.
In the playoffs, LeBron James (despite his struggles) is shooting 41% for the playoffs and is equaling or surpassing the combined totals of Pierce and Allen in 1) steals+blocks, 2) assists, and 3) rebounds.
In other words, for their $32MM the Celtics are getting production equal to one great player (who is having a bad playoffs). You can't win that way.
HM
Monday, May 12, 2008
"LeBron Traded to the Timberwolves" Monitor -- Game 4
http://scoreboards.aol.com/nba/boxscore.asp?gamecode=2008051205&home=5&vis=2
If he cannot play any better than this -- Al Jefferson, but the Cavs have to toss in a 2nd rounder.
HM
If he cannot play any better than this -- Al Jefferson, but the Cavs have to toss in a 2nd rounder.
HM
Bob Barr to Run for President
http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/05/12/bob-barr-to-run-for-president/
I find it more than a little ironic that Bob Barr will run as a "Libertarian" when he led the Congressional prosecution and indictment (i.e. impeachment) of Bill Clinton for having sex with a then-chunky-later-plump intern.
To make his hypocrisy seem even worse, Barr's personal history was dug into by Larry Flynt's investigators, revealing, per wikipedia:
In 1999, during the impeachment trial of President Clinton, Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt offered money to anyone who could provide evidence that a prominent Republican had engaged in an extramarital affair. According to the American Journalism Review, "Barr was one of 13 House Republicans chosen to act as prosecutors in Clinton's Senate trial. Barr, Flynt's investigators found, "was guilty of king-size hypocrisy": An outspoken foe of abortion, the Georgia lawmaker had acquiesced to his then-wife having an abortion in 1983. And he had invoked a legal privilege during his 1985 divorce proceeding so he could refuse to answer questions on whether he'd cheated on his second wife with the woman who is now his third."[36]
Barr now wants to claim to be a "libertarian" despite the fact that he almost uniformly voted for GWB-neocon policies, including a vote in favor of The Patriot Act. Barr not only does not favor the legalization of recreational drugs, he was against state and local laws allowing medical marijuana use. So, Bob Barr -- he wants the government to tap your phones and he wants the federal government to regulate all U.S. drug use -- yep. Big libertarian there!
Is there 5-10% of the U.S. population that hates Democrats but also wants the government to get the hell out of their lives? Oh yeah. Are there tax protesters in Idaho who hate all foreigners but who also don't want their phones tapped? Sure.
Is Bob Barr a legitimate candidate for President for the Libertarian party? I don't know. Will the GOP run Hillary Clinton in 2012?
I find it more than a little ironic that Bob Barr will run as a "Libertarian" when he led the Congressional prosecution and indictment (i.e. impeachment) of Bill Clinton for having sex with a then-chunky-later-plump intern.
To make his hypocrisy seem even worse, Barr's personal history was dug into by Larry Flynt's investigators, revealing, per wikipedia:
In 1999, during the impeachment trial of President Clinton, Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt offered money to anyone who could provide evidence that a prominent Republican had engaged in an extramarital affair. According to the American Journalism Review, "Barr was one of 13 House Republicans chosen to act as prosecutors in Clinton's Senate trial. Barr, Flynt's investigators found, "was guilty of king-size hypocrisy": An outspoken foe of abortion, the Georgia lawmaker had acquiesced to his then-wife having an abortion in 1983. And he had invoked a legal privilege during his 1985 divorce proceeding so he could refuse to answer questions on whether he'd cheated on his second wife with the woman who is now his third."[36]
Barr now wants to claim to be a "libertarian" despite the fact that he almost uniformly voted for GWB-neocon policies, including a vote in favor of The Patriot Act. Barr not only does not favor the legalization of recreational drugs, he was against state and local laws allowing medical marijuana use. So, Bob Barr -- he wants the government to tap your phones and he wants the federal government to regulate all U.S. drug use -- yep. Big libertarian there!
Is there 5-10% of the U.S. population that hates Democrats but also wants the government to get the hell out of their lives? Oh yeah. Are there tax protesters in Idaho who hate all foreigners but who also don't want their phones tapped? Sure.
Is Bob Barr a legitimate candidate for President for the Libertarian party? I don't know. Will the GOP run Hillary Clinton in 2012?
Sunday, May 11, 2008
LeBron James Traded to Timberwolves -- Game 3 Trade Value
If that is the best he can play, his trade value is........Ryan Gomes and Sebastian Telfair.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Stereotyping -- Guys Who Play Like a Good White Player
Here is what you do: toss out all guys who aren't qualified for awards based upon too few minutes played.
Then ask, "What is a good white NBA player supposed to be able to do and not do?"
1) Shoot free throws extremely well -- think Steve Alford, Mark Price, Kyle Macy. etc.
2) Shoot accurately either from 3 or from the floor in general -- "heady guy, takes good shots"
3) He is a good ballhandler -- so a good assist-to-turnover guy -- "won't hurt you out there"
4) Not an active defender (so either an outright poor defender or a guy who plays good position D but just doesn't get many steals or blocks). "Well, he is physically limited, but has good intangibles, is a team guy, understands team defense..."
So, I took the top 50 free throw shooters and started sorting from there. (50 guys left)
Then I looked at the guys who were either top 50 from 3 or top 50 from the floor overall. This drops the number of "plays like a good white player" guys to 20:
Peja, Chauncey, Ben Gordon, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Derek Fisher, Dirk Nowitski, Kevin Martin, Grant Hill, Ginobili, Mo Williams, Danny Granger, Wally, Paul Pierce, Rashard Lewis, Mike Dunleavy, Richard Hamilton, Hedo Turkoglu, David Lee, Chris Paul. (8 are white, 12 are not).
