Monday Morning Mehta 11/28/05
Edition # 142
November 28, 2005
Eagles/NFL
Eagles stop the bleeding with an ugly but effective 19-14 win over the Green Bay Packers. Let's break this game down:
Game Positives:
- Brian Westbrook on offense. Pretty much carried the offense the whole game. Where was this rushing attack in the first half of the season!
- Ryan Moats on special teams. Not only did he cause a key fumble late in the 4th quarter, but he turned around and recovered it. There's not many more painful things than watching Reno Mahe returning punts or Lamar Gordon fielding kickoffs. They both stink. We need more Moats!
- Javon Kearse on defense. You know how they say "It's better to take a sack then force a throw and get it intercepted". Well, Brett Favre abides by the theory of "Don't get sacked, it might hurt, so throw it away and don't worry about a pick". Kearse wasn't going to get to Favre, but was involved in a lot of defensive tackles. - Offensive Line. A makeshift O-line did very well protecting McMahon (for the most part) and opening up holes for Brian Westbrook.
Game Negatives:
- Mike McMahon. McMahon just missed way too many open receivers. He probably should've been pulled but he made a couple plays late that salvaged the W.
- The game itself. Just some seriously bad football. Eagles have a pulse for the playoffs, but let's be real here. Mike McMahon isn't leading this team to a 6-0 finish.
Overall I thought it was an encouraging performance. Ryan Moats shook off the effects of his poor first game and had an impact. Maybe Andy Reid will realize that running the ball is necessary to win a Super Bowl. Maybe Rod Hood can be a very good 3rd CB.
I was at the game and sat in the end zone with a great view of every play develop. I'll say this, there were plenty of guys open. I think LJ Smith & Billy McMullen were open every time they went out.
That was probably the quietest I've heard the Linc since it's opening. Understandable considering the 4-6 record. But I still will say Giants stadium was one the poorest displays of fan loudness I've heard for a meaningful November divisional game.
Next week comes a Monday Night match up vs. the 9-2 Seattle Seahawks. Yesterday's game stopped the bleeding, this Monday Night game is all about respect and still showing the Eagles can compete with the better teams in the league. Andy Reid is 0-3 on Sunday & Monday Night this year, which is a 180 degree change from years past.
Around the League
Didn't watch all the games on DirecTV like I normally do, so this will be a generic recap. Most impressive performance has to go to the Bears again. After an emotional win last week at home vs. Carolina, they travel to one of the toughest places in the NFL and beat Tampa in Tampa. I've said it for months that the Bears play hard for Lovie Smith but this defense is getting closer and closer to being talked about with the greats.
The biggest news this weekend is probably the loss of Byron Leftwich by the Jaguars. His broken foot will keep him out over a month, and likely the rest of the regular season. A terrible blow for the Jaguars, but a light schedule probably won't keep this defense and running oriented team from going 3-2 the rest of the way. 11 wins is still likely for Jax.
If Jacksonville is in, the Bengals, San Diego and Kansas City are all fighting for the last spot (assuming Pitt wins the division - they play Cincy at home and already beat them earlier). Either of those teams could be favorites in the NFC.
The NFC doesn't stink like everyone wants to believe. There is just no dominating teams, but there's about 7 or 8 good teams that happen to be beating up each other. Next week's big game is the Giants/Cowboys for who controls the division for a week. Another big game is Carolina/Atlanta.
Memo to the Lions ownership: Fire Matt Millen, not Steve Mariucci.
An awful loss on Thanksgiving for the Cowboys. Billy Cundiff missed a 33 yarder late in regulation and Ron Dayne of all people buried the Cowboys with a late run. Denver was impressive in winning a game they didn't run the ball too well in. Jake Plummer showed signs of returning to his old self, which should scare Broncos fans.
The Patriots defense is ridiculously awful (due to injuries). All the Bill Belichick magic in the world can't get bad talent to play defense.
A definite stay up until 12:30 EST game tonight, as the Steelers face the Colts in Indy. Ben Roethlisberger is back for the Steelers in a game which will probably be better than the NE/Indy game a few weeks back on MNF.
Drexel Dragons/Baseball
Drexel goes a disappointing 1-3 this week with losses vs. Duke, UCLA and Penn. They played tough against Duke, which was very encouraging, should've won the UCLA game but showed their youth down the stretch, and just had nothing for most of the game vs. Penn. They had a shot to put themselves right in the thick of the selection committee's at large bidding, but just didn't get it done. I'll say this, if Penn doesn't win the Ivy League this year I'll be shocked. That team is good.
Two more Big 6 games this week for Drexel as they take on St. Joe's and Lasalle. A 2-0 week is likely.
