The Fundamentals

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:  “For now, Cuban is threatening to become one more cautionary tale of greed and carelessness in the NBA. He’s probably lost his chance to buy the Chicago Cubs. And unless he’s cleared, he’s lost his moral authority on a lot of issues. He’s been a strident, but important voice for the NBA. Even when you didn’t agree, the league has always been better for his challenges of conventional wisdom. Yet today, we are back to this: For a league whose black players are judged as harshly as any athletes in any sport, the NBA has been run by owners whose bad behavior and bad judgments are too seldom scolded.”

Michael McCann of CNNSI.com:  “Question: What is the likely outcome? McCann: It is too early to make such a prediction. Cuban — who, with his counsel, may have had settlement negotiations with the SEC before today’s court filing — could view the charges as preposterous, even slanderous, and vow to fight them. In fact, Cuban has already released a statement expressing that ‘the government’s claims are false and they will be proven to be so.’ Over time, however, Cuban may view the charges as sufficiently worrisome to seek a settlement with the SEC. He may pursue a settlement even if he believes that he is innocent. Plus, the SEC has a very good track record in bringing claims, a point that may influence Cuban and the advice he receives from his legal counsel. Cuban’s interest in purchasing a Major League Baseball team — he has made a bid to buy the Cubs — may also factor into his thinking. If he wants to preserve his chances for securing approval by MLB owners, any settlement with the SEC would need to be carefully structured so as to mitigate his admission of wrongdoing.”

Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus:  “Many have noted that Rodriguez’s game is much better suited for an up-tempo style than Blazers coach Nate McMillan’s half-court-oriented system. The bigger factor may be this: To be effective, Rodriguez needs the ball in his hands. So too does Roy, a conflict which has meant the two have spent little time on the floor together this season–just 35 minutes through the year’s first nine games. Since Roy has averaged nearly 39 minutes a night, that leaves precious little time for Rodriguez. Rodriguez’s status, then, is wrapped up in a bigger question for the Blazers: How do they best complement Roy in the backcourt? Roy is part of a general class of players I’ll term “initiators,” who break the traditional mold of point guard, shooting guard or even small forward. While not point guards in the traditional sense, these players tend to have the ball in their hands more often than anyone else on their team because of their overall ability and the quality of their decision-making. Besides Roy, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade are obvious contemporary examples, while Michael Jordan is perhaps the ultimate progenitor of this group.”

Keith Langlois of Pistons.com:  “Two years ago NBA Western Conference teams were plus-64 in games against teams from East. Last year, despite an off-season that saw a virtual All-Star team of talent head from West to East – Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Jason Richardson, Zach Randolph and Rashard Lewis all switched sides – it actually got worse. The West was plus-66 against the East in 2007-08. It’s a long way from conclusive, but the first three weeks of this season suggest that not only has momentum been stemmed, it’s turned 180 degrees. With a little more than 10 percent of the interconference schedule completed, the East holds a 31-15 edge over the West.”

Casey Holdahl of Trail Blazers.com:  “There’s another reason why the Trail Blazers are not getting to the line, and it comes down to something Nate McMillan calls ‘the game within the game.’ To hear McMillan explain it, the game within the game comes down to selling yourself on the court in order to draw a foul. You’ve seen it hundreds of times. It’s throwing your arms up after you run into a screen. It’s yelling. And yes, it’s flopping. ‘Flopping is part of it,’ says McMillan. ‘Acting is a part of it. And yelling. You go to the basket and you feel a hand on your body, yell. The officials sometimes will call the yell and not see the foul. Right now we’re just playing through that as opposed to playing the game within the game.’ Basically the Trail Blazers are too proud to beg. No one aspires to be a flopper, especially young players who are trying to forge a toughness on the court, but with the proper persuading and coaching, guys are starting to come around to the idea of playing the game within the game.”

Frank Dell’Apa of the Boston Globe:  “Cassell has bridged generations. He emerged as a young pro playing against veterans such as Rivers, became the ballhandler for Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston, and for Kevin Garnett in Minnesota, then was one of the final pieces in the Celtics’ championship puzzle. Before the world was inundated by technology and sports camps, Cassell was developing his game on the fly. ‘This is a new generation of basketball, way different than when I came in 16 years ago,’ Cassell said. ‘The culture is different, there are so many things to occupy the time of these young guys. When I came in, it was basketball.’”