So, moving to item #3 -- guys who are top 50 in assist-to-turnover -- we lose all but 7 guys:
Chris Paul, Chauncey, Nash, Derek Fisher, Grant Hill, Mo Williams, Richard Hamilton (1 is white, 6 are not)
Chris Paul was #1 in the league in total steals and steals per game, so he loses his stereotypical "whiteness" there -- he is DQed.
Then it all depends on how you limit steals and blocks. If you say that you cannot have greater than 1 steal or 1 block a game, you lose Chauncey and Mo Williams, barely. If you say you can't be a top 50 guy in the league, you lose Grant Hill (.8 blocks a game, barely top 50). If you just say, "Hey, they aren't that great at either stat," you get to keep all 6.
So, inclusive Good White Player list -- Chauncey, Nash, Fisher, Hill, Williams, Hamilton
Excluding guys who are even somewhat OK at steals or blocks, you get the "whitest" set of guys:
Nash, Fisher, Hamilton.
So there you go. Not gonna get that sort of analysis in any mainstream medium.
Then ask, "What is a good white NBA player supposed to be able to do and not do?"
1) Shoot free throws extremely well -- think Steve Alford, Mark Price, Kyle Macy. etc.
2) Shoot accurately either from 3 or from the floor in general -- "heady guy, takes good shots"
3) He is a good ballhandler -- so a good assist-to-turnover guy -- "won't hurt you out there"
4) Not an active defender (so either an outright poor defender or a guy who plays good position D but just doesn't get many steals or blocks). "Well, he is physically limited, but has good intangibles, is a team guy, understands team defense..."
So, I took the top 50 free throw shooters and started sorting from there. (50 guys left)
Then I looked at the guys who were either top 50 from 3 or top 50 from the floor overall. This drops the number of "plays like a good white player" guys to 20:
Peja, Chauncey, Ben Gordon, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Derek Fisher, Dirk Nowitski, Kevin Martin, Grant Hill, Ginobili, Mo Williams, Danny Granger, Wally, Paul Pierce, Rashard Lewis, Mike Dunleavy, Richard Hamilton, Hedo Turkoglu, David Lee, Chris Paul. (8 are white, 12 are not).
So, moving to item #3 -- guys who are top 50 in assist-to-turnover -- we lose all but 7 guys:
Chris Paul, Chauncey, Nash, Derek Fisher, Grant Hill, Mo Williams, Richard Hamilton (1 is white, 6 are not)
Chris Paul was #1 in the league in total steals and steals per game, so he loses his stereotypical "whiteness" there -- he is DQed.
Then it all depends on how you limit steals and blocks. If you say that you cannot have greater than 1 steal or 1 block a game, you lose Chauncey and Mo Williams, barely. If you say you can't be a top 50 guy in the league, you lose Grant Hill (.8 blocks a game, barely top 50). If you just say, "Hey, they aren't that great at either stat," you get to keep all 6.
So, inclusive Good White Player list -- Chauncey, Nash, Fisher, Hill, Williams, Hamilton
Excluding guys who are even somewhat OK at steals or blocks, you get the "whitest" set of guys:
Nash, Fisher, Hamilton.
So there you go. Not gonna get that sort of analysis in any mainstream medium.
Guys Who Are Not A Threat To Pass The Ball.....Well
These are 10 guys listed on nba.com as "guards." As a coach you put them on the court and say, "um, just shoot it" because their drives and pass attempts end up as turnovers and they rarely get an assist:
10th worst
Kirk Snyder -- turns it over 1.4 times a game and gets 1.23 assists to every turnover
9th worst
John Salmons -- 2.1 TO and 1.22 A/TO
8th worst
Marquis Daniels -- 1.5 TO and 1.22 ratio
7th worst
Dequan Cook -- 1.1 and 1.19
6th worst
Josh Childress -- 1.3 and 1.19
5th worst
JR Smith -- 1.5 and 1.14
4th worst
Kevin Martin -- 2.1 and 0.98
3rd worst
Bonzi Wells -- 1.4 and 0.94
2nd worst
Rashad McCants -- 2.4 and 0.94 -- as a Wolves fan, let me assure you that these numbers improved SUBSTANTIALLY in the second half of the season!
The worst
Kevin Durant -- 2.9 and 0.83 -- OK, you may say, he isn't really a guard. Well, comparing him to EVERY player in the league, his 0.83 assists per turnover puts him 316th overall -- below these ballhandling wizards: Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Anderson Verajoa, Joe Smith, Andris Beidrins, Kwame Brown. GERALD GREEN (basically cut twice this year) will give you more assists per 48 AND a better assist to turnover ratio than Kevin Durant!
Wow.
10th worst
Kirk Snyder -- turns it over 1.4 times a game and gets 1.23 assists to every turnover
9th worst
John Salmons -- 2.1 TO and 1.22 A/TO
8th worst
Marquis Daniels -- 1.5 TO and 1.22 ratio
7th worst
Dequan Cook -- 1.1 and 1.19
6th worst
Josh Childress -- 1.3 and 1.19
5th worst
JR Smith -- 1.5 and 1.14
4th worst
Kevin Martin -- 2.1 and 0.98
3rd worst
Bonzi Wells -- 1.4 and 0.94
2nd worst
Rashad McCants -- 2.4 and 0.94 -- as a Wolves fan, let me assure you that these numbers improved SUBSTANTIALLY in the second half of the season!
The worst
Kevin Durant -- 2.9 and 0.83 -- OK, you may say, he isn't really a guard. Well, comparing him to EVERY player in the league, his 0.83 assists per turnover puts him 316th overall -- below these ballhandling wizards: Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Anderson Verajoa, Joe Smith, Andris Beidrins, Kwame Brown. GERALD GREEN (basically cut twice this year) will give you more assists per 48 AND a better assist to turnover ratio than Kevin Durant!