The Phillies trade Jim Thome this week in what is probably going to be looked at as a very good trade for the Phillies. They got two B-level prospects along with a solid CF'er in Aaron Rowand. Rowand strikes out a lot and should fit in perfectly into the lineup, but plays an excellent CF, something the Phils haven't had in a long time. Put him next to Gold Glover Bobby Abreu and you have some awesome defense (as long as Rowand can get to it).
Next up is Billy Wagner, whose agent probably bought himself a new car this weekend after seeing what BJ Ryan got from the Blue Jays. 5 years $47 million! 4 years guaranteed is easily the market for Wagner at this point. It also appears that the Red Sox and Braves are now getting involved in the Wagner sweepstakes. I'd like to see what the Phillies backup plan is before making a comment on Wagner. Seems like a lot of money and years to give to a closer when there is starting pitching needs.
NBA - Derreck Sura
- The Sixers' week was going along as expected until they lost to the Knicks on Saturday afternoon. Bad loss. Philadelphia (7-7) blew a 16 point third quarter lead and ended up losing in overtime on a buzzer beating miracle 3 pointer that spoiled the return of Samuel Dalembert. Even though they went 1-2 on the week, the Sixers still hold the Atlantic Division lead and the 3rd seed in the East.
There are two reasons that I can't get excited about Philly's chances this season. The first, as everyone knows by now, is their defense. The Sixers moved up the charts to 24th in opponents field goal percentage (46.3%) while maintaining their own hot shooting (47.1%, 5th overall). Philly is also now 1st in the NBA in points per game at 103.8, but they still give up more (105 ppg, 28th overall) then they score. Not good.
Next is the play of 4th year swingman John Salmons. I've been reluctant to give him credit so far because he was basically comatose for his first three seasons in the league. Under new coach Maurice Cheeks John S has become the Sixers' 6th man and top performer off the bench. Salmons has upped his career averages across the board this year. Points (10.3 ppg now to 4.5 career), assists (2.6 apg to 1.6), rebounds (3 rpg to 2), steals (1.1 spg to .6), free throw shooting (78% to 75.9%), 3 point shooting (54.5% to 34.6%), and field goal shooting (53% to 41.2%). Of course his minutes have also seen a boost from 16.2 mpg career to 25.3 mpg now. I suppose the additional minutes could be the root behind his improved play, but I'm more inclined to lean toward John S becoming a restricted free agent after this season as the impetus for his sudden leap in production. Maybe I'm just a pessimist, but I'd hate for GM Billy King to reward Salmons with a fat long term contract after just one decent year. On the other hand, this could be the natural progression of John's career development. Time will tell, but Salmons being a consistent contributor makes a major difference in the quality of Philly's bench. I just need to see him keep it up for a longer period of time before I'm a believer.
The Sixers will be challenged this week with: Portland & @Boston (back to back) and @New Orleans/Oklahoma City & @San Antonio (b2b). I guess 3-1 is possible, but I'd say that 2-2 will be plenty good enough if Philly can pull it off.
- The Houston Rockets have got to be the biggest disappointment in the NBA so far. Houston (3-11) has lost seven in a row and is dead last in the Western Conference. Much of that can be attributed to Tracy McGrady only appearing in six games due to a strained back. The Rockets are 0-8 without T-Mac and clearly miss his ability to close out games as their go to guy. T-Mac being out has also shown that Yao Ming can not carry a team. Yao has made a noticeable attempt to show more emotion this season, but it's the same old song and dance with him. He still lacks the stamina to be at his best in the fourth quarter (when the team desperately needs his offense). Yao also still takes silly fouls that could easily be avoided if moved his feet and played like he's 7'6 (stop trying to take charges and block some shots big fella). You can blame Yao for Houston's struggles if you want to, but this is just another example of a team losing their best player (T-Mac) and falling apart.
The Rockets have more problems then that with their guards however. My cousin Bob Sura, who was very instrumental in Houston's success last year, had to undergo surgery for a ruptured disc in his back. Sadly, Bob's career is probably over. Sura's replacement at starting PG, Rafer Alston, has missed the last five games with a hairline fracture in his right leg. Supposedly Rafer's fracture is so small it can be treated like a bruise, we'll see about that one. Even bench player and spark plug extraordinaire Jon Barry missed Saturday's game with a bruised left foot. This has forced coach Jeff Van Gundy to start David Wesley (6'1) and rookie Luther Head (6'3) in the back court. Wesley is no more then bench playing third guard at this point of his career. Head has been a pleasant surprise thus far bringing much needed athleticism to the Rockets' guard core. Luther can score (9.8 ppg), shoot (49% from 3), penetrate, grab a rebound or two, and defend his position.
