Monday Morning Mehta 1/9/06
Edition # 148
January 9, 2006
www.mondaymorningmehta.blogspot.com
NFL Playoffs Recap
Skins 17 - Bucs 10
In a hard hitting defensive battle, the Skins continue their hot streak by holding off and beating the Bucs by a TD. Edell Sheppard should have caught what appeared to be the game tying TD with less than 3 minutes left. Tampa had all the momentum, but just couldn't punch the game tying points in. Sean Taylor, acting as a typical alum of "The U", was tossed for spitting on a Bucs player. The Redskins had no offense in this one, with both TD's coming off turnovers.
Patriots 28 - Jaguars 3
Boy I was way off. The Jaguars had absolutely no offense in this one. The Jags defense held strong for 2 quarters, but just couldn't keep Tom Brady down much longer, as they broke through in the 3rd quarter. Byron Leftwich wasn't sharp at all, and I doubt if David Gerrard would've been much better. Tedy Bruschi's absence didn't mean much, as Willie McGinest was all over the place with a record 4.5 sacks.
Panthers 23 - Giants 0
This was the most enjoyable game of the weekend. Watching Eli Manning, whose clearly not ready for playoff football, get beat up and look about as bad as a QB can look in the playoffs. The Panthers ran all over the depleted defense of the Giants, and Steve Smith had his usual fantastic game.
Steelers 31 - Bengals 17
On his first throw of the game, and his first throw of what should be a long playoff career, Carson Palmer threw a perfect 66 yard bomb to Chris Henry. Unfortunately, he was hit in the leg on the play and tore his ACL & MCL. What a shock. The Bengals, amazingly got back up off the mat to take a 17-7 lead, but the Steelers defense toughened after that, and Jerome Bettis took over. Jon Kitna played admirably considering he's gotten very few snaps this year, but it's a shame we didn't get to see this game with Carson Palmer for 4 quarters.
NFL Divisional Playoffs Preview
Redskins at Seahawks (-8.5)
The play of the Seahawks defense will tell you the outcome of this game. If they can limit Clinton Portis and the Skins running game, this will be an easy Seahawks victory. On offense, Seattle should be able to pass the ball on Washington. Matt Hasselbeck has been very solid this year, and I expect him to have a decent game here.
Pick: Seattle 24 - Redskins 13
Patriots at Denver (-3)
Both AFC games are rematches from earlier in the year, both won by the home teams. The Broncos beat the Patriots soundly earlier in the year, and held off a late charge to beat the Pats 28-20. I think the Broncos will have success running the ball on the Pats. But Jake Plummer vs. Tom Brady? I really don't think the Patriots are good enough to beat the Broncos in Denver (especially Denver coming off of a bye), but I just can't pick either team here.
Pick: Too chicken to pick a side
Steelers at Indy (-9)The Colts have been waiting on this game for about a month now. In the meantime, the Steelers have gotten red hot. Their running the ball effectively, and Big Ben has been healthier and accurate. But this fast track that Indy plays on is just not a good matchup for the Steelers. After an emotional, divisional game, I don't think the Steelers can keep with the Colts for 4 quarters.
Pick: Colts 34 - Steelers 17
Panthers at Bears (-3)
I really like both of these teams and don't know who to pick here again. I wish the Bucs would've won so the Panthers could've went to Seattle instead. But instead we have another rematch. The Bears defense is always the story, but I do think the Bears will have more success this time on offense with Rex Grossman behind the helm. The winner will probably be my pick next week over Seattle, but we'll see...Pick: Bears 20 - Panthers 17
NBA - Derreck Sura
- Philadelphia went 1-2 for the week again and dropped to one game below .500 (16-17). The Sixers ended up going 2-5 on their longest road trip of the year. When I looked at the trip before hand the only games I thought that were sure wins for them were Atlanta and Portland. They lost both of those, but won two others (Denver & Sacramento), so I'd say they did as expected in my book. Philly still holds down the 7th seed in the East, but I think their grip on it is tenuous at best for two reasons.