Wow.
"Cavs Trade LeBron To The Timberwolves" Trade Monitor
In light of LeBron's awful play in games 1 and 2, after every Cavs game I will review LBJ's play and say, "If that is the best he can play, the Cavs should trade him to the Timberwolves for...."
After Game 1 -- Corey Brewer
After Game 2 -- Kirk Snyder
HM
After Game 1 -- Corey Brewer
After Game 2 -- Kirk Snyder
HM
Hall of Fame Monitor for Current Players
basketball-reference.com keeps this predictor. It appears that they don't rate anyone who is less than 6 years in the league (LeBron, Wade, Dwight Howard, etc. don't have a rating). The worst HOF member that I could locate? Calvin Murphy -- HOF likelihood rating -- 3.47% chance. A travesty that I STILL to this day cannot explain.
Here you go:
Complete Locks
1. Shaquille O'Neal 1.0000
2. Tim Duncan 1.0000
3. Kobe Bryant 1.0000
4. Allen Iverson 1.0000
5. Kevin Garnett 1.0000
6. Dirk Nowitzki 0.9993
7. Steve Nash 0.9991
8. Vince Carter 0.9528 (8 time all-star, 23.8PPG career is 18th best all-time, 31 years old -- 4 more good scoring years puts him in top 25 of all-time)
Very Likely to Get In
9. Tracy McGrady 0.8780
10. Jason Kidd 0.8702
11. Paul Pierce 0.8666
12. Ray Allen 0.8196
Well, What Do you Think? Should We Let Him In?
13. Chris Webber 0.6972
14. Grant Hill 0.6831
15. Gilbert Arenas 0.6078
16. Tony Parker 0.3858
17. Alonzo Mourning 0.3362
Probably Won't Make It
18. Stephon Marbury 0.2819
19. Steve Francis 0.2308
20. Elton Brand 0.1890
21. Shawn Marion 0.1878
22. Antoine Walker 0.1640
Um, No....At Least Not Yet
23. Sam Cassell 0.1023
24. Baron Davis 0.0920
25. Yao Ming 0.0872
26. Richard Hamilton 0.0632
27. Chauncey Billups 0.0514
28. Manu Ginobili 0.0510
29. Antawn Jamison 0.0493
30. Rasheed Wallace 0.0283
31. Anfernee Hardaway 0.0260
32. Michael Finley 0.0249
33. Michael Redd 0.0218
34. Pau Gasol 0.0218
35. Jerry Stackhouse 0.0216
36. Robert Horry 0.0207
37. Jermaine O'Neal 0.0178
38. Mike Bibby 0.0169
39. Peja Stojakovic 0.0142
40. Shareef Abdur-Rahim 0.0139
41. Jason Richardson 0.0122
42. Andre Miller 0.0114
43. Joe Johnson 0.0091
44. Caron Butler 0.0083
45. Dikembe Mutombo 0.0073
46. Lamar Odom 0.0070
47. Damon Stoudamire 0.0059
48. Eddie Jones 0.0053
49. Jason Terry 0.0053
50. Richard Jefferson 0.0047
Here you go:
Complete Locks
1. Shaquille O'Neal 1.0000
2. Tim Duncan 1.0000
3. Kobe Bryant 1.0000
4. Allen Iverson 1.0000
5. Kevin Garnett 1.0000
6. Dirk Nowitzki 0.9993
7. Steve Nash 0.9991
8. Vince Carter 0.9528 (8 time all-star, 23.8PPG career is 18th best all-time, 31 years old -- 4 more good scoring years puts him in top 25 of all-time)
Very Likely to Get In
9. Tracy McGrady 0.8780
10. Jason Kidd 0.8702
11. Paul Pierce 0.8666
12. Ray Allen 0.8196
Well, What Do you Think? Should We Let Him In?
13. Chris Webber 0.6972
14. Grant Hill 0.6831
15. Gilbert Arenas 0.6078
16. Tony Parker 0.3858
17. Alonzo Mourning 0.3362
Probably Won't Make It
18. Stephon Marbury 0.2819
19. Steve Francis 0.2308
20. Elton Brand 0.1890
21. Shawn Marion 0.1878
22. Antoine Walker 0.1640
Um, No....At Least Not Yet
23. Sam Cassell 0.1023
24. Baron Davis 0.0920
25. Yao Ming 0.0872
26. Richard Hamilton 0.0632
27. Chauncey Billups 0.0514
28. Manu Ginobili 0.0510
29. Antawn Jamison 0.0493
30. Rasheed Wallace 0.0283
31. Anfernee Hardaway 0.0260
32. Michael Finley 0.0249
33. Michael Redd 0.0218
34. Pau Gasol 0.0218
35. Jerry Stackhouse 0.0216
36. Robert Horry 0.0207
37. Jermaine O'Neal 0.0178
38. Mike Bibby 0.0169
39. Peja Stojakovic 0.0142
40. Shareef Abdur-Rahim 0.0139
41. Jason Richardson 0.0122
42. Andre Miller 0.0114
43. Joe Johnson 0.0091
44. Caron Butler 0.0083
45. Dikembe Mutombo 0.0073
46. Lamar Odom 0.0070
47. Damon Stoudamire 0.0059
48. Eddie Jones 0.0053
49. Jason Terry 0.0053
50. Richard Jefferson 0.0047
The Clintons
The Wall Street Journal decides to toss a shovel of dirt on the grave of not only Hillary Clinton, but Bill Clinton. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121028913821779151.html?mod=opinion_main_review_and_outlooks
In the 1994-95 season, I recall that Michigan finally defeated Duke in men's basketball. Duke had defeated Michigan by 20 in the 1992 final and again in the regular season of 1993. The Michigan fans in 1995 stormed the court, acting as if they had finally defeated Hurley/Hill/Laettner. They were beating Greg Newton et al. I compare statements about the demise of "the Clintons" to the actions of those Michigan fans. Um, the good one didn't lose; the crappy one did. Don't pretend that Hillary losing somehow erases the fact that Bill Clinton won two elections and served 8 years as President. It doesn't.