Free Darko:  Gilbert Arenas shoots a ridiculously high percentage from way down town (28-40 feet)

Forum Blue & Gold:  Experimenting with the triangle offense

Blaze of Love:  7 NBA Logos Likely or Unlikely to Ever be Seen?

Adam Lauridsen of the San Jose Mercury News:  “Jackson’s age doesn’t worry me.  If anything, he might be better in a reduced role as he gets older.  Jackson reminds me in some ways of an aging Chris Mullin.  His shot doesn’t depend on athleticism.  He doesn’t rely on quickness to get to the basket.  His defense is more intelligence than raw strength or speed.  Other than a banged-up toe, he isn’t suffering from any chronic health issues.  He seems like the type of guy who could still be a significant contributor 2-3 years down the road, particularly if it’s only for 30-35 minutes a night.  I also don’t worry about Jackson playing hard after getting a contract or deciding that basketball is the perfect launching pad for his film/entertainment/media empire.  The Stephen Jesse Jackson Academy in Port Arthur Texas will probably get spiffed up a bit given the new deal, but Jackson lives and breathes basketball regardless of the money in play.”

Clips Nation:  “Let’s be clear.  The Clippers offense stinks.  It’s no fun to watch even when it’s working, and most of the time it’s broken.  Take the third quarter.  For over 8 minutes, no Clipper other than Cat Mobley made a field goal.  So I guess that’s a decided improvement over the routine stretches in other games this season where no one at all made a field goal for 8 or 9 minutes – I mean, at last Cat was making some shots, and he kept them in the game.  But one more Mobley fall away and I’ll put a bullet in my temple.  Iso after iso after iso, and sure, Cat was scoring.  But every other Clipper is standing around, getting less and less into the game.  It may get you some scores, but is it a good plan?  And I have another question – you know how Baron et al have been talking about the thickness of the MDsr playbook.  Seriously, how many pages do you need for “clear out the side for <insert name>”?  I find the concept of some thick playbook pretty mystifying.  Pages upon pages of plays, and apparently not a single one of them actually works.”

Howard Beck of The New York Times:  “By winning 6 of their first 10 games under Coach Mike D’Antoni, the Knicks restored a little pride and belief, all of which could be either reinforced or destroyed over the next 10 games, when the schedule turns nastier. The Knicks visit the defending champion Boston Celtics on Tuesday, starting a 10-game run that will include two dates each with Cleveland and Detroit and matchups against three explosive young teams: Golden State, Atlanta and Portland. For a Knicks team that has started to gain some self-esteem, the next few weeks could prove critical.”

Alex Raskin of HOOPSWORLD:  “After seeing his Player Efficiency Rating drop to a career-low last year, Randolph has pushed it back to 21.14 (the NBA average is 15) in the early part of this season. The remedy for Randolph’s abysmal 2007-2008 campaign came in the form of a change of scenery. Knicks Coach Mike D’Antoni found a way to limit Randolph’s defensive liabilities (he has only two blocks in 10 games) by moving him to center and playing him alongside David Lee. D’Antoni’s adjustment is playing to Randolph’s strength as a banger. Instead of chasing around power forwards, the man called ‘Z-Bo’ is allowed to stay in better rebounding position. Randolph currently ranks third in the NBA with 12.9 rebounds a game (3.9 offensive rebounds per game). Four years ago his rebound rate (percentage of missed shots that a player rebounds) was a respectable 14.0. This year Randolph’s rebound rate has ballooned to 19.4.”

X’s and O’s of Basketball:  To Double Duncan or Not to Double Duncan

Mike Wellls of the Indianapolis Star:  “Simple concepts like boxing out and jump-stopping before attempting a pass are two areas where the Pacers have struggled lately, a key factor in their two-game losing streak. ‘It’s everything we’ve been working on since the first day of practice,’ O’Brien said. ‘Nothing has changed. We’re just not consistently executing the fundamentals of the game of basketball. The same fundamentals that every team no matter what age is working on. Proper passing, proper screening, reversing the basketball, defensive stance.’”

Mike McGraw of the Arlington Heights Daily Herald:  “Ready to embark on the infamous circus road trip for the first time, Bulls guard Derrick Rose already has his itinerary planned out. It goes a little like this: Get rest, order room service, watch movies, catch bus to the arena. ‘Usually, I don’t even go out to eat (on the road),’ Rose said Monday at the Berto Center. ‘I get room service. I don’t really see anybody, but I think in L.A. my agency is based out of there, so I might see Arn Tellem and his family. ‘Other than that, I just stay in my room all the time and order room service and watch movies all day.’ Actually, teammate Ben Gordon believes Rose forgot to mention another potential time filler. ‘I’m sure he’ll be able to find some video games and stuff to play,’ Gordon said. ‘I know he loves to play video games.’”