The first is that Allen Iverson's mobility has obviously been affected by the right ankle sprain he suffered in the third quarter at Denver on 12/27. I have no doubt that he's going to play through it, but after seeing him noticeably limping against the Suns and Lakers, I have to wonder if a week off might be the prudent course of action this early in the season. Of course, standing up to AI has never been a strong suit of Sixers' management.
While Philly did just complete their longest road trip, the schedule really does not let up on them in the near future. They play some tough teams at home coming up, starting this week with: Seattle, Utah, Boston. The Sonics are still in the midst of the firing-of-the-coach-bounce, but the Sixers get them on the second night of a back to back. The Jazz are not a team Philly should beat in my mind. The Celtics' game should be a W, but with division games you never ever know. The Sixers' fortunes this week are going to depend on AI's health, but as usual, 2-1 will be good enough.
- The New Jersey Nets have won ten games in a row and are easily the hottest team in the league right now. The Nets (19-12) not only lead the Atlantic Division, but have vaulted themselves up to second place in the entire Eastern Conference. They've beaten some cupcakes in their current streak (@New York, Atlanta, & @Toronto), some mediocre teams (Denver, Golden State, @Orlando, & Orlando), but also some good teams too (Clippers, @Miami, & Cleveland).
NJ's wining streak started on 12/16, which not so coincidentally was the day after Richard Jefferson had a little talk with Vince Carter. RJ said to VC "Knock it off. You're a scorer, so score. Stop looking over at my side already." RJ on said talk, "Basically, it was, 'Look, do yours.' He has to stop worrying about the rest of us." Since then the Nets have been on a tear offensively averaging 104.5 points a game during their current winning streak. Carter has led them in scoring every game but one (12/27 versus Cleveland) over the same stretch posting a gaudy 33.5 ppg average. Included in this was his 51 point explosion in Miami on 12/23, and 42 yesterday in Toronto where he hit the game winning 3 pointer.
Jefferson has not disappeared during this time (he did lead the team with 28 points against Cleveland). What RJ has done is stepped into a more complimentary, all around player, defensive stopper, third fiddle role. During the streak (not including yesterday's game which he missed due to back spasms) he's put up 19 points on 58.8% shooting to go along 4.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds. Not to mention drawing the other team's best offensive player every night.
Jason Kidd? Well he may have lost a step (or two), but he's been up to the same old same old all season, streak be damned. However, don't think NJ's captain hasn't noticed the change in Richard's game. Says Kidd, "Patience and sacrifice. You got guys on this team that could average 25 or 30 points a night, call their number every night. RJ has been patient, he has waited his turn." That's what good team chemistry is all about in the NBA.
As for the club's league wide numbers and rank, they are decidedly middle of the pack in just about everything except opponent's field goal percentage (43.3%, 8th) and assists (22.9 apg, 5th). Give coach Lawrence Frank credit for the defense and Kidd is mostly responsible for the assists.
The Nets' long term prospects this season depend mainly on their big men. Jason Collins has been bothered all season by an inflammation of the peroneal nerve in his right leg. It's a weird thing that gives him major pain from his shin to his knee, and there's not really much he can do about it. More recently "Twin" has had to miss a few games with a sprained right ankle. Same leg, more problems? That can't be good. 17 year veteran Clifford Robinson is still serviceable, but not much more. Coach Frank has something against playing Marc Jackson regularly, so the burden of improved production falls to second year C Nenad Krstic.
I like Nenad's game a lot because he can score with his back to the basket (a talent that is becoming more and more rare) and has a nice touch from mid-range, but his defense and rebounding still need work. Being that NJ doesn't really lack scoring punch, how quickly Krstic improves those facets of his game will go a long way toward determining how good the Nets can be this year. Of course President Rod Thorn could always make a deal to bring in a big that could help. The Clippers' Chris Wilcox seems to be available and would fit in nicely with NJ's style of play.
Not like it's saying much, but I expect the Nets to win the Atlantic Division pretty handily. On the other hand, unless NJ finds someone to rebound consistently and provide a defensive presence down low, I don't really see them as true contenders for the Eastern Conference crown. Through 2/1 the Nets play 10 of their next 13 games on the road, so that will give everyone plenty of insight into how good they really are or aren't.