There's no quick fix for Houston though, other then McGrady's back not turning into a chronic problem. With the way JVG likes his teams to play, there's just not a lot of room for error. That style is fine for the late 90's Eastern Conference playoffs, but in today's more free flowing NBA, it just does not work. The Rockets are third overall in points allowed (89.8 ppg) and opponents field goal percentage (42.5%), so they obviously play great defense as all JVG coached teams do. Where I have a problem with JVG (other then not playing Stromile Swift more) is that he hasn't adapted to the times when it comes to offense. Houston is dead last in points scored (85 ppg) and shooting (40.7%), and while a healthy T-Mac fixes some of that, the Rockets still play an inordinate amount of close games. What that means is they slow the game down, turn it into a slug fest, and rely on T-Mac's individual brilliance to bail them out in the end. In other words, playoff style ball in the regular season. I guess that's a good way to have your team ready for the post season, but it's an excruciating brand of ball to watch, and doesn't work without a super star to save the day.
- The Boston Celtics' brain trust of coach Doc Rivers and Director of Operations Danny Ainge face an interesting dilemma in Beantown. Should the Celtics (5-7) play their veterans and try and compete for the 8th seed in the East? Or should they trade some of those same players and let their plethora of youngsters start to show what they can do for the future? It's a tough call because I think Boston's "core" group of veterans (Paul Pierce, Ricky Davis, Raef LaFrentz, & Mark Blount) could actually be something with a real PG and a few experienced bench players. Now Ainge could trade some of his "upside" guys and fix the PG and bench situations, but I doubt that's even on his radar.
That being the case, what's the hold up already? For a team with all that young raw talent in need of minutes, I don't understand why they are playing the four guys mentioned above so much? I think they all have very tradable contracts, even though LaFrentz (too much per year) and Blount (too many years total) may cause some double takes. Of the young guys only Delonte West (31.6 mpg) is getting the type of minutes necessary to show what he can do (Sorry MMM, but I think he's no more then a career back up at this point). Al Jefferson (15.9 mpg), Justin Reed (11.7 mpg), Kendrick Perkins (10.6 mpg), and Ryan Gomes (9.9 mpg) have all shown promise to varying degrees, but need more burn to develop the confidence they need. I'm not even mentioning Gerald Green (inactive), Marcus Banks (leg), and Tony Allen (knee) either.
I know it's extremely unpopular with fans when their team packs it in and begins full on rebuilding, but why acquire all those young players if the plan was to ride the vets as far as they can take you? Mediocrity is not what NBA teams are striving for, so just man up already (a la the Portland Trail Blazers), and let the fan base know "It's going to be rough for a while, but we think we have a very bright future here." Who knows, it might actually be true too.
- On the injury front this week, Golden State (9-6) lost reserve swingman Mickael Pietrus for four to six weeks with a sprained MCL in his right knee. "Euro-Jordan", as he was once known, was the Warriors insurance policy for when Mike Dunleavy Jr. didn't show up (pretty often). GS was really able to push the tempo and run when Pietrus, Baron Davis, and Jason Richardson were on the floor together. However, rookie Ike Diogu returned to the Warriors' lineup this week and averaged 12.3 points on 66.7% shooting in 17.7 minutes. The consistency of Ike's low post offense will go a long way in deciding if GS makes the playoffs.
Phoenix (7-5) lost combo guard Leandro Barbosa for two to three weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee. This one is a real shame because Barbosa was easily playing the best ball of his career and had just earned a starting spot beside Steve Nash in the Suns' back court. Leandro had increased his scoring (15.7 ppg), shooting (53.9%), and 3 point shooting (41.7%) to career high levels, and was playing with more confidence then I'd ever seen before. The loss of Barbosa, combined with the struggles of other players, has Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni playing some serious small ball lately. As in not even starting a legit PF or playing a C at all. On Friday against New Jersey the Suns started a PG, a SG, and three SF's. Then D'Antoni came off the bench with a SG, SF, and a PF. And they won by 11. Wow.
Peja Stojakovic has missed the Sacramento Kings' (6-7) last three games with a sprained pinky finger on his right hand. I know every injury is different, but Kobe Bryant just played through a sprained right index finger without missing a game. Ummm Peja, it's time to get the skirt off, and the shorts on. I really don't know what else to say about this other then he's protecting himself in a contract year. I mean really, missing games with a sprained pinky finger? I don't care if it is on his shooting hand, that's weak. The two positives from this "injury" are that second year pro Kevin Martin had career high's in points (18) and rebounds (7) last Wednesday, and rookie Francisco Garcia has been starting in Peja's place and looking OK.
