» August 31, 2009 3:14 PM | By Brandon Hoffman
- ESPN counts down the 23 most memorable moments of Michael Jordan’s career. Sam Smith published part VII of his series on Jordan, which chronicles MJ’s fifth season: “The knock on Jordan starting his career was that he wasn’t a very reliable shooter, that he was a driver and dunker, which accounted for his high shooting percentage. From the three-point line, Jordan shot 17.3 percent as a rookie, 16.7 percent his second season, 18.2 percent his third and 13.2 percent in 1987-88. The great players always will tell you that you improve your game in the offseason. That is the time when you add to your game to give the defense something else to consider. It wasn’t that any defense had an answer for Jordan. But Jordan always was ready for a challenge, and if critics said he couldn’t shoot, Jordan would show them. Jordan ended the 1988-89 season shooting 27.6 percent on threes after being well above 30 percent the first half of the season, easily his best ever. The following season, in 1989-90, Jordan raised his three-point percentage for the season to 37.6 percent and qualified for the All-Star weekend-three point contest, though he recorded a record low score. But as Jordan always said, ‘I’ve never been afraid to fail.’”
- Jared Wade, writing for Hardwood Paroxysm: “Someday, somewhere, some kid will come along who is better than Mike. It’s inevitable. Still, 99% of the people who watched Mike play will still say Mike was better. These people will use Mike’s undeniable on-court greatness as evidence. They will list his accomplishments. They will reference all the other NBA players and experts who believe Mike was the best ever. But all those valid points will not be the ultimate rationale behind why most MJ-era NBA fans will never admit that some new kid is better than Mike. The reason they will not admit that is because Mike had a perfect career trajectory that is (almost certainly) inimitable.”
- Matt Watson on Wilt Chamberlain: “His career started with seven consecutive scoring crowns and finished with 11 rebounding titles and 13 All-Star game appearances. By the time he left the game, he was the NBA’s all-time leader in points — had he played in an era that allowed him to join the NBA immediately after high school, it’s likely he’d still have a lead over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan — and he remains the league’s all-time leader in rebounds.”
- Bob Tremblay of The MetroWest Daily News: “As a basketball player, Tommy Heinsohn never met a shot he didn’t like to launch. As a coach, he never met a referee’s call he didn’t like to challenge. As an announcer, he never met a hustling player he didn’t like to praise. And as an artist, he never met a landscape he didn’t like to paint. Yes, Heinsohn, a scoring machine for the Boston Celtics during their eight championship seasons in the 1950s and ’60s and the feisty coach of their two championship teams in the 1970s, is as comfortable around the canvas as he is the parquet floor. In fact, he’s been an artist longer than he’s been a hoop star. ‘I’ve been interested in painting since I was a kid,’ says Heinsohn in the den of his Needham home where his paintings grace the walls. ‘I drew Christmas scenes with colored chalk on the blackboard in the third grade.’ Painting actually provided a safe haven for Heinsohn while he was growing up in Jersey City, N.J. ‘I was the only German in an Italian-Irish neighborhood during World War II,’ he recalls. ‘I used to fight my way home from school. My mom worked so I was by myself and I started drawing just to amuse myself. It became my best friend. And it kept me out of trouble.’” (Via Celtics Hub)
- The Oregonian’s Jason Quick is one of my favorite beat writers. He deserves an award for authoring Portland’s “Behind the Locker Room Door” series. From Quick’s wide-ranging interview with SLAM: “Without question, I think this will be a season of success for the Blazers. They won 54 games last season and I expect them to be greatly improved. Andre Miller should give them experience, play-making, and depth. They also welcome the return of Martell Webster, who is better than a lot of people think. This guy is one of the prettiest shooters around and is a lot better defensively than people give him credit. Also, I think it’s safe to say that Greg Oden will be better, LaMarcus Aldridge should continue to get better, Trail Blazers and Brandon Roy has proven that he adds something to his game every summer. That’s a lot of pluses being added to an already good team. The question, of course, is whether McMillan can adequately manage all this talent. He has been a master at this in previous seasons, identifying that Outlaw is better at power forward than small forward, putting the ball in Roy’s hands at the point. This season, it sounds as if he plans on implementing Rudy Fernandez a little at the point in an effort to get him more time. I think this is the season Portland announces its presence as an NBA title contender. I expect them to win the Northwest and advance to the Western Conference Finals. The following year, I think they win the West. The parade is the summer of 2012.”
- Charley Rosen compiled a scouting report on Shane Battier: “Battier’s specialty is playing defense — against anybody at any time. No challenge daunts him. When he’s posted, he looks to strip the ball if his opponent brings it too low — and he’s not above flopping. Otherwise, Battier plays defense as though he has a Velcro-chest. His penchant for taking charges speaks to his terrific anticipation as well as his thorough understanding of his opponents’ favorite moves. He’s strong enough to blast his way through loose high screens, and he rarely makes bad decisions on defense. Battier can also pass and rebound at a high level. What are Battier’s vulnerabilities on D? His lack of warp-speed when moving laterally. And his eagerness to extend his defense to the point where he can occasionally be back-doored. Whether his team is winning by 20 or losing by 20, Battier always plays hard. Always.”
- UPDATE via Tim Kawakami: “NBA Commissioner David Stern, according to one NBA source, has quietly emphasized to every team this summer that this is not the time to excuse players’ off-the-court misbehavior and followed that up with real action. There’s a new CBA set to be negotiated soon–the current one will expire in 2011. There’s this recession just beginning to wipe away large amounts of season-ticket and advertising money. Stern wants a clean house. Now Stephen Jackson has been a model citizen off the court during his Warriors stay. But any team thinking of acquiring him would have to look at his previous issues, including multiple suspensions, and realize that any further SJax problem will bring the player and franchise into Stern’s crosshairs.”
Category: Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Points in the Paint, Portland Trail Blazers
Tags: Andre Miller, Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge, Michael Jordan, Shane Battier, Stephen Jackson, Steve Nash, Tommy Heinsohn, Wilt Chamberlain
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