- On Tuesday, to no one's surprise, Seattle fired head coach Bob Weiss after a 13-17 start. From my Western Conference preview: "New coach Bob Weiss has a pretty unimpressive resume, to be kind. I just don't think he's going command the player's respect like Nate Mac did." And he didn't. From my Quarter Pole Review: "Seattle is dead last in the NBA in rebounding (38 rpg) and opponent's field goal percentage (49.3%). That is not a promising combination long term." Obviously Sonics' management agreed with me. I don't know what else to say about the guy, other then he's just not a very good head coach (223-299 lifetime record, 2-12 in the playoffs).
(Note to Weiss: In the future do not perform card tricks for your players on the team plane.)
Weiss' replacement for at least the rest of this season is Bob Hill. In other words, the bad cop to Weiss' good cop. Hill is a defense first guy with a reputation as being ultra prepared for games. So basically the polar opposite of the laid back Weiss. Hill's first move as head man was re-inserting Luke Ridnour into the starting lineup. He also benched Reggie Evans in favor Vladimir Radmanovic at PF. Then he decided to make French rookie Johan Petro his starting C, AND play him big minutes. His last move with the rotation was giving 20 year old C Robert Swift regular playing time. Hill is bold to say the least. He also completely revamped the way they practice (no more officials being one example), and surprise surprise, said he was going to stress defense and hold his players accountable for their effort level.
In the short term Seattle (14-19) will probably be a little better, but long term I just don't see them as a playoff team. They really are soft, and a coaching change won't make a difference in that with 49 games still to play. Then there's the on going saga that is Danny Fortson against the referees. Not to mention that Flip Murray, Radmanovic, and Evans are all looking to get paid elsewhere after the season. Oh yeah, and ownership is still trying to get a new arena so the franchise isn't constantly losing money on one of the worst lease deals in professional sports. The bottom line is that things are going to get worse for the Sonics before they get better.
- My boy Andrei Kirilenko had his third career 5x5 last Tuesday against the Lakers. A 5x5 is when a player tallies at least five in five statistical categories. AK-47 had 14 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, 7 blocks, and 6 steals. Keep in mind there have only been six 5x5's in the last twelve years, of which AK has three, and this was only the second time since 1973 that a player put up six or better in those five categories (Note: the NBA did not start keeping track of steals and blocks until 1973). I know many of you non-fantasy types out there are thinking "So what, numbers mean nothing." Well, I had the privilege of watching that game, and I watch Utah (17-17) a lot because of my crush on Kirilenko. Let me tell you non-believers out there something, those are not empty numbers.
AK-47 normally affects the game in so many ways, but when he is all over the place like that, he just wreaks havoc on the opposition. Plan and simple. He is thee best weak side/help defender in the NBA, and is good on the ball too. He swoops in from no where to block shots, and fly's in from anywhere for rebounds. He can break his man down off the dribble and get to the rim either for the finish, or to set up a teammate. He is constant movement on the court, always hustling, and can finish on the break or in traffic with ease. This year he has also assumed the role of "closer" for the Jazz. Which is nice to finally see from him because he had a tendency to be a bit too unselfish in the past.
Last season's debacle aside, Utah is 2-8 without him this year, and 15-9 with him. Those numbers speak for themselves. There is room for improvement in Andrei's game though. I'd like to see him bulk up some so he can body low post players better. He also needs to work on his jumper so he can hit it a with a little more consistency. I know I'm nit picking, but if does those two things, the sky is limit on how great he can be.
- On the injury front this week, the Cleveland Cavaliers (20-11) suffered a major blow. Starting SG Larry Hughes will be out for six to eight weeks after he had screws inserted into his broken right middle finger. Larry's numbers are down from last year, but his production on the court can't really be measured in numbers alone. He is just such a presence on defense that I wonder how the Cavs will be able to maintain their level on that end without him. Damon Jones has been starting for Hughes, with terrible results so far. Look for Ira Newble or Luke Jackson to get a chance if Jones continues to shoot blanks.
