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Someone brought up this topic on a forum the other day and I thought it would be a good one to write about. It's evident that most teams are more successful when they are playing at home. The extreme example would be the Utah Jazz. They lost only four games at home all season. You'd think they would be the best team in the league, but their dismal road record prevented that from happening. What is it that makes a team so good at home and either much or slightly worse on the road?
People attribute this trend to the fans and their alliance with the home-town team. While I do acknowledge the fact that the fans do have an impact, I refuse to believe that the crowd can consistently affect the outcome of a game. Having the fans behind you while you're playing is great, but let's be real for a second here. You're not going to play a whole lot better just because a couple thousand people are screaming your name. It's much more than that. I think professional athletes are too damn good to be affected by opposing team's fans to the point where it would cause them to lose more road games than home games on a regular basis. The only time where I think the fans can directly affect the outcome of a game is when there are a lot of free throws and the game basically comes down to who capitalizes on their free throws. The home team gets silence while shooting FTs, but once an opposing player steps to the line, all they are hearing are noise makers and I can tell that it makes it harder. During the flow of the game, the players are too busy moving and playing to hear the fans. Many players say they can block out any noise while playing, and I believe them. But as I said before, shooting FTs is like being in a different zone. It's just you, the basket and thousands of fans. Whether or not they are on your side can make all the difference.
So if it's not the fans, what is it that causes this trend? I attribute it to a few things. Traveling via plane, train, bus, etc. for extended periods of time wears players out. It disrupts their sleeping patterns; instead of being awake and spending time with their family at 3pm, they would be dead asleep while on the bus. You might not be able to go to bed until 4am and then have to wake up for early practice and a 7pm game. Changing time zones during travel may even make this process worse. You could miss out on three hours of sleep while on the plane if you're traveling from the west coast to the east. All of this interferes with rest and also one's daily habits. If a player has to go to the gym and shoot around at noon everyday before a game, that might not be possible if they are stuck on a bus somewhere. Not being able to prepare the way you are used to preparing can easily lose you a game, which leads me to my next point. When on the road, you usually have to adhere to the practice schedule given to you by the arena/opposing team. The gym is only available at certain times, and if you're not at the top of your game when practice time comes, you're not getting a full practice. A less than solid practice usually leads to a less than solid performance on the court... unless of course you're a superstar and don't need practice (aka. Allen Iverson).
All of these factors lead to one thing, greater fatigue. Come game time, the road time will be more fatigued and/or less prepared than the home team because of the travel, timezone change, changes in rituals/ preparation. It might not be noticeable on the court while watching them, but those extra missed shots and that one or two times a player forgot to hustle back are most likely due to that extra effort they had to exert in order to get to the game location. Don't forget the fact that the road team has to sleep in hotel rooms, and as comfortable as the 5-star beds may be, they're probably not as welcoming as the million dollar cribs these players call home. The home team gets it easy; they wake up in their own bed, go down to the court (whether it be their built-in court or the one at the arena), shoot around, practice at their regular times and then head back home until game time. Rather easy for them... not much effort involved and their game day rituals remain intact. This is why the home team has such an advantage in the NBA and in most other sports.
I guess someone should break the news to the fans that they are not helping their team as much as they thought they were. I'm sure their sheer presence in the arena makes the home-team happy. I think the players would be heartbroken if they came to play one night and saw the stands empty. So, in that case, I guess the fans do help motivate their team...
Just recently, the Wizards' Gilbert Arenas came out and said that he will be looking for max money from whatever team is interested in signing him. If his knee is healthy, he wants the max, but if he's still having problems, he'll settle for less. First of all, I don't think Gil will admit that his knee is not 100% and settle for less money. He also claimed that he'll take less money from the Wizards if it means having Jameson return as well. A few days later, he changed his mind and said that he won’t return unless Jameson is signed as well. Now, before Agent Zero goes around making all these demands, we have to determine whether or not he is even worth the max. So, is he? That depends on a few things...