NHL Week in Review By : Ed Wasser
- Quick notes from around the league.....A guy wrote a letter to "The Hockey News" making a pretty good point. Essentially he said that don't believe the NHL's crap about trying to create rivalries with all these conference games, it's all about saving traveling money. I think he's right. The Flyers have 4 away cities that they don't fly to (Washington, New York, Long Island, and New Jersey) so the amount of money they're saving by not having to fly as much is astronomical.....Pavel Bure officially announced his retirement, ironically right after he cashed his last paycheck from the Rangers. Now the debate starts, Hall of Famer or not. I vote no. He was a lazy player who should have been much better.....Mike Keenan will be lucky if he makes it past this season as GM of the Panthers. Not only do they stink but they're stuck with a lot of over priced, over the hill players like Gary Roberts, Joe Nieuwendyk, and Alexander Karpovtsev who they just released even though they signed him for $760,000 per year and still have to pay him next year. And now there's a rumor that Roberto Luongo will be traded to the 'Lanche. First of all, if that happens the 'Lanche will be a force out west and second of all it will be impossible for the Panthers to get equal value so the trade will be a waste.
- Line of the week - From NY Islander announcer Joe Micheletti during the Islander/Senator game last Friday night. This is why having the NHL ticket is so great...."We've had (Islander) Aaron Asham miked up tonight but ahhhhhhhh, well....he didn't provide us with anything that was suitable to air".
- If I was an NHL hockey player playing in a game that was being refereed by Paul Devorski every time an opposition player came within 3 feet of me I would just fall on the ice because a penalty would be called every single time. I might even scream and throw my stick and gloves in the air like I just got shot for emphasis. How a veteran referee is so consistently fooled by players diving is beyond me.
- The Eagles released punter Reggie Hodges last week. Reggie Hodges is the guy whose performance was so bad against the Giants two weeks ago it prompted me to ask Saurin while we sat in the Meadowlands "has there ever been a player released while the game was still going on?" It should have happened. Andy Reid should have just turned to Hodges after the punt block in the second quarter of the Giants game and said "just get out of my face. Pack your crap and be gone before this game is over". It just seems like a simple release allowed Hodges to get off too easy. He should have gotten the treatment Billy Batts got in "Goodfellas" or the treatment Sonny got when he stopped at the New York Turnpike toll in "The Godfather" or the treatment Butch and Marsellus got from the shop keeper in "Pulp Fiction". How is possible for me to hate a punter this much? I dunno, but I do.
- Last Tuesday was the first battle of the Pittsburgh Sidney Crosby's versus the Washington Alexander Ovechkin's. The Penguins scored a 5 - 4 win in the first ever battle between the two rookie phenoms with Crosby having 3 points (goal, 2 assists) and Ovechkin scoring just a point (assist) but watching the game I can tell you that at the end of the year Ovechkin will statistically come out on top. He has to...the guy is on the ice practically the whole game. Ovechkin was double shifted pretty much the whole game and in the last five minutes of the Pittsburgh game he was hardly off the ice long enough to grab a squirt of water. The guy is great, even as a kid he looks like a man among boys. He's so good that if he was a basketball player Larry Brown might even let him play (a little cross sports humor). I just hope Ovechkin doesn't get frustrated by the slop he's surrounded by as the year goes on.
- If technology existed for humans to be able to jump through the TV and be on a TV show how many people do you think would have done it last Tuesday so they could have beaten the living crap out of Wes and Nehemiah on "The Real World"? I'm setting the under/over bar at 175,000 people.
- The Flyers have problems. Last week they had a weak and plodding effort against the Lightning (a 4 - 2 loss). They had a decent game against the Bruins (a 5 - 3 victory) that featured 2 goals from Peter Forsberg. Forsberg also pulled a groin during the game and was kept out of the game Saturday. And that game Saturday, a 4 -2 loss to a painfully mediocre Islander team, was the icing on the cake. It was just a ridiculously bad game; I've seen more effort from people trying to open a jar of pickles. And it drives me up a wall when I hear people say "the Flyers are still figuring out the new NHL". First of all, there are very few new rules in the NHL, mostly they are just enforcing rules that have been on the books for years. And if the damn Nashville Predators and the Carolina Hurricanes can figure it out then the Flyers should be able to handle it too. The Flyers have trouble on defense and their offense is inconsistent but they do have time so they have that going for them, which is nice
Comments:
saurinmeht@aol.com
dsura@peacehealth.com
ewwasser@hotmail.com
November 28, 2005
Eagles/NFL
Eagles stop the bleeding with an ugly but effective 19-14 win over the Green Bay Packers. Let's break this game down:
Game Positives:
- Brian Westbrook on offense. Pretty much carried the offense the whole game. Where was this rushing attack in the first half of the season!