The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets were hit a similarly devastating blow when rookie PG Chris Paul tore a ligament on the inside of his right thumb. Paul will be sidelined for at least two weeks. The Hornets (15-18) have a pretty good back up in Speedy Claxton (my wife's favorite name in the NBA since Ruben Boumtje Boumtje is no longer in the league), so they should be alright. However, if NO/OKC should go in the tank while Paul is out, you can pretty much hand him the rookie of the year award.
Emeka Okafor has missed the last eight games for the Charlotte Bobcats (10-23) with a sprained right ankle. "Mek" was supposed to return on Saturday, but didn't. He is still day to day according to the team. Melvin Ely had been filling in for him, but now he is out with the same injury. Rookie Sean May and C Jake Voskuhl are also both out with right knee injuries. This big man shortage has forced GM/coach Bernie Bickerstaff to start Gerald Wallace at PF.
Dallas Mavericks' starting SG Marquis Daniels will be for the next two weeks with a strained neck. The injury is more bothersome then serious, but it just won't seem to heal. Marquis was first hurt on a flagrant foul by Phoenix's Kurt Thomas on 12/15 and hasn't been right since. Dallas (25-9) has plenty of depth behind Daniels with Jerry Stackhouse and Adrian Griffin though. Even Jason Terry can slide over and play some SG in a pinch.
Word on the street is that Yao Ming's recovery is ahead of schedule. Even though he has to receive antibiotics in his left arm via an IV for another week, Yao has begun light workouts, and could be back in as soon as two to three weeks. That would be great news for Houston (12-20) because they are only 3-7 without him. For the record, Yao needed two surgeries to clear out the infection that had spread from right big toe into his bone.
NHL Week in Review By : Ed Wasser
Before I get into the Olympic preview let me give all the loyal readers of this space the best piece of free advice you'll ever get....don't ever do business with Days Inn. Long time MMM subscriber John Miller and I booked a room with Days Inn in Detroit so we could go to the Super Bowl. Since we booked so early we were quoted $85 a night. Then the Days Inn confirmed that rate to us a few months ago. Since then, after we bought non-refundable plane tickets, Days Inn has decided to screw us. They told us that they "couldn't find our reservations" but they would be more then happy to have us at their full Super Bowl weekend rate ($400 + a night plus tax). So basically we're screwed because $2000 for a stay in Detroit is too steep for us. Thanks Days Inn!!
Olympic Preview
- United States.....In the words of George Constaza "I got nothing Jerry, NOTHING!!!" This team might as well be a group of college kids playing the pros. The only intriguing aspect of the American team is the fact that they decided to take things in a different direction with the roster, namely they wanted to get younger. So no Tony Amonte, no John LeClair, no Brian Leetch, and amazingly no Jeremy Roenick. This is USA Hockey GM Don Waddell's way of giving Roenick a public kick in the arse in the town square because Roenick skipped playing for the US in the World Championships a few times and, even though Roenick campaigned to get on the Olympic team and probably deserved a bid, he was left out. In a great display of sour grapes, sore losing, and basically being a baby, Roenick said he would now cheer for the Canadian team because he was left off the American roster. Way to be a role model Jeremy!! It doesn't matter, with or without Roenick it would be a miracle if this team finished in the top 5.
- Finland.....A spunky squad in a Mugsey Bouges guarding Michael Jordan type of way, and they have a nice goalie in Miikka Kiprusoff but they're over matched. When I was looking at the names on their roster they definitely have a lot of vowels but not a lot of stats. Most of their roster isn't even in the NHL, most of their players are from the Finnish Elite League, an oxymoron if I ever heard one. On a sad note one guy that really made a name for himself playing in world tournaments is Teemu Selanne and this will probably be his international swan song.
- Czech Republic.....They have the NHL's best goalie (Dominic Hasek) and the NHL's leading scorer (Jagr) and a few other parts (Robert Lang and Milan Hejduk) and they could make a run but I doubt it. I just imagine the Czechs up against the Canadians and the Swedes and those two teams sending wave after wave of offense at them, there ain't no 4th line rests when playing those teams. I say bronze for them.