We all know that Arenas is one of the best scorers in the league today. Even though he missed most of the season, I have no doubt that he'll bounce back next season provided that he is healthy enough to play. When using his skill set as the only indicator, I would agree that Arenas is worth the max. But as we all know, when you acquire a player, you bring aboard a lot more than just their skills. Gil is extremely outspoken and the fact that he has no agent will probably make negotiations unbearable. I could just imagine trying to negotiate a contract with Arenas... it would be like trying to reason with a 10 year old. It’s not that he’s unintelligent, just immature at times. He’ll go around telling everyone that he’s going to score 50 points against Portland, then go out there and jack up shots only to realize that he isn’t making any of them. Why does he do this you ask? Because he was cut from the National Team.
Arenas also goes out there and takes 27 foot jumpers when the clock is winding down at the end of a quarter. Sure, you’ll see the highlights whenever he makes one, but what about all the times he misses? I’m sure he misses those shots a lot more than he makes them. On the court, he is all about showboating and trying to get attention. He has yet to mature and reach that next level. His scoring ability is amazing, but he can’t and won’t fulfill his true potential unless he smartens up. Since the sky is the limit for Agent Zero, I guess I would take the chance and give him the max assuming he was completely healthy. A player such as him does not hit the market very often, and if you’re looking for that game-changer, then he is that player.
He’d probably be a good locker room guy, but a bad guy to deal with if you’re part of management. The fans will probably love him when he makes those ridiculous 3s, but the coach would shake his head regardless of whether or not it went in. No matter what you think of Arenas, I think we can all admit that he is an entertaining character both on and off the court. But when you stand out from the crowd the way he does, the spotlight is sure to shine in places you don’t want it to.
This season/postseason has seen some of the most prominent head coaching drama I have ever witnessed during my years as a basketball fan. We may have more head coaches changing teams than players this offseason. Regardless, it should turn out to be an interesting flow of events.
A few weeks back, Isiah Thomas was booted as the Knicks' head coach, and rather violently too if you ask me. It was expected, but the drama surrounding it wasn't. He was kept in the organization as a personal adviser (with no authority) and is banned from having ANY contact with the Knicks' players. Couldn't really get anymore embarrassing, could it? We've been hearing whispers about Marc Jackson taking over the vacant coaching job, but there hasn't been much to report on that front.
We've also got Don Nelson, who's taking his sweet time deciding whether or not he wants to remain as Golden State's head coach. This really shouldn't be a story... a coach should take a few days to decide this stuff, but Nelson wants a month or two to decide. Golden State doesn't want to lose him, so for now, they are abiding by Nellie's "rules". Dallas is also going after Nellie, but I guess he wants them to wait on him as well, which they probably won't do. Did I mention that Nellie's son is the GM and President of the Mavs? Small world, isn't it?
Why is Dallas interested in Don Nelson? Because they fired former Coach of the Year, Avery Johnson. He got them to the Finals a few years ago and that didn't go too well. He got them 67 regular season wins the next season and was dropped in the first round by Nellie's Warriors. This past season, they got the seventh seed in the playoffs and got handled by the Hornets. I agreed with this firing. I don't know how good Avery is as a coach because he's been blessed with a solid team his entire career. He may be a good coach, maybe even great, but one thing I do know is that he is being out coached in the playoffs. They shouldn't have lost to GS last season and they should have put up more of a fight this season. Maybe he can go to Chi-town or the Knicks... I hear they're hiring.
Former Indiana coach Rick Carlisle seems to be the top candidate for the Dallas job. He's already completed one interview and word on the street is that he's going in for a second. I guess we'll see if he can do something with this Dallas squad. Maybe they just need a change of scenery and someone new to call the shots. He has a decent resume, so I think he'll excel if given a solid roster to work with.
Cuban is also interested in Phoenix head coach Mike D'antoni. D'antoni is expected to be relieved of his duty as Phoenix's bench boss, but we've heard nothing confirming this. Phoenix has been a top team in the West for the past four seasons but have failed to make anything happen during that time. Management probably isn't too happy because their Hall of Fame PG and big man are getting old, which will leave Amare all alone in the upcoming years.