- Ryan Moats on special teams. Not only did he cause a key fumble late in the 4th quarter, but he turned around and recovered it. There's not many more painful things than watching Reno Mahe returning punts or Lamar Gordon fielding kickoffs. They both stink. We need more Moats!
- Javon Kearse on defense. You know how they say "It's better to take a sack then force a throw and get it intercepted". Well, Brett Favre abides by the theory of "Don't get sacked, it might hurt, so throw it away and don't worry about a pick". Kearse wasn't going to get to Favre, but was involved in a lot of defensive tackles. - Offensive Line. A makeshift O-line did very well protecting McMahon (for the most part) and opening up holes for Brian Westbrook.
Game Negatives:
- Mike McMahon. McMahon just missed way too many open receivers. He probably should've been pulled but he made a couple plays late that salvaged the W.
- The game itself. Just some seriously bad football. Eagles have a pulse for the playoffs, but let's be real here. Mike McMahon isn't leading this team to a 6-0 finish.
Overall I thought it was an encouraging performance. Ryan Moats shook off the effects of his poor first game and had an impact. Maybe Andy Reid will realize that running the ball is necessary to win a Super Bowl. Maybe Rod Hood can be a very good 3rd CB.
I was at the game and sat in the end zone with a great view of every play develop. I'll say this, there were plenty of guys open. I think LJ Smith & Billy McMullen were open every time they went out.
That was probably the quietest I've heard the Linc since it's opening. Understandable considering the 4-6 record. But I still will say Giants stadium was one the poorest displays of fan loudness I've heard for a meaningful November divisional game.
Next week comes a Monday Night match up vs. the 9-2 Seattle Seahawks. Yesterday's game stopped the bleeding, this Monday Night game is all about respect and still showing the Eagles can compete with the better teams in the league. Andy Reid is 0-3 on Sunday & Monday Night this year, which is a 180 degree change from years past.
Around the League
Didn't watch all the games on DirecTV like I normally do, so this will be a generic recap. Most impressive performance has to go to the Bears again. After an emotional win last week at home vs. Carolina, they travel to one of the toughest places in the NFL and beat Tampa in Tampa. I've said it for months that the Bears play hard for Lovie Smith but this defense is getting closer and closer to being talked about with the greats.
The biggest news this weekend is probably the loss of Byron Leftwich by the Jaguars. His broken foot will keep him out over a month, and likely the rest of the regular season. A terrible blow for the Jaguars, but a light schedule probably won't keep this defense and running oriented team from going 3-2 the rest of the way. 11 wins is still likely for Jax.
If Jacksonville is in, the Bengals, San Diego and Kansas City are all fighting for the last spot (assuming Pitt wins the division - they play Cincy at home and already beat them earlier). Either of those teams could be favorites in the NFC.
The NFC doesn't stink like everyone wants to believe. There is just no dominating teams, but there's about 7 or 8 good teams that happen to be beating up each other. Next week's big game is the Giants/Cowboys for who controls the division for a week. Another big game is Carolina/Atlanta.
Memo to the Lions ownership: Fire Matt Millen, not Steve Mariucci.
An awful loss on Thanksgiving for the Cowboys. Billy Cundiff missed a 33 yarder late in regulation and Ron Dayne of all people buried the Cowboys with a late run. Denver was impressive in winning a game they didn't run the ball too well in. Jake Plummer showed signs of returning to his old self, which should scare Broncos fans.
The Patriots defense is ridiculously awful (due to injuries). All the Bill Belichick magic in the world can't get bad talent to play defense.
A definite stay up until 12:30 EST game tonight, as the Steelers face the Colts in Indy. Ben Roethlisberger is back for the Steelers in a game which will probably be better than the NE/Indy game a few weeks back on MNF.
Drexel Dragons/Baseball
Drexel goes a disappointing 1-3 this week with losses vs. Duke, UCLA and Penn. They played tough against Duke, which was very encouraging, should've won the UCLA game but showed their youth down the stretch, and just had nothing for most of the game vs. Penn. They had a shot to put themselves right in the thick of the selection committee's at large bidding, but just didn't get it done. I'll say this, if Penn doesn't win the Ivy League this year I'll be shocked. That team is good.
Two more Big 6 games this week for Drexel as they take on St. Joe's and Lasalle. A 2-0 week is likely.
The Phillies trade Jim Thome this week in what is probably going to be looked at as a very good trade for the Phillies. They got two B-level prospects along with a solid CF'er in Aaron Rowand. Rowand strikes out a lot and should fit in perfectly into the lineup, but plays an excellent CF, something the Phils haven't had in a long time. Put him next to Gold Glover Bobby Abreu and you have some awesome defense (as long as Rowand can get to it).