- Cherry Hill, NJ resident Kerry Fraser was voted the best referee in the NHL by the players. Of all the referees in the game Fraser received 33.3% of the vote.
- Canada.....The only question here is gold or silver. I kind of liked how they rewarded guys that paid their dues and kept 18 year old Sidney Crosby off the roster. The kid has played half a season in the NHL, let him play a few years before he gets a roster spot that almost guarantees him an Olympic medal. And I liked how Steve Yzerman and Mario Lemeuix stepped aside, admitting that they had their chance in the Olympics, and let other players play. As far as I can determine the Canadians only have one team that can really, really give them a run and it's.....
- Sweden.....Tons and tons of talent, tons and tons of international experience, and most of all now they have goaltending. Remember back in the day when the Swedes were throwing out ex-Flyer stiff Tommy Salo out there in international competitions? Well trust me, it happened. Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist has been helping to keep New York in the hunt in the east despite all their efforts to go into free fall. Lundqvist should be getting some play for rookie of the year but Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin are stealing all the headlines. It's true that I've seen rougher hombres on "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" then on the Swedish defense but you have to remember that in the international game the ice is 200 feet by 100 feet as opposed to the 200 feet by 85 feet found in the NHL game so puck handling and speed are key and the Swedes have that in droves. The gold is their's to lose.
- So I'm watching the CBC broadcast of the Leafs/Oilers game last Saturday night and during the first intermission they had a story about a kid named Jayce Hawryluk. The CBC believes Hawryluk will be the next big thing in the NHL. Right now Jayce is tearing his league in Ontario to shreds and his coach believes that he is currently playing hockey at a 13 year old level. Ohhh...did I mention Jayce Hawryluk is 9 years old? That's the CBC for you.
- Before I talk about the Flyers I just want to make sure I give Flyer defenseman Chris Therien his own paragraph. Chris Therien is worst player that has worn a Flyers jersey in my memory. But I don't want to sell Therien short because he's worse then just your run of the mill bad player, it's like Therien doesn't even know the rules. I mean forget the devastating turnovers, the constantly being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the all around lazy play, let's talk about penalties. Therien takes penalties that are so stupid they defy description. But the face of utter disbelief he shoots the refs after these penalties makes me believe that either Therien is a great actor or he doesn't know any of the rules of hockey. Therien takes penalties in the Flyers' offensive zone, he takes penalties with a few minutes left in one goal games, and he takes penalties against players that aren't any type of offensive threat. The guy is incredible. The Flyers brought up a kid named Randy Jones and if that kid has .0000001% the amount of the ability of your average chimpanzee he should get Therien's job as soon as some of the injured defensemen get back. Thank God.
- Since we last spoke the Flyers have lost all of one game and that was a shootout against the Capitals. And every game was a one goal game with the exception of another Capitals game and that would have been a one goal game but Forsberg scored an empty net goal with only few seconds left. And guess what....all of those games were on the road, the Flyers are on a franchise record 11 game road trip. The Flyers have more points then any other team in the NHL and are officially ON FIRE!! And the Flyers have been decimated by injuries but they have so many great minor leaguers that they step right in and they don't skip a beat (are you listening Eagles?). The Flyers are firing on all cylinders and Antero Niittmaki is playing out of his mind. I've seen a lot of games lately with a lot of teams and the Flyers will be very, very tough to beat for the remainder of the season especially when they get their injured players back. Watch out Philadelphia, it may be time for a parade.
January 9, 2006
www.mondaymorningmehta.blogspot.com
NFL Playoffs Recap
Skins 17 - Bucs 10
In a hard hitting defensive battle, the Skins continue their hot streak by holding off and beating the Bucs by a TD. Edell Sheppard should have caught what appeared to be the game tying TD with less than 3 minutes left. Tampa had all the momentum, but just couldn't punch the game tying points in. Sean Taylor, acting as a typical alum of "The U", was tossed for spitting on a Bucs player. The Redskins had no offense in this one, with both TD's coming off turnovers.