HM
In the 1994-95 season, I recall that Michigan finally defeated Duke in men's basketball. Duke had defeated Michigan by 20 in the 1992 final and again in the regular season of 1993. The Michigan fans in 1995 stormed the court, acting as if they had finally defeated Hurley/Hill/Laettner. They were beating Greg Newton et al. I compare statements about the demise of "the Clintons" to the actions of those Michigan fans. Um, the good one didn't lose; the crappy one did. Don't pretend that Hillary losing somehow erases the fact that Bill Clinton won two elections and served 8 years as President. It doesn't.
HM
Politicians and Sex
In January through July of 1985, I was an intern in the State Assembly in New York. Reported today, we have yet another extramarital affair involving a politician from New York:
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/congressman-admits-child-from-affair/20080508161609990001?icid=1615988631x1201928799x1200304060
Let me give you my recollection of sex in New York politics 23 years ago:
1) I lived for the summer in the apartment of the representative I worked for. I could not get incoming calls because they were all forwarded to his mistress's house (where he lived).
2) His mistress was a 45 year old woman who had previously been the mistress of Legislator B. When the Legislator B found a different woman he preferred, the only request of the mistress was that B find her a new sugar daddy in town. He did -- my legislator. B's sales pitch to my guy: "There is nothing she hasn't done or won't do."
3) I was told by many young female interns that they had been propositioned by legislators or asked to "dinner" by legislators that they did not work for. And these conversations were with just the 20 or so girls who were saying "no thanks."
4) One drunk female intern became very upset with me because I didn't hit on her, "But ________[name of legislator] hits on me every day! Why should I keep holding him off if you aren't ever going to do anything?" Why indeed? I still see this guy from time to time on public affairs programs. I was 21 and he was 32, now we are 44 and 55 -- no intern will be choosing either of us today.
5) The "farm system" was very strong. Intern-intern relations were common, as were intern-staff. So nearly every young person who worked at the legislature and wanted to become a politician learned early on that you found someone at work and had sex. That is just how it worked.
What I will say, however, is this. In 1985 there was a tacit agreement in place that said that you didn't narc on the other political party for its infidelities. I mean, if you have 150 folks and 100 are having sex either outside of marriage and/or with staff or with interns, there is plenty of potential scandal to go around. Keep your mouth shut.
Bill Clinton's election and the endless efforts to track down his infidelities from 1992-2000 changed the rules. Now if people know you do this, you are gone. Not sure why, I mean, if your best employee cheats on his wife with the receptionist, does he get fired? Generally not. But the rules have, in fact, changed.
HM
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/congressman-admits-child-from-affair/20080508161609990001?icid=1615988631x1201928799x1200304060
Let me give you my recollection of sex in New York politics 23 years ago:
1) I lived for the summer in the apartment of the representative I worked for. I could not get incoming calls because they were all forwarded to his mistress's house (where he lived).
2) His mistress was a 45 year old woman who had previously been the mistress of Legislator B. When the Legislator B found a different woman he preferred, the only request of the mistress was that B find her a new sugar daddy in town. He did -- my legislator. B's sales pitch to my guy: "There is nothing she hasn't done or won't do."
3) I was told by many young female interns that they had been propositioned by legislators or asked to "dinner" by legislators that they did not work for. And these conversations were with just the 20 or so girls who were saying "no thanks."
4) One drunk female intern became very upset with me because I didn't hit on her, "But ________[name of legislator] hits on me every day! Why should I keep holding him off if you aren't ever going to do anything?" Why indeed? I still see this guy from time to time on public affairs programs. I was 21 and he was 32, now we are 44 and 55 -- no intern will be choosing either of us today.
5) The "farm system" was very strong. Intern-intern relations were common, as were intern-staff. So nearly every young person who worked at the legislature and wanted to become a politician learned early on that you found someone at work and had sex. That is just how it worked.
What I will say, however, is this. In 1985 there was a tacit agreement in place that said that you didn't narc on the other political party for its infidelities. I mean, if you have 150 folks and 100 are having sex either outside of marriage and/or with staff or with interns, there is plenty of potential scandal to go around. Keep your mouth shut.
Bill Clinton's election and the endless efforts to track down his infidelities from 1992-2000 changed the rules. Now if people know you do this, you are gone. Not sure why, I mean, if your best employee cheats on his wife with the receptionist, does he get fired? Generally not. But the rules have, in fact, changed.
HM
Thursday, May 08, 2008
The Hamstring Giveth, And The Hamstring Taketh Away
Chauncey Billups left last night's tilt with a hamstring injury, leading me to recall how the "Bad Boys" ended up with their first NBA title -- Byron Scott and Magic Johnson, out with blown hammies:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE3D8103BF932A25755C0A96F948260
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_NBA_Finals
Perhaps now, 19 years later, karma is finally catching up with the Pistons???
I was watching "Stump the Schwab" yesterday and the question was, "Joe Dumars blocked the three-point shot of what Lakers rookie to win Game 3 of the 1989 NBA Finals?"
Answer -- David Rivers. The Lakers were also forced to use Jeff Lamp in that series......yikes.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE3D8103BF932A25755C0A96F948260
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_NBA_Finals
Perhaps now, 19 years later, karma is finally catching up with the Pistons???