Next up is Billy Wagner, whose agent probably bought himself a new car this weekend after seeing what BJ Ryan got from the Blue Jays. 5 years $47 million! 4 years guaranteed is easily the market for Wagner at this point. It also appears that the Red Sox and Braves are now getting involved in the Wagner sweepstakes. I'd like to see what the Phillies backup plan is before making a comment on Wagner. Seems like a lot of money and years to give to a closer when there is starting pitching needs.
NBA - Derreck Sura
- The Sixers' week was going along as expected until they lost to the Knicks on Saturday afternoon. Bad loss. Philadelphia (7-7) blew a 16 point third quarter lead and ended up losing in overtime on a buzzer beating miracle 3 pointer that spoiled the return of Samuel Dalembert. Even though they went 1-2 on the week, the Sixers still hold the Atlantic Division lead and the 3rd seed in the East.
There are two reasons that I can't get excited about Philly's chances this season. The first, as everyone knows by now, is their defense. The Sixers moved up the charts to 24th in opponents field goal percentage (46.3%) while maintaining their own hot shooting (47.1%, 5th overall). Philly is also now 1st in the NBA in points per game at 103.8, but they still give up more (105 ppg, 28th overall) then they score. Not good.
Next is the play of 4th year swingman John Salmons. I've been reluctant to give him credit so far because he was basically comatose for his first three seasons in the league. Under new coach Maurice Cheeks John S has become the Sixers' 6th man and top performer off the bench. Salmons has upped his career averages across the board this year. Points (10.3 ppg now to 4.5 career), assists (2.6 apg to 1.6), rebounds (3 rpg to 2), steals (1.1 spg to .6), free throw shooting (78% to 75.9%), 3 point shooting (54.5% to 34.6%), and field goal shooting (53% to 41.2%). Of course his minutes have also seen a boost from 16.2 mpg career to 25.3 mpg now. I suppose the additional minutes could be the root behind his improved play, but I'm more inclined to lean toward John S becoming a restricted free agent after this season as the impetus for his sudden leap in production. Maybe I'm just a pessimist, but I'd hate for GM Billy King to reward Salmons with a fat long term contract after just one decent year. On the other hand, this could be the natural progression of John's career development. Time will tell, but Salmons being a consistent contributor makes a major difference in the quality of Philly's bench. I just need to see him keep it up for a longer period of time before I'm a believer.
The Sixers will be challenged this week with: Portland & @Boston (back to back) and @New Orleans/Oklahoma City & @San Antonio (b2b). I guess 3-1 is possible, but I'd say that 2-2 will be plenty good enough if Philly can pull it off.
- The Houston Rockets have got to be the biggest disappointment in the NBA so far. Houston (3-11) has lost seven in a row and is dead last in the Western Conference. Much of that can be attributed to Tracy McGrady only appearing in six games due to a strained back. The Rockets are 0-8 without T-Mac and clearly miss his ability to close out games as their go to guy. T-Mac being out has also shown that Yao Ming can not carry a team. Yao has made a noticeable attempt to show more emotion this season, but it's the same old song and dance with him. He still lacks the stamina to be at his best in the fourth quarter (when the team desperately needs his offense). Yao also still takes silly fouls that could easily be avoided if moved his feet and played like he's 7'6 (stop trying to take charges and block some shots big fella). You can blame Yao for Houston's struggles if you want to, but this is just another example of a team losing their best player (T-Mac) and falling apart.
The Rockets have more problems then that with their guards however. My cousin Bob Sura, who was very instrumental in Houston's success last year, had to undergo surgery for a ruptured disc in his back. Sadly, Bob's career is probably over. Sura's replacement at starting PG, Rafer Alston, has missed the last five games with a hairline fracture in his right leg. Supposedly Rafer's fracture is so small it can be treated like a bruise, we'll see about that one. Even bench player and spark plug extraordinaire Jon Barry missed Saturday's game with a bruised left foot. This has forced coach Jeff Van Gundy to start David Wesley (6'1) and rookie Luther Head (6'3) in the back court. Wesley is no more then bench playing third guard at this point of his career. Head has been a pleasant surprise thus far bringing much needed athleticism to the Rockets' guard core. Luther can score (9.8 ppg), shoot (49% from 3), penetrate, grab a rebound or two, and defend his position.