Patriots 28 - Jaguars 3
Boy I was way off. The Jaguars had absolutely no offense in this one. The Jags defense held strong for 2 quarters, but just couldn't keep Tom Brady down much longer, as they broke through in the 3rd quarter. Byron Leftwich wasn't sharp at all, and I doubt if David Gerrard would've been much better. Tedy Bruschi's absence didn't mean much, as Willie McGinest was all over the place with a record 4.5 sacks.
Panthers 23 - Giants 0
This was the most enjoyable game of the weekend. Watching Eli Manning, whose clearly not ready for playoff football, get beat up and look about as bad as a QB can look in the playoffs. The Panthers ran all over the depleted defense of the Giants, and Steve Smith had his usual fantastic game.
Steelers 31 - Bengals 17
On his first throw of the game, and his first throw of what should be a long playoff career, Carson Palmer threw a perfect 66 yard bomb to Chris Henry. Unfortunately, he was hit in the leg on the play and tore his ACL & MCL. What a shock. The Bengals, amazingly got back up off the mat to take a 17-7 lead, but the Steelers defense toughened after that, and Jerome Bettis took over. Jon Kitna played admirably considering he's gotten very few snaps this year, but it's a shame we didn't get to see this game with Carson Palmer for 4 quarters.
NFL Divisional Playoffs Preview
Redskins at Seahawks (-8.5)
The play of the Seahawks defense will tell you the outcome of this game. If they can limit Clinton Portis and the Skins running game, this will be an easy Seahawks victory. On offense, Seattle should be able to pass the ball on Washington. Matt Hasselbeck has been very solid this year, and I expect him to have a decent game here.
Pick: Seattle 24 - Redskins 13
Patriots at Denver (-3)
Both AFC games are rematches from earlier in the year, both won by the home teams. The Broncos beat the Patriots soundly earlier in the year, and held off a late charge to beat the Pats 28-20. I think the Broncos will have success running the ball on the Pats. But Jake Plummer vs. Tom Brady? I really don't think the Patriots are good enough to beat the Broncos in Denver (especially Denver coming off of a bye), but I just can't pick either team here.
Pick: Too chicken to pick a side
Steelers at Indy (-9)The Colts have been waiting on this game for about a month now. In the meantime, the Steelers have gotten red hot. Their running the ball effectively, and Big Ben has been healthier and accurate. But this fast track that Indy plays on is just not a good matchup for the Steelers. After an emotional, divisional game, I don't think the Steelers can keep with the Colts for 4 quarters.
Pick: Colts 34 - Steelers 17
Panthers at Bears (-3)
I really like both of these teams and don't know who to pick here again. I wish the Bucs would've won so the Panthers could've went to Seattle instead. But instead we have another rematch. The Bears defense is always the story, but I do think the Bears will have more success this time on offense with Rex Grossman behind the helm. The winner will probably be my pick next week over Seattle, but we'll see...Pick: Bears 20 - Panthers 17
NBA - Derreck Sura
- Philadelphia went 1-2 for the week again and dropped to one game below .500 (16-17). The Sixers ended up going 2-5 on their longest road trip of the year. When I looked at the trip before hand the only games I thought that were sure wins for them were Atlanta and Portland. They lost both of those, but won two others (Denver & Sacramento), so I'd say they did as expected in my book. Philly still holds down the 7th seed in the East, but I think their grip on it is tenuous at best for two reasons.
The first is that Allen Iverson's mobility has obviously been affected by the right ankle sprain he suffered in the third quarter at Denver on 12/27. I have no doubt that he's going to play through it, but after seeing him noticeably limping against the Suns and Lakers, I have to wonder if a week off might be the prudent course of action this early in the season. Of course, standing up to AI has never been a strong suit of Sixers' management.
While Philly did just complete their longest road trip, the schedule really does not let up on them in the near future. They play some tough teams at home coming up, starting this week with: Seattle, Utah, Boston. The Sonics are still in the midst of the firing-of-the-coach-bounce, but the Sixers get them on the second night of a back to back. The Jazz are not a team Philly should beat in my mind. The Celtics' game should be a W, but with division games you never ever know. The Sixers' fortunes this week are going to depend on AI's health, but as usual, 2-1 will be good enough.