I was watching "Stump the Schwab" yesterday and the question was, "Joe Dumars blocked the three-point shot of what Lakers rookie to win Game 3 of the 1989 NBA Finals?"
Answer -- David Rivers. The Lakers were also forced to use Jeff Lamp in that series......yikes.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Federal Gas Tax Holiday? Whom Are We Kidding?
The federal gas tax is 18.4 cents per gallon: http://www.gaspricewatch.com/usgastaxes.asp
So, if John McCain and Hillary Clinton decide to provide a "gas tax holiday" for the summer of 2008, what do we stand to gain as consumers:
Assume that a family drives 24,000 miles a year total. Then assume that we are talking about a 3 month holiday from federal gas tax. Assume that the family's vehicles average 20 miles per gallon on gas.
24,000 divided by 4 = 6,000 miles divided by 20 miles to the gallon = 300 gallons of gas. 300 gallons of gas multiplied by 0.184 = $55.20.
$55.20 divided by $3.25/gallon of gas = 17 gallons of gas.
So, giving a family of this sort a gas tax holiday basically allows them to fill up one of their cars once during the summer. Wow.
McCain's reply? "That is a lot of money to some people." No it isn't, John. I am sorry. Even if you make $30,000 a year, you are not going to go crazy about getting one free tank of gas. That is 0.18% of your annual income. If you really want to give money to people, why don't we have a tax withholding holiday? If you suspended FICA and Medicaid for three months, you would put 7.65% of the employee's $7,500 summer salary into his pocket -- $573.75, or roughly 11 times what a gas tax holiday would save him.
HM
So, if John McCain and Hillary Clinton decide to provide a "gas tax holiday" for the summer of 2008, what do we stand to gain as consumers:
Assume that a family drives 24,000 miles a year total. Then assume that we are talking about a 3 month holiday from federal gas tax. Assume that the family's vehicles average 20 miles per gallon on gas.
24,000 divided by 4 = 6,000 miles divided by 20 miles to the gallon = 300 gallons of gas. 300 gallons of gas multiplied by 0.184 = $55.20.
$55.20 divided by $3.25/gallon of gas = 17 gallons of gas.
So, giving a family of this sort a gas tax holiday basically allows them to fill up one of their cars once during the summer. Wow.
McCain's reply? "That is a lot of money to some people." No it isn't, John. I am sorry. Even if you make $30,000 a year, you are not going to go crazy about getting one free tank of gas. That is 0.18% of your annual income. If you really want to give money to people, why don't we have a tax withholding holiday? If you suspended FICA and Medicaid for three months, you would put 7.65% of the employee's $7,500 summer salary into his pocket -- $573.75, or roughly 11 times what a gas tax holiday would save him.
HM
Baseball
I watched PM's squad win 13-5 in the middle of nowhere last night (233rd street north, why do they keep counting that far up? My land that I own is at something like 443rd street south -- when do they stop counting, Iowa?).
PM seems to grow every day and is now about 5'8" and 125 pounds (on our tiptoes the other night his reach was 3 inches+ beyond mine). He was 1 for 2 last night with a sacrifice fly.
But I was thinking as I was watching this game: 1) how far would it be to get to the Canadian border? and 2) how stupid were people during the 1990s steroid era in baseball?
What was the big statement by guys in the steroids era? "It is hard to hit a baseball. Being big doesn't help you make solid contact with a baseball."
Last night the other team had some kids whom I am sure are decent athletes, but they all checked in at about 5' and 87 pounds.
PM's lineup in spots 3 through 8 goes:
3) 5'4" 140 pounds;
4) 5'8", 125 pounds;
5) 5'8", 135 pounds;
6) 5'3", 140 pounds;
7) 5'3", 120 pounds;
8) 5'7", 130 pounds.
If any of these guys hits the ball even sort of solid -- it is going 150-275 feet. If the opponent's guys made solid contact they were either grounding out on 3 hops to the infield or hitting a ball just barely over the infield. On the Major League level, how does this translate? Well, if I am a huge steroid pumping guy and I hit a regular fly ball, it may go out. If I am off the roids, it may be a warning track fly ball. It is the same equation that I saw last night. All other things being equal, you want the big strong guys hitting b/c they can hit the ball much harder and farther. So how dumb were people (including baseball media) to buy into the ridiculous, "Well, steroids don't help you hit" argument? Pretty darn dumb.
HM
PM seems to grow every day and is now about 5'8" and 125 pounds (on our tiptoes the other night his reach was 3 inches+ beyond mine). He was 1 for 2 last night with a sacrifice fly.
But I was thinking as I was watching this game: 1) how far would it be to get to the Canadian border? and 2) how stupid were people during the 1990s steroid era in baseball?
What was the big statement by guys in the steroids era? "It is hard to hit a baseball. Being big doesn't help you make solid contact with a baseball."
Last night the other team had some kids whom I am sure are decent athletes, but they all checked in at about 5' and 87 pounds.
PM's lineup in spots 3 through 8 goes:
3) 5'4" 140 pounds;
4) 5'8", 125 pounds;
5) 5'8", 135 pounds;
6) 5'3", 140 pounds;
7) 5'3", 120 pounds;
8) 5'7", 130 pounds.
If any of these guys hits the ball even sort of solid -- it is going 150-275 feet. If the opponent's guys made solid contact they were either grounding out on 3 hops to the infield or hitting a ball just barely over the infield. On the Major League level, how does this translate? Well, if I am a huge steroid pumping guy and I hit a regular fly ball, it may go out. If I am off the roids, it may be a warning track fly ball. It is the same equation that I saw last night. All other things being equal, you want the big strong guys hitting b/c they can hit the ball much harder and farther. So how dumb were people (including baseball media) to buy into the ridiculous, "Well, steroids don't help you hit" argument? Pretty darn dumb.