There's no quick fix for Houston though, other then McGrady's back not turning into a chronic problem. With the way JVG likes his teams to play, there's just not a lot of room for error. That style is fine for the late 90's Eastern Conference playoffs, but in today's more free flowing NBA, it just does not work. The Rockets are third overall in points allowed (89.8 ppg) and opponents field goal percentage (42.5%), so they obviously play great defense as all JVG coached teams do. Where I have a problem with JVG (other then not playing Stromile Swift more) is that he hasn't adapted to the times when it comes to offense. Houston is dead last in points scored (85 ppg) and shooting (40.7%), and while a healthy T-Mac fixes some of that, the Rockets still play an inordinate amount of close games. What that means is they slow the game down, turn it into a slug fest, and rely on T-Mac's individual brilliance to bail them out in the end. In other words, playoff style ball in the regular season. I guess that's a good way to have your team ready for the post season, but it's an excruciating brand of ball to watch, and doesn't work without a super star to save the day.
- The Boston Celtics' brain trust of coach Doc Rivers and Director of Operations Danny Ainge face an interesting dilemma in Beantown. Should the Celtics (5-7) play their veterans and try and compete for the 8th seed in the East? Or should they trade some of those same players and let their plethora of youngsters start to show what they can do for the future? It's a tough call because I think Boston's "core" group of veterans (Paul Pierce, Ricky Davis, Raef LaFrentz, & Mark Blount) could actually be something with a real PG and a few experienced bench players. Now Ainge could trade some of his "upside" guys and fix the PG and bench situations, but I doubt that's even on his radar.
That being the case, what's the hold up already? For a team with all that young raw talent in need of minutes, I don't understand why they are playing the four guys mentioned above so much? I think they all have very tradable contracts, even though LaFrentz (too much per year) and Blount (too many years total) may cause some double takes. Of the young guys only Delonte West (31.6 mpg) is getting the type of minutes necessary to show what he can do (Sorry MMM, but I think he's no more then a career back up at this point). Al Jefferson (15.9 mpg), Justin Reed (11.7 mpg), Kendrick Perkins (10.6 mpg), and Ryan Gomes (9.9 mpg) have all shown promise to varying degrees, but need more burn to develop the confidence they need. I'm not even mentioning Gerald Green (inactive), Marcus Banks (leg), and Tony Allen (knee) either.
I know it's extremely unpopular with fans when their team packs it in and begins full on rebuilding, but why acquire all those young players if the plan was to ride the vets as far as they can take you? Mediocrity is not what NBA teams are striving for, so just man up already (a la the Portland Trail Blazers), and let the fan base know "It's going to be rough for a while, but we think we have a very bright future here." Who knows, it might actually be true too.
- On the injury front this week, Golden State (9-6) lost reserve swingman Mickael Pietrus for four to six weeks with a sprained MCL in his right knee. "Euro-Jordan", as he was once known, was the Warriors insurance policy for when Mike Dunleavy Jr. didn't show up (pretty often). GS was really able to push the tempo and run when Pietrus, Baron Davis, and Jason Richardson were on the floor together. However, rookie Ike Diogu returned to the Warriors' lineup this week and averaged 12.3 points on 66.7% shooting in 17.7 minutes. The consistency of Ike's low post offense will go a long way in deciding if GS makes the playoffs.
Phoenix (7-5) lost combo guard Leandro Barbosa for two to three weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee. This one is a real shame because Barbosa was easily playing the best ball of his career and had just earned a starting spot beside Steve Nash in the Suns' back court. Leandro had increased his scoring (15.7 ppg), shooting (53.9%), and 3 point shooting (41.7%) to career high levels, and was playing with more confidence then I'd ever seen before. The loss of Barbosa, combined with the struggles of other players, has Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni playing some serious small ball lately. As in not even starting a legit PF or playing a C at all. On Friday against New Jersey the Suns started a PG, a SG, and three SF's. Then D'Antoni came off the bench with a SG, SF, and a PF. And they won by 11. Wow.
Peja Stojakovic has missed the Sacramento Kings' (6-7) last three games with a sprained pinky finger on his right hand. I know every injury is different, but Kobe Bryant just played through a sprained right index finger without missing a game. Ummm Peja, it's time to get the skirt off, and the shorts on. I really don't know what else to say about this other then he's protecting himself in a contract year. I mean really, missing games with a sprained pinky finger? I don't care if it is on his shooting hand, that's weak. The two positives from this "injury" are that second year pro Kevin Martin had career high's in points (18) and rebounds (7) last Wednesday, and rookie Francisco Garcia has been starting in Peja's place and looking OK.