John Reid of The Times-Picayune:  “West has been unable to hit his mid-range shots consistently after breaking open on pick-and-pop plays initiated at the top of the key. Stojakovic has been unable to avoid poor starts. In last week’s 93-86 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Stojakovic missed his first eight attempts and finished with 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting. He is averaging 12.1 points but shooting 37.4 percent from the field. Fifty-four of his 91 shots are from 3-point range. Stojakovic has gone to the free-throw line 11 times. ‘We haven’t played good basketball the last couple of games,’ Stojakovic said. ‘I particularly haven’t played well, and I need to be more aggressive and involved.’ Scott said after Monday’s practice he made some minor adjustments to provide more ball movement to attack defenses better. When the Hornets opened the season with three consecutive victories, they were one of the league’s highest scoring teams with a 106.7 average. After six games, they are averaging 98.3 points, which ranks 24th in the 30-team league.”

Art Thompson III of the Orange County Register:  “Clippers swingman Ricky Davis revealed that he too, had to climb out of a few bad financial situations, while he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers, because in Davis’ words, ‘I trusted some people and ended making some bad investments. It definitely was sizeable and that’s what hurts.’ Davis said that players need to watch who they associate themselves with and not only closely scrutinize every document that requires their signature but also hire an attorney to do the same. ‘You have to make sure that you have people watching the watchers,’ Davis said. ‘I know that I don’t have time. But because you have so much money, you have to make sure that you have the right people watching the watchers.’ Fisher said problems can occur because athletes are so much in the limelight and make so much money, that they can be vulnerable to people that try to ingratiate themselves into the athletes’ inner circle.”

Dan Dunkin for PhillyBurbs.com:  “There comes a time in our lives when the big chance beckons to be taken — or we safely pass. Hitting his mid-40s, Ed Stefanski saw his shot clock running out. A born gym rat, he desperately wanted back in the game. To his life-long friend and long-time NBA front-office man John Nash, there was just one issue: security-wise, trying to climb the ladder of an NBA franchise and starting out as a scout didn’t make much sense for a guy who had been running a lucrative mortgage business for 20 years. Stefanski still had four boys to put through college. He held a degree from Penn’s Wharton School of Business and had applied it brilliantly as president of Preferred Mortgages Corporation. ‘I think at the time maybe a lot of people thought I wasn’t thinking things through,’ Stefanski said. ‘I had to take a very substantial pay cut, but it was a passion thing for me.’”

Dave D’Alessandro of The Star-Ledger:  “So as James arrives in Jersey to play the Nets Tuesday at Izod Center, Jay-Z won’t be the only important figure seated courtside. There will also be an elephant in the room. ‘Every day it seems like (the media have) me going someplace else,’ James protested a few weeks ago. ‘I’m very happy here. I have said that over and over.’ Uh, no, not quite. Yes, there was a voter registration rally in Cleveland recently when James professed his undying love and devotion and commitment to his home state of Ohio, topping it off with ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ But he was probably caught up in the zeal of transforming a red state into blue. His real feelings, of course, stay private, though you occasionally read that he’s made up his mind: Come 2010, Cleveland will be in his rear-view mirror, some reports say. He’ll be in Manhattan, Brooklyn, L.A., Dallas — anywhere but Cleveland, and never mind the fact that the Cavs can pay James roughly $30 million more than any other NBA team. James already said it last spring: New York is his favorite city, Brooklyn is his favorite borough.”

Jonathan Abrams of The New York Times:  “The Nets were once considered the odds-on favorite to get James, possibly the game’s most transcending player. He is a close friend to the rapper Jay-Z, a part-owner of the Nets. But the team’s planned move to Brooklyn is at a standstill, which could significantly lessen the chances of James becoming a Net. That is the view of Sonny Vaccaro, the former shoe executive who keeps tabs on his former ABCD campers, James included. Vaccaro said he thought James would end up with the Knicks. ‘LeBron’s relationship with Jay-Z will go on regardless,’ Vaccaro said. ‘He’ll be an international celebrity in New York. If the Nets aren’t in Brooklyn, he’s not going over there for even $200 million. They’re putting pieces together. They’re doing the right things. They’re just living in the wrong building.’”