In addition to the major things, a few other teams have made coaching changes/decisions. Pat Riley of the Miami Heat resigned as head coach and gave the job to former assistant coach Erik Spoelstra. Chicago got rid of Scott Skiles and then he went running to the Bucks organization and is now their new head coach. Larry Brown took over the head job in Charlotte, which is a decision I did not agree with. Its been a big postseason thus far for many reasons; can't wait to see how the rest of the year unfolds.
Hey all. I'll be taking over the NBA Loud blog from now on. My name is Travis and I'm from the Toronto area. My favourite basketball teams are the LA Lakers and Toronto Raptors. I've been a fan of both teams as long as I can remember... I guess I started liking the Raps when they came to town in the mid-90s. My favourite current player is Kobe Bryant. I like his determination and work ethic towards the game. My favourite retired player would have to be Magic Johnson; I find him fascinating in terms of how he played the game and how he handled himself off the court.
I do quite a bit of writing in my spare time. I used to spend a lot of my time writing music, but I took a break from that and a while later, I began writing sports-related pieces. Just recently, I decided to get a blog and now here I am. I mostly stick to writing basketball, since that is what I know best, but I've been known to drop a line or two about hockey, baseball, football, etc. With the rest of my spare time, I like to play the aforementioned sports, with the exception of hockey... I'm just no good at hockey. I'm also known to get some gaming in every once in a while on the 360.
Well, thanks for reading. Hope I can keep this place running smooth.
Does this look like the face of a gangster to you?
I'm sure we've all heard about the ridiculous fine received by the Celtics' Paul Pierce the other day. Pierce flashed what some call a gang sign towards Atlanta's Al Horford in game five of the Celts-Hawks series. He was fined $25,000 and the team says they are going to appeal after the season is over. Of course Pierce denies that it was a gang sign and as much as well all love to hate on athletes that make millions, I'm on his side for this one.
Why am I on his side you ask? Because he's Paul Pierce. He's one of the last superstars in the league that I would associate with a gang. He looks like your average Joe, just 8 inches taller and more athletic. A lot of players have their little signs they throw up before games, during games or after games. Some of it I find quite abnormal, like when Darius Miles used to do the horns or whatever it was... never liked it. So, Pierce got knocked $25,000 for throwing up that sign where you have the thumb and index forming an "O" and the other three fingers are extended as you would when you are holding up three fingers. Wish I could find a photo of Pierce doing this, but I couldn't. Not to fear though, I found something even better...
First Pierce, now Calderon?
Seems as if Calderon has joined Pierce's gang. Calderon might even be the leader since he's holding up two hands instead of one!
No, Calderon is not in a gang... at least none that I am aware of. Pierce was not flashing gang signs at Al Horford. He might have been trying to make a statement by flashing "his" sign (similar to giving a hard stare in my opinion), but it had nothing to do with any gang. The NBA overreacted and I'm glad the Celtics' organization didn't fall for it. They are fighting it, which is the right thing to do. It's not about the $25,000, because that's meaningless to Pierce, but it's the principle of the matter. That's my take on the situation, feel free to agree.
The 2007-2008 NBA regular season has seen some of the most spectacular individual achievements that the league has seen in a long time. We've got Chris Paul, LeBron James and Dwight Howard all putting up monster statistical seasons. Let's not forget about Kevin Garnett; the man credited for the massive turnaround of what was once a dismal Celtics franchise. Garnett's spot in the MVP race is not based off of stats, but instead, his intangibles.
Then we have Kobe Bryant, who has been the lone superstar in Los Angeles for the past few seasons. Kobe assisted in the growth of a young Laker squad and put them atop the West early on in the season. While it may not have been his best season statistically, the 2007-2008 campaign was definitely Kobe's most impressive season as a leader and teammate. As a result, the Lakers finished first in the very tough Western Conference.