NHL Week in Review By : Ed Wasser
- Quick notes from around the league.....A guy wrote a letter to "The Hockey News" making a pretty good point. Essentially he said that don't believe the NHL's crap about trying to create rivalries with all these conference games, it's all about saving traveling money. I think he's right. The Flyers have 4 away cities that they don't fly to (Washington, New York, Long Island, and New Jersey) so the amount of money they're saving by not having to fly as much is astronomical.....Pavel Bure officially announced his retirement, ironically right after he cashed his last paycheck from the Rangers. Now the debate starts, Hall of Famer or not. I vote no. He was a lazy player who should have been much better.....Mike Keenan will be lucky if he makes it past this season as GM of the Panthers. Not only do they stink but they're stuck with a lot of over priced, over the hill players like Gary Roberts, Joe Nieuwendyk, and Alexander Karpovtsev who they just released even though they signed him for $760,000 per year and still have to pay him next year. And now there's a rumor that Roberto Luongo will be traded to the 'Lanche. First of all, if that happens the 'Lanche will be a force out west and second of all it will be impossible for the Panthers to get equal value so the trade will be a waste.
- Line of the week - From NY Islander announcer Joe Micheletti during the Islander/Senator game last Friday night. This is why having the NHL ticket is so great...."We've had (Islander) Aaron Asham miked up tonight but ahhhhhhhh, well....he didn't provide us with anything that was suitable to air".
- If I was an NHL hockey player playing in a game that was being refereed by Paul Devorski every time an opposition player came within 3 feet of me I would just fall on the ice because a penalty would be called every single time. I might even scream and throw my stick and gloves in the air like I just got shot for emphasis. How a veteran referee is so consistently fooled by players diving is beyond me.
- The Eagles released punter Reggie Hodges last week. Reggie Hodges is the guy whose performance was so bad against the Giants two weeks ago it prompted me to ask Saurin while we sat in the Meadowlands "has there ever been a player released while the game was still going on?" It should have happened. Andy Reid should have just turned to Hodges after the punt block in the second quarter of the Giants game and said "just get out of my face. Pack your crap and be gone before this game is over". It just seems like a simple release allowed Hodges to get off too easy. He should have gotten the treatment Billy Batts got in "Goodfellas" or the treatment Sonny got when he stopped at the New York Turnpike toll in "The Godfather" or the treatment Butch and Marsellus got from the shop keeper in "Pulp Fiction". How is possible for me to hate a punter this much? I dunno, but I do.
- Last Tuesday was the first battle of the Pittsburgh Sidney Crosby's versus the Washington Alexander Ovechkin's. The Penguins scored a 5 - 4 win in the first ever battle between the two rookie phenoms with Crosby having 3 points (goal, 2 assists) and Ovechkin scoring just a point (assist) but watching the game I can tell you that at the end of the year Ovechkin will statistically come out on top. He has to...the guy is on the ice practically the whole game. Ovechkin was double shifted pretty much the whole game and in the last five minutes of the Pittsburgh game he was hardly off the ice long enough to grab a squirt of water. The guy is great, even as a kid he looks like a man among boys. He's so good that if he was a basketball player Larry Brown might even let him play (a little cross sports humor). I just hope Ovechkin doesn't get frustrated by the slop he's surrounded by as the year goes on.
- If technology existed for humans to be able to jump through the TV and be on a TV show how many people do you think would have done it last Tuesday so they could have beaten the living crap out of Wes and Nehemiah on "The Real World"? I'm setting the under/over bar at 175,000 people.
- The Flyers have problems. Last week they had a weak and plodding effort against the Lightning (a 4 - 2 loss). They had a decent game against the Bruins (a 5 - 3 victory) that featured 2 goals from Peter Forsberg. Forsberg also pulled a groin during the game and was kept out of the game Saturday. And that game Saturday, a 4 -2 loss to a painfully mediocre Islander team, was the icing on the cake. It was just a ridiculously bad game; I've seen more effort from people trying to open a jar of pickles. And it drives me up a wall when I hear people say "the Flyers are still figuring out the new NHL". First of all, there are very few new rules in the NHL, mostly they are just enforcing rules that have been on the books for years. And if the damn Nashville Predators and the Carolina Hurricanes can figure it out then the Flyers should be able to handle it too. The Flyers have trouble on defense and their offense is inconsistent but they do have time so they have that going for them, which is nice
Comments:
saurinmeht@aol.com
dsura@peacehealth.com
ewwasser@hotmail.com
posted by Monday Morning Mehta at 10:56 AM
3 Comments:
I can't believe you just wrote "...'spose McMahon gets the Eagles to 10-6"
WOW. 6-0 by a guy whose won 2 career games as a starter?? That's vinsane...and it ain't happenin...you might as well say, "suppose Tom Brady gets cut and picked up by the Eagles", because neither is happening...
I actually don't mind that the Eagles are filing the tampering charges. Why not bring another team into the fire with the T.O. mess? Hopefully that and the Michael Irvin crap can distract the Cowboys and if the Eagles can swipe a draft pick out of the deal all the better.
EW
Frank, you can't shoot from the hip. You need to aspire to be like the staff at MMM and "bring it" every week.
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