- The New Jersey Nets have won ten games in a row and are easily the hottest team in the league right now. The Nets (19-12) not only lead the Atlantic Division, but have vaulted themselves up to second place in the entire Eastern Conference. They've beaten some cupcakes in their current streak (@New York, Atlanta, & @Toronto), some mediocre teams (Denver, Golden State, @Orlando, & Orlando), but also some good teams too (Clippers, @Miami, & Cleveland).
NJ's wining streak started on 12/16, which not so coincidentally was the day after Richard Jefferson had a little talk with Vince Carter. RJ said to VC "Knock it off. You're a scorer, so score. Stop looking over at my side already." RJ on said talk, "Basically, it was, 'Look, do yours.' He has to stop worrying about the rest of us." Since then the Nets have been on a tear offensively averaging 104.5 points a game during their current winning streak. Carter has led them in scoring every game but one (12/27 versus Cleveland) over the same stretch posting a gaudy 33.5 ppg average. Included in this was his 51 point explosion in Miami on 12/23, and 42 yesterday in Toronto where he hit the game winning 3 pointer.
Jefferson has not disappeared during this time (he did lead the team with 28 points against Cleveland). What RJ has done is stepped into a more complimentary, all around player, defensive stopper, third fiddle role. During the streak (not including yesterday's game which he missed due to back spasms) he's put up 19 points on 58.8% shooting to go along 4.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds. Not to mention drawing the other team's best offensive player every night.
Jason Kidd? Well he may have lost a step (or two), but he's been up to the same old same old all season, streak be damned. However, don't think NJ's captain hasn't noticed the change in Richard's game. Says Kidd, "Patience and sacrifice. You got guys on this team that could average 25 or 30 points a night, call their number every night. RJ has been patient, he has waited his turn." That's what good team chemistry is all about in the NBA.
As for the club's league wide numbers and rank, they are decidedly middle of the pack in just about everything except opponent's field goal percentage (43.3%, 8th) and assists (22.9 apg, 5th). Give coach Lawrence Frank credit for the defense and Kidd is mostly responsible for the assists.
The Nets' long term prospects this season depend mainly on their big men. Jason Collins has been bothered all season by an inflammation of the peroneal nerve in his right leg. It's a weird thing that gives him major pain from his shin to his knee, and there's not really much he can do about it. More recently "Twin" has had to miss a few games with a sprained right ankle. Same leg, more problems? That can't be good. 17 year veteran Clifford Robinson is still serviceable, but not much more. Coach Frank has something against playing Marc Jackson regularly, so the burden of improved production falls to second year C Nenad Krstic.
I like Nenad's game a lot because he can score with his back to the basket (a talent that is becoming more and more rare) and has a nice touch from mid-range, but his defense and rebounding still need work. Being that NJ doesn't really lack scoring punch, how quickly Krstic improves those facets of his game will go a long way toward determining how good the Nets can be this year. Of course President Rod Thorn could always make a deal to bring in a big that could help. The Clippers' Chris Wilcox seems to be available and would fit in nicely with NJ's style of play.
Not like it's saying much, but I expect the Nets to win the Atlantic Division pretty handily. On the other hand, unless NJ finds someone to rebound consistently and provide a defensive presence down low, I don't really see them as true contenders for the Eastern Conference crown. Through 2/1 the Nets play 10 of their next 13 games on the road, so that will give everyone plenty of insight into how good they really are or aren't.
- On Tuesday, to no one's surprise, Seattle fired head coach Bob Weiss after a 13-17 start. From my Western Conference preview: "New coach Bob Weiss has a pretty unimpressive resume, to be kind. I just don't think he's going command the player's respect like Nate Mac did." And he didn't. From my Quarter Pole Review: "Seattle is dead last in the NBA in rebounding (38 rpg) and opponent's field goal percentage (49.3%). That is not a promising combination long term." Obviously Sonics' management agreed with me. I don't know what else to say about the guy, other then he's just not a very good head coach (223-299 lifetime record, 2-12 in the playoffs).