HM
Kevin Garnett Playoff Stats Versus Other Power Forwards
Since K seems inclined to defame Garnett as a mediocre playoff performer, let's review his career playoff stats versus the guys generally thought to be great power forwards:
9th -- Kevin McHale -- while he might have been viewed as "unstoppable" in the post, his stats sure don't confirm that claim:
18.8 points/7.4 rebounds/1.6 assists/2.1 steals+blocks (all s+b figures are going to be my rough calculation based upon a quick look at basketball-reference.com)
8th -- Chris Webber -- I will try to toss out his dismal Detroit stats from last year by a rough mental calculation:
Approx -- 20/10/4/2.2
7th -- Elvin Hayes -- 22.9/13.0/1.9/3.2
6th and 5th -- Dirk -- 25.3/11.1/2.5/2.2 and Karl Malone -- 24.7/10.7/3.2/2.0
You then reach the top 4, and you can rank them any way you want based upon whom you love. I guess you'd have to go with the two guys with no titles first, so:
4th -- KG 22.3/12.7/4.8/3.4 -- while he is at 2 a game less than Dirk and Karl, he gets 2 more board, 2 more assists and one more s+b a game.
3rd -- Barkley -- 23.0/12.9/3.9/2.5 -- I will give Chuck the nod since he reached a final, but his stats are very similar to KG's
2nd -- Bird -- 23.8/10.3/6.5/2.6 -- while a small forward in name, his stats always more resembled a power forward's. 3 titles (1981, 1984, 1986)
1st -- Tim Duncan -- 23.6/12.5/3.5/3.4 -- one could argue that KG's stat line is the same or better, but you really can't dis the 4 titles Duncan has won.
9th -- Kevin McHale -- while he might have been viewed as "unstoppable" in the post, his stats sure don't confirm that claim:
18.8 points/7.4 rebounds/1.6 assists/2.1 steals+blocks (all s+b figures are going to be my rough calculation based upon a quick look at basketball-reference.com)
8th -- Chris Webber -- I will try to toss out his dismal Detroit stats from last year by a rough mental calculation:
Approx -- 20/10/4/2.2
7th -- Elvin Hayes -- 22.9/13.0/1.9/3.2
6th and 5th -- Dirk -- 25.3/11.1/2.5/2.2 and Karl Malone -- 24.7/10.7/3.2/2.0
You then reach the top 4, and you can rank them any way you want based upon whom you love. I guess you'd have to go with the two guys with no titles first, so:
4th -- KG 22.3/12.7/4.8/3.4 -- while he is at 2 a game less than Dirk and Karl, he gets 2 more board, 2 more assists and one more s+b a game.
3rd -- Barkley -- 23.0/12.9/3.9/2.5 -- I will give Chuck the nod since he reached a final, but his stats are very similar to KG's
2nd -- Bird -- 23.8/10.3/6.5/2.6 -- while a small forward in name, his stats always more resembled a power forward's. 3 titles (1981, 1984, 1986)
1st -- Tim Duncan -- 23.6/12.5/3.5/3.4 -- one could argue that KG's stat line is the same or better, but you really can't dis the 4 titles Duncan has won.
Garnett -- 28 In Game 1 win
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=207187&cl=7709378&ch=244098&src=sports
The things I would be concerned about if I were Doc Rivers: 1) I am a mediocre coach; and 2) Is LeBron going to go 2 for 18 with 10 turnovers every game? And even if he does, do you think the Cavs might be able to eke out 5 extra points somewhere?
As my older daughter (DGM) said, last night, "Oh, this isn't right. These are the two teams I want to actually win it all. Can I vote for a tie?"
The things I would be concerned about if I were Doc Rivers: 1) I am a mediocre coach; and 2) Is LeBron going to go 2 for 18 with 10 turnovers every game? And even if he does, do you think the Cavs might be able to eke out 5 extra points somewhere?
As my older daughter (DGM) said, last night, "Oh, this isn't right. These are the two teams I want to actually win it all. Can I vote for a tie?"
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
I'm Not Smart Enough to Understand Soccer, but I Never hired three Hookers with wieners to have sex with me
Quite some time ago I posted a column stating that any sport where you can score the game's only goal into your own goal is really not something I care to watch. A commenter replied that I was simply too stupid to understand soccer.
Well, see the above headline all you soccer worshipers.....and read this story:
http://sports.aol.com/soccer/story/_a/im-sorry-and-ashamed/20080505103709990001?icid=1615984947x1201723241x1200303611
http://fourfourtwo.com/news/southamerica/8204/default.aspx
Well, see the above headline all you soccer worshipers.....and read this story:
http://sports.aol.com/soccer/story/_a/im-sorry-and-ashamed/20080505103709990001?icid=1615984947x1201723241x1200303611
http://fourfourtwo.com/news/southamerica/8204/default.aspx
Monday, May 05, 2008
Black Holes -- Guys Who Just Can't Get An Assist
Again, limited to "qualified" players:
189th best assist man per 48 minutes: Kris Humphries (will come as no surprise to Gophers fans who saw him score 20+ a night and tally maybe 1 assist a night for MN)
190 -- Hakim Warrick
191 -- Tyson Chandler
192 -- Jason Maxielle
193 -- Emeka Okafor
194 -- Johan Petro
195 -- Adonal Foyle
(ok, if you rank below Adonal Foyle, you NEVER get an assist)
196 -- Sean Williams
197 -- Jason Collins
198 -- Jason Smith
(these two are in a class by themselves)
199 -- Sam Dalembert (0.8 assists per 48 minutes, over 3 turnovers per assist)
200 -- Joel Pryzbilla (0.7 assists per 48 minutes, just a slightly worse A-TO ratio than Sam).