Bryant is the NBA MVP for a number of reasons. First of all, he was his team's most valuable player. Some of you may laugh at this, but it's easily the first step. Can we all say with absolute certainty that KG is the most valuable player on the Celtics? Didn't think so. KG and Pierce were almost even with regards to stats and I give Garnett the edge in defense. But KG only played 71 games during the regular season while Pierce played in 80. Is an MVP allowed to miss 11 games in a season? That's 13% of the games... which brings me to my next point.
Bryant played in all 82 games this season. A good portion of these games were played while Kobe was injured. If you watched him play, you wouldn't guess that he has to have surgery on his hand/finger at the end of the season, but he does. The guy did not take a break; he gave you an MVP-type performance almost every night. And he's still going strong into the playoffs as the Lakers just swept the 8th seeded Nuggets.
The Lakers finished first in the West. It doesn't make Kobe the MVP, but it sure adds to his case. He's the best player on the best team in the West (which also happens to be the best conference). Doesn't that sound good? The Lakers weren't even expected to win the division, much less the entire conference.
And to top it all off, Kobe had a monster season. He was second in the league in scoring and had another top-notch defensive season. He brought out that killer instinct when the time was right (see Dallas game). He dropped dimes as if he was a PG, and had some great all-around performances (see Denver playoff game). He's been doing this for the past few seasons and has evolved and learned even more ways to beat his opponents. He is the most effective game-changer in the league today, the most talented player in the league today, and above all else, he makes his team better. This is why Kobe Bryant will be your 2007/2008 NBA MVP.
Just found out today that the one and only Larry Brown will become the new head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. If we take a look at his resume, we see that he has hall of fame credentials and what not, but is he the right guy for the job? The simple answer is: No.
Brown is used to being in control and winning at all times. Brown won with Detroit a few years back because he had a team with a solid foundation. He likes his veteran guys and seems as if he cannot tolerate having rookies or any young guys on his roster. We can argue that Darko's potential was crushed during his rookie season under Larry Brown. The guy was the second pick in the draft and barely saw the floor. We could say that Darko didn't get playing time because he was no good, but I don't believe that argument. Sure, he's no good now, but as I mentioned before, that is because he sat at the end of the bench for two seasons under Larry Brown. Brown cannot develop players. He doesn't have the patience and I don't think he knows how to. Give him good players who have been around the game and he can give you a great team, but give him young guys with talent and potential, and he might break them (figuratively speaking of course).
The Bobcats are full of these fragile, young players who could "break" if mishandled. They've got May, Morrison, Felton, Dudley, etc. If he's going to coach this team for more than one season, I wouldn't be surprised to see some of these young guys shipped out for a few veterans. I don't see Felton leaving, but you get my drift. Young guys out, seasoned vets in. And with MJ running around upstairs in the office, I can see there being a power struggle with regards to how/ if major moves are made. I don't know MJ's agenda but if it's not the same as Brown's, there will be trouble.
For this signing to make sense, the Bobcats organization will have to revamp this team and pick up some players who have been around the block. Not necessarily old guys who are of no use, but guys in their late 20s or so who don't need to be taught the basics. Brown likes solid defense, which doesn't come easy to rookies. So personally, I don't see Brown lasting more than a season unless the team changes its strategy. Or, if the team is doing unexpectedly well, he might stick around. You know Larry doesn't like losing (see New York Knicks). Basically, he's got too big an ego and not enough patience to coach a team like the Bobcats. There's nothing wrong with him as a coach, the personalities just don't match up.
While the Raps lost because they played horrible, I'm not going to put that same label on the Nuggets. Although they did play pretty bad, I'm going to give the Lakers a bit of credit here. Kobe and Pau just took control of the series and never looked back; there wasn't much Denver could do about it because their defense is non-existent.
With the exception of game three where they put up 84 points, the Nuggets cracked the 100 point mark in every game, which means they were doing what they do best -- scoring. The only things is, the Lakers were doing it a bit better. Unlike Carmelo, I'm not going to bash the entire team and the coaching staff for quitting on each other. Kleiza played very well this series from what I saw. He came out aggressive in game three and scored pretty consistently throughout the series. JR Smith was another bright spot in the series, especially after he undressed the Lakers defense in game four.
