11/05/24
June 16, 2003
Come on, it wasn't that bad: At least if you are a true pro hoops fan, the Spurs-Nets series was okay. Admittedly there wasn't much for the casual fan to get into, but it was good hard-nosed basketball by the NBA's two best defensive teams. The Spurs were the better team, although not by as much as some predicted.
posted by cg1001a to basketball at 10:47 AM - 14 comments
by the NBA's two best defensive teams I don't know if I'd say that the Nets are one of the two best defensive teams. Their sweep of the Pistons was due mostly to Detroit's inability to throw a golf ball through a hula hoop from six inches away when the game was on the line. That said, Detroit is still a great defensive team. They just need some offense. The (final) series was pretty sloppy though. The shooting for the most part was horrendous. Chalk part of that up to defense, sure, but not all of it.
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:12 AM on June 16, 2003
I thought the whole series was terrible. With no other games on, it was easy to get used to seeing both teams shoot brick after brick, but it was bad. Take almost any other two teams, and it would have been far more interesting. Consider how a Pacers-Kings or Celtics-Dallas series would have played. There were several times in games 1-5 that I just turned my TV off because it was just ugly. I know it's not a popularity contest, and I'm happy for the Spurs, but geez that series stunk!
posted by dusted at 11:48 AM on June 16, 2003
Does anyone else thing Detroit might be missing the boat by taking Darko over C. Anthony? Not that I think Darko isn't going to be good, but I thought that Okur guy played really well, and it seems to me trying Okur at the four and drafting a sweet three would be better than drafting a sweet four... (and the fact that I think 'Melo is gonna be a sweet player in the nba...)
posted by chmurray at 01:07 AM on June 17, 2003
You can't pass on Darko. He's a 7 footer that can shoot who is also tough on the inside, unlike your Gasol's and Nowitskis. You can find a 3 comparable to melo via free agency, a Darko doesn't come around very often.
posted by corpse at 09:42 AM on June 17, 2003
You mean Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki. Sorry, pet peeve (truly, don't mean to sound like a jerk, I've never blurted out my opinion on this matter to anyone other than my wife, it is minor and dumb but it stick out like a sore thumb to me every time I see it). There is only one Nowitzki and only one Gasol and they are individuals and unique and can't be lumped together in that way the sports cliche (ie we have to improve our team so we can compete with the LAs, Dallases and the Sacramentos of the Western conference) tend to try and do. It is a convenient shorthand but, yeah, whatever, who cares how it bugs me. I agree with the point you make though, take the big man. He is said to have skills not unlike those exhibited by Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki. With the big three names in the draft pretty much sorted in a LeBron, Darko, 'Melo or LeBron, 'Melo, Darko draft order I'd been wondering who Toronto will pick. Apparently a Siberian big guy, Pavel Podkolzine, had a good workout for Chicago and might be the guy the Raptors take at #4. Probably not news to the big draft hounds.
posted by gspm at 10:06 AM on June 17, 2003
The Pavels of the draft will go high, I think a lot of mock drafts haven't moved the Pavels of the world up high enough yet. The Pavels will be gone before 6 at least and very likely at 4, like the gspms said. I kid. HA.
posted by corpse at 10:22 AM on June 17, 2003
I love the draft, I should start a Fantasy Draft Pick'em.
posted by corpse at 10:23 AM on June 17, 2003
The sportscliche site knows about the John Elways, Pau Gasols, and Dirk Nowitzkis of the world.
posted by mbd1 at 10:29 AM on June 17, 2003
Okay, I wasn't going to comment on Darko because this thread was about the finals but it seems to have transformed into a discussion of the draft. Therefore, I don't think Detroit is making a mistake by taking Darko. There was a profile in ESPN magazine and Darko is some kind of athletic freak. Ran the Pistons shuttle test in the 2nd fastest time ever and the guy is seven feet. I LUV love Melo but he reminds me of Glen Robinson a lot (and don't forget what an awesome college career Big Dog had ... a good but not great pro as well). It's the outliers who make great NBA players, the six eight guards (G. Hill, T-Mac, K. Bryant) and the seven foot small forwards (KG, Dirk). I think Melo will be a good pro, I just don't see him being great (unless he develops a Larry Birdesque feel for the game). Darko could be great.
posted by Mike McD at 11:55 AM on June 17, 2003
thanks to the mdb1s and corpses of this thread for making it worthwhile. draft pool. hurrah.
posted by gspm at 02:59 AM on June 18, 2003
"It's the outliers who make great NBA players..." What's an outlier?
posted by wfrazerjr at 09:23 AM on June 18, 2003
statistically, a data point that is so far off the normal distribution that it can be ignored for the sake of a sensible analysis of the data at hand (or something like that). in person terms - a prospect that is not just normal awesome but freaky awesome (say 'freak of nature' in skill/size/ability/whatever). so freaky awesome that he gets hyped in his jr year of high school and signs a $90 million dollar shoe deal before he is even drafted (for example).
posted by gspm at 10:20 AM on June 18, 2003
Got it, gspm. Thanks. And Mike, I totally agree about grabbing the guys who are physical freaks at positions. You can impart all the knowledge you want to a 6-8 guy, but if the 7-footer can do those same things, he's 50% better.
posted by wfrazerjr at 10:46 AM on June 18, 2003
good hard-nosed basketball by the NBA's two best defensive teams Admittedly though, two pretty young teams. The inexperience showed at times through dicey passes and many turnovers, good D or not. Both teams will get even better (provided that the Nets keep Kidd and his stabilizing influence).