Yuck.
HM
189th best assist man per 48 minutes: Kris Humphries (will come as no surprise to Gophers fans who saw him score 20+ a night and tally maybe 1 assist a night for MN)
190 -- Hakim Warrick
191 -- Tyson Chandler
192 -- Jason Maxielle
193 -- Emeka Okafor
194 -- Johan Petro
195 -- Adonal Foyle
(ok, if you rank below Adonal Foyle, you NEVER get an assist)
196 -- Sean Williams
197 -- Jason Collins
198 -- Jason Smith
(these two are in a class by themselves)
199 -- Sam Dalembert (0.8 assists per 48 minutes, over 3 turnovers per assist)
200 -- Joel Pryzbilla (0.7 assists per 48 minutes, just a slightly worse A-TO ratio than Sam).
Yuck.
HM
Feel Free to Bring It In Here -- Worst Shot Blockers of 2007-08
Limited to players on nba.com who were listed as "qualified."
Overall:
Andre Miller (6 blocks all year)
Nash (5)
Steve Blake (4)
Derek Fisher (3)
Chris Paul (4 but fewer per 48 minutes than Fish)
Jason Kapono (2)
Antonio Daniels (2)
Jacque Vaughn (1)
Nate Robinson (1)
JC Navarro (1)
Sergio Rodriguez (0)
Worst Forwards
Wally S. -- .33 blocks per 48 minutes
Richard Jefferson -- .32
Thad Young -- .25
Ricky Davis -- .23
Jarvis Hayes -- .22
Reggie Evans -- .2
Ryan Gomes -- .2
Peja -- .18
Bobby Simmons -- .16
Corey Maggette -- .13
Jason Kapono -- .06
Worst Centers
Tyson Chandler -- 1.45 per 48 minutes. This seems hard to imagine, but I double checked.
Al Horford -- 1.44 (out of position)
Brad Miller -- 1.41
Jason Collins -- 1.02
Channing Frye -- 0.97 (out of position)
Bargnani -- 0.95 (out of position)
Jeff Foster -- 0.82
Oberto -- 0.58
Okur -- 0.58
Jarron Collins -- 0.41
Overall:
Andre Miller (6 blocks all year)
Nash (5)
Steve Blake (4)
Derek Fisher (3)
Chris Paul (4 but fewer per 48 minutes than Fish)
Jason Kapono (2)
Antonio Daniels (2)
Jacque Vaughn (1)
Nate Robinson (1)
JC Navarro (1)
Sergio Rodriguez (0)
Worst Forwards
Wally S. -- .33 blocks per 48 minutes
Richard Jefferson -- .32
Thad Young -- .25
Ricky Davis -- .23
Jarvis Hayes -- .22
Reggie Evans -- .2
Ryan Gomes -- .2
Peja -- .18
Bobby Simmons -- .16
Corey Maggette -- .13
Jason Kapono -- .06
Worst Centers
Tyson Chandler -- 1.45 per 48 minutes. This seems hard to imagine, but I double checked.
Al Horford -- 1.44 (out of position)
Brad Miller -- 1.41
Jason Collins -- 1.02
Channing Frye -- 0.97 (out of position)
Bargnani -- 0.95 (out of position)
Jeff Foster -- 0.82
Oberto -- 0.58
Okur -- 0.58
Jarron Collins -- 0.41
Marvin Williams -- Hard Foul Footage Reveals Greater Deficiencies
If I were Hawks management reviewing this tape, I wouldn't give a damn about the foul (Williams at least shows some spirit and strength), here is what I would be concerned about:
1) The Hawks regularly get situations where they either move the ball well or get a loose ball or get an offensive rebound. Unfortunately the ball often ends up in the hands of Marvin Williams for a WIDE open 17 footer (see film). He can't consistently make wide open shots between 15 and 18 feet. While Williams was 13th amongst Eastern Conference forwards in shooting %, he was 24th in 2-point shooting percentage (he took 10 threes on the year, making 1).
What HAS improved about Williams' game is that he goes to the hoop well, shoots 5 free throws a game and rebounds at a decent rate for a small forward (5.7). But can you really play a guy at small forward who can't ever make a 3 and who struggles to make wide open jumpers? His assist-to-turnover ratio is about 1 to 1. Not horrible, but certainly not where you want an elite small forward to be.
I think the answer is a pretty clear "no." So that makes Williams at his current skill level either a bench player or a possible power forward.
2) Watch Rondo coming down the floor on the youtube video. Williams outruns him. Williams is 6'8+, Rondo is 6'2", maybe. So does Williams go up aggressively for the block? Um, no. Why? Because Marvin Williams blocked a TOTAL of 33 shots this year. Yep, 33. 80 games, 33 blocks. So, as a defensive player, he is akin to Mike Dunleavy and Antawn Jamison.
You really can't play a guy at power forward who is going to get 1 steal+block for every two fouls and one block every 7 fouls (Wally Szczerbiak is 1 per every 8, and HE can knock down open shots, but no one would ever consider playing him at power forward).
So, summary -- Marvin either needs to become a more consistent shooter and expand his range, or he needs to become a far more productive defender. Otherwise, he may end up as a sixth man somewhere, rather than an all-star level performer (as I am sure the Hawks would prefer).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aigS_kxrePo
1) The Hawks regularly get situations where they either move the ball well or get a loose ball or get an offensive rebound. Unfortunately the ball often ends up in the hands of Marvin Williams for a WIDE open 17 footer (see film). He can't consistently make wide open shots between 15 and 18 feet. While Williams was 13th amongst Eastern Conference forwards in shooting %, he was 24th in 2-point shooting percentage (he took 10 threes on the year, making 1).