Carmelo on the other hand, was a disappointment. He shot something like 36% from the floor in the series. In game three, Melo was 5-22 from the field. That's unacceptable; if you asked me who choked during the playoffs, my first response might just be Carmelo Anthony. So, they lost the series because they have no defense, the Lakers had better offense, Melo played bad and Iverson did not play the way Iverson is known to play.
For next season, the Nuggets need to acquire some defense. They were a 50 win team with the second worst defense in the league (judging by opponents ppg), so imagine how much better they could be if they sacrifice a bit of offense for some defense. The Nuggets could be a top 5 team in the West if they play their cards right during the offseason and make some moves.
The '08 playoffs has seen its first two exits when the Magic defeated the Raptors in 5 and Lakers sweep the Nuggets in 4. I did not expect the LA-Nuggets series to last very long but I sincerely thought the Raps-Magic series would go to six games. If someone told me that the Hawks-Celtics series would be 2-2 and the Raps would be out of the playoffs in 5, I'd think they were crazy. But just when we think something is a sure thing, we see teams like the 76ers dominate the Pistons in a couple games to make it a 2-2 series. That's the NBA for ya... where impossible (or near impossible) happens.
Now, back to the task at hand. The Raptors lost for a few obvious reasons. Bosh is the only consistent scorer on that team. He has no secondary scorer that can win the team a game. They have a few guys who can win a game once in a while, but no all-star or perennial all-star who can take control when control needs to be taken, other than Bosh of course. During this series, I saw Bosh settling for mid-range jumpers early in the shot clock when he couldn't get inside position on Howard. A good slasher, which the Raps lack, could draw Howard's attention and then dish out to Bosh when he is in better position. This is why the Raptors need an above average player at either the 2 or 3 spot. My advice? Get rid of Delfino and Anthony Parker and hope you can get someone to play that SG position a lot better than they did. Moon and Kapono are very good role-players and can battle over who gets most of the minutes at the 3-spot.
If the whole SG situation does not work out, the next best solution would be to get a decent guy man up front who can draw some attention away from Bosh. This could possibly create easier match-ups for CB4 and give him better position, which will lead to higher percentage baskets. It wouldn't hurt if this big-man could also pull down rebounds and play some good post defense. It's a very hard position to fill, so acquiring such a player is more of a dream than a necessity. I'll mention this even though it doesn't have much to do with the Raps losing. The Raptors need to figure out their PG situation. I think Calderon needs to be starting, which would leave TJ as trade bait. Package him for a good SG or post player. There, that will solve at least one of your problems. Now you can't say I never helped the team out.
Time to meet my favorite team since they began in 1995 I believe. So feel free to get to know my Raps and comment if you feel the need.
07 / 2008 Roster
Check this! backwards name & #
Firstly lets take a look at the franchise player of current in CB4. Chris Bosh the 6'10" forward out of Georgia Tech has quickly become the premier and big money contract on the Raptors books. He made it easy to deal the frontcourt incumbents Antonio Davis and Jerome 'JYD' Williams.
Drafted fourth overall inbetween such big names as Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade, his stock has risen year-to-year, showing his determination, being undersized has never been an issue for this overly talented forward, who is on the verge of superstardom.
The man at the point is speedy TJ Ford out of Texas. His health of late has been questioned, but certainly not his heart. Ford is one of the all-time most brave players after going through numerous rehab efforts to get back to being able to play his style of game, he still remains determined and will not take his ball and go home.
Ford shows that if you can dominate at one aspect of your game, that you don't have to be so hot at other aspects, meaning TJ's driving abilities and average outside shooting. He is still being paid like a top PG and will be in Toronto's lineup if he is able to finish this season.
The upstart rookie in Jamario Moon has become quite a find in just over a half-season with the Raps. 'Jam' has been invited to the all-star dunk contest for 2008. Especially after all his rim-rockin' dunks of late.
Moon is a triumphant story, that should inspire us all. Jam came from community college to undrafted rookie in all the minor leagues of basketball, to become a solid contributor for a contending playoff team, finally after many years in the trenches at the age of 27.