What HAS improved about Williams' game is that he goes to the hoop well, shoots 5 free throws a game and rebounds at a decent rate for a small forward (5.7). But can you really play a guy at small forward who can't ever make a 3 and who struggles to make wide open jumpers? His assist-to-turnover ratio is about 1 to 1. Not horrible, but certainly not where you want an elite small forward to be.
I think the answer is a pretty clear "no." So that makes Williams at his current skill level either a bench player or a possible power forward.
2) Watch Rondo coming down the floor on the youtube video. Williams outruns him. Williams is 6'8+, Rondo is 6'2", maybe. So does Williams go up aggressively for the block? Um, no. Why? Because Marvin Williams blocked a TOTAL of 33 shots this year. Yep, 33. 80 games, 33 blocks. So, as a defensive player, he is akin to Mike Dunleavy and Antawn Jamison.
You really can't play a guy at power forward who is going to get 1 steal+block for every two fouls and one block every 7 fouls (Wally Szczerbiak is 1 per every 8, and HE can knock down open shots, but no one would ever consider playing him at power forward).
So, summary -- Marvin either needs to become a more consistent shooter and expand his range, or he needs to become a far more productive defender. Otherwise, he may end up as a sixth man somewhere, rather than an all-star level performer (as I am sure the Hawks would prefer).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aigS_kxrePo
My East-Coast Bias
I never thought I had an East-Coast Bias until I reviewed the final 4 of each conference.
Do I want New Orleans/Spurs/Lakers/Jazz to win the title?? Um, no thank you (although if Jerry Sloane would go with an all-white starting lineup and announce before the game that he is doing it on purpose as an "Affirmative Action program for white players", I would support the Jazz).
But would I be OK with anyone in the East winning? Boston -- love KG. Cleveland -- love LeBron. Orlando -- Dwight Howard. Detroit -- would be funny to see Flip Saunders visiting Target Center with a ring while he coaches against.........Randy Wittman........
So, I guess what I can hope for are lengthy WC playoffs featuring a ton of turned ankles and painful back spasms and any other injury that will go away around September.
I really don't see how you watch these playoffs and root for the west......
Do I want New Orleans/Spurs/Lakers/Jazz to win the title?? Um, no thank you (although if Jerry Sloane would go with an all-white starting lineup and announce before the game that he is doing it on purpose as an "Affirmative Action program for white players", I would support the Jazz).
But would I be OK with anyone in the East winning? Boston -- love KG. Cleveland -- love LeBron. Orlando -- Dwight Howard. Detroit -- would be funny to see Flip Saunders visiting Target Center with a ring while he coaches against.........Randy Wittman........
So, I guess what I can hope for are lengthy WC playoffs featuring a ton of turned ankles and painful back spasms and any other injury that will go away around September.
I really don't see how you watch these playoffs and root for the west......
Friday, May 02, 2008
Are The Wizards Slowly Wearing Down LeBron??
I have to say that the Wizards' play appears to have actually begun to wear on LeBron. He looked very slow and tired toward the end of Game 5. But I guess being forearmed to the jaw, wacked across the head and intentionally pushed while in mid-air by guys 230-280 pounds will eventually get to you. You wonder where the league has been up until now (they finally suspended Songaila). If this sort of strategy had been employed by the Nuggets on Kobe Bryant, the Nuggets would have been unable to field 10 guys by game 6.
Today Is My 16th Anniversary
Sadly, as the years go by, I begin to resemble Fred Flintstone to my wife's Wilma.......
OHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Happy Anniversary, happy anniversary......
It Is Gonna Snow Tomorrow
The Internet is a never-ending source of information. For example, I always tell everyone that May 2 is about the last day that it can possibly snow in Minneapolis, because I can recall that around May 2, 1991 I looked out the window of my apartment building and saw some light snow hitting New Hope, Minnesota. Well, let's look it up --
http://climate.umn.edu/doc/twin_cities/msp1990's.htm
It was actually May 5, 1991 -- 0.3 inches of light snow. I recall it PRETTY well.
In any event, we could see as much as one inch of snow tomorrow morning, May 3. THAT, my friends (plus the tremendous Timberwolves organization) is why I continue to live in Minneapolis!
HM
http://climate.umn.edu/doc/twin_cities/msp1990's.htm
It was actually May 5, 1991 -- 0.3 inches of light snow. I recall it PRETTY well.
In any event, we could see as much as one inch of snow tomorrow morning, May 3. THAT, my friends (plus the tremendous Timberwolves organization) is why I continue to live in Minneapolis!
HM
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Referee for Celts/Hawks Game 5? Dick Bavetta
Desperately afraid of a Hawks/Wizards second round battle, the NBA made sure to assign home-friendly Dick Bavetta to the Celts/Hawks game 5.
Sure the Celtics were the better team, but why take any chances.
LeBron heads to Washington tomorrow night. Best bet to be running that game: Steve Javie, Joey Crawford and/or Danny Crawford -- the three most ROAD friendly refs in the league (and also 3 of the best -- they tend to call the game down the middle without regard to what the home crowd thinks).
Do you think the league wants to promote:
A) Kevin Garnett v. LeBron James
or
B) Caron Butler v. Joe Johnson
Don't think too long, it isn't a hard question.
HM
Sure the Celtics were the better team, but why take any chances.
LeBron heads to Washington tomorrow night. Best bet to be running that game: Steve Javie, Joey Crawford and/or Danny Crawford -- the three most ROAD friendly refs in the league (and also 3 of the best -- they tend to call the game down the middle without regard to what the home crowd thinks).
Do you think the league wants to promote:
A) Kevin Garnett v. LeBron James
or
B) Caron Butler v. Joe Johnson
Don't think too long, it isn't a hard question.
HM
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