At the two-guard spot we have another great story in Anthony Parker who came from a minor league team impressing the Raptors when facing Toronto in an exhibition pre-season game, actually being the catalyst to beat an NBA team.
With cranking the three's and playing tough D, Parker should put up a solid 10 ppg average and be counted on to make big shots and come up big on Def. Filling some of the gap left by Mo Pete.
Rasho Nesterovic should start in the middle to eat up the early fouls and become a presence in the middle to let Bosh and Moon rebound and run while he takes the opposing big man out of the play.
Rasho provides a veteran presence in the middle and can protect Andrea Bargnani from getting exposed early and often as any Toronto fans remember the catastrophie, being Rafael Araujo. In which the Raps wanted him to be an experienced type player who protects the paint and Bosh, pretty unreasonable as they should have just signed or promoted a tough interior defensive type seasoned player.
The following completes the Raptors roster as of January 31st. Not including the "signing of Damon Stoudamire". Who I think would be foolish to sign with the Raps, as if and when TJ Ford returns, where and how will Mighty Mouse get the time on the floor?
Jose Manuel Calderon has quickly become a fan favorite and I am in love with his game and now that he has amassed a solid percentage for his jump-shooting efforts, I am hoping they sign this enigmatic Spaniard for a long while.
Andrea Bargnani has struggled recently and with him starting of late has continued to pick up fouls at a rapid pace to start games. His offensively struggles and his lacking defensive game have the NBA questioning his progress and pick at # 1. I believe he has star status in the future and will become great when he plays defense.
Jason Kapono received a monster 4 year 24milllion$ contract. Worthy or not? His shooting has never been a question, but can he contribute consistently without the kickouts of Shaq and Wade?
Kris Humphries received a new extension a great feat for this undersized forward, whose tenacious hustle and rebounding have given him a solid role on this years squad.
Carlos Delfino, picked up for two-second rounders to Detroit made my day, when I first found out. A solid defender with scoring prowess. His long distance shooting has been a surprise but defensively he has been a rock.
Juan Dixon has been unused and unappreciated. He should be used as the backup PG and energy guy at the two spot with Moon of the bench with Calderon in a perfect world. But Arguably the worst player in the NBA in Darrick Martin currently holds the third point spot.
Joey Graham has shown sparks of Vincanity with his dunking ability but has left a lot to be desired by efforts and awareness. It really makes you think as to the wasted 16th pick used from the Babcock era. The very next player taken after the Raptors was Indiana Pacers G/F Danny Granger, who slid that far in the first round due to uncertainty in the health of his knee. But the previous regime of exec's reveled at the fact of Joey's fitness and weight lifting tests, which to me means nothing as bball is on the court not off for the most part.
Maceo Baston has not made much of an impact, but may show well in injury replacement stints.
Jorge Garbajosa shot them into and out of games last season as you could pretty much predict games when Jorge made his first shot or missed. He looks to be back this year, but in Sam's doghouse still? Seems a step behind after leg injuries.
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Travis
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People attribute this trend to the fans and their alliance with the home-town team. While I do acknowledge the fact that the fans do have an impact, I refuse to believe that the crowd can consistently affect the outcome of a game. Having the fans behind you while you're playing is great, but let's be real for a second here. You're not going to play a whole lot better just because a couple thousand people are screaming your name. It's much more than that. I think professional athletes are too damn good to be affected by opposing team's fans to the point where it would cause them to lose more road games than home games on a regular basis. The only time where I think the fans can directly affect the outcome of a game is when there are a lot of free throws and the game basically comes down to who capitalizes on their free throws. The home team gets silence while shooting FTs, but once an opposing player steps to the line, all they are hearing are noise makers and I can tell that it makes it harder. During the flow of the game, the players are too busy moving and playing to hear the fans. Many players say they can block out any noise while playing, and I believe them. But as I said before, shooting FTs is like being in a different zone. It's just you, the basket and thousands of fans. Whether or not they are on your side can make all the difference.
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