(Note to Weiss: In the future do not perform card tricks for your players on the team plane.)
Weiss' replacement for at least the rest of this season is Bob Hill. In other words, the bad cop to Weiss' good cop. Hill is a defense first guy with a reputation as being ultra prepared for games. So basically the polar opposite of the laid back Weiss. Hill's first move as head man was re-inserting Luke Ridnour into the starting lineup. He also benched Reggie Evans in favor Vladimir Radmanovic at PF. Then he decided to make French rookie Johan Petro his starting C, AND play him big minutes. His last move with the rotation was giving 20 year old C Robert Swift regular playing time. Hill is bold to say the least. He also completely revamped the way they practice (no more officials being one example), and surprise surprise, said he was going to stress defense and hold his players accountable for their effort level.
In the short term Seattle (14-19) will probably be a little better, but long term I just don't see them as a playoff team. They really are soft, and a coaching change won't make a difference in that with 49 games still to play. Then there's the on going saga that is Danny Fortson against the referees. Not to mention that Flip Murray, Radmanovic, and Evans are all looking to get paid elsewhere after the season. Oh yeah, and ownership is still trying to get a new arena so the franchise isn't constantly losing money on one of the worst lease deals in professional sports. The bottom line is that things are going to get worse for the Sonics before they get better.
- My boy Andrei Kirilenko had his third career 5x5 last Tuesday against the Lakers. A 5x5 is when a player tallies at least five in five statistical categories. AK-47 had 14 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, 7 blocks, and 6 steals. Keep in mind there have only been six 5x5's in the last twelve years, of which AK has three, and this was only the second time since 1973 that a player put up six or better in those five categories (Note: the NBA did not start keeping track of steals and blocks until 1973). I know many of you non-fantasy types out there are thinking "So what, numbers mean nothing." Well, I had the privilege of watching that game, and I watch Utah (17-17) a lot because of my crush on Kirilenko. Let me tell you non-believers out there something, those are not empty numbers.
AK-47 normally affects the game in so many ways, but when he is all over the place like that, he just wreaks havoc on the opposition. Plan and simple. He is thee best weak side/help defender in the NBA, and is good on the ball too. He swoops in from no where to block shots, and fly's in from anywhere for rebounds. He can break his man down off the dribble and get to the rim either for the finish, or to set up a teammate. He is constant movement on the court, always hustling, and can finish on the break or in traffic with ease. This year he has also assumed the role of "closer" for the Jazz. Which is nice to finally see from him because he had a tendency to be a bit too unselfish in the past.
Last season's debacle aside, Utah is 2-8 without him this year, and 15-9 with him. Those numbers speak for themselves. There is room for improvement in Andrei's game though. I'd like to see him bulk up some so he can body low post players better. He also needs to work on his jumper so he can hit it a with a little more consistency. I know I'm nit picking, but if does those two things, the sky is limit on how great he can be.
- On the injury front this week, the Cleveland Cavaliers (20-11) suffered a major blow. Starting SG Larry Hughes will be out for six to eight weeks after he had screws inserted into his broken right middle finger. Larry's numbers are down from last year, but his production on the court can't really be measured in numbers alone. He is just such a presence on defense that I wonder how the Cavs will be able to maintain their level on that end without him. Damon Jones has been starting for Hughes, with terrible results so far. Look for Ira Newble or Luke Jackson to get a chance if Jones continues to shoot blanks.
The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets were hit a similarly devastating blow when rookie PG Chris Paul tore a ligament on the inside of his right thumb. Paul will be sidelined for at least two weeks. The Hornets (15-18) have a pretty good back up in Speedy Claxton (my wife's favorite name in the NBA since Ruben Boumtje Boumtje is no longer in the league), so they should be alright. However, if NO/OKC should go in the tank while Paul is out, you can pretty much hand him the rookie of the year award.
Emeka Okafor has missed the last eight games for the Charlotte Bobcats (10-23) with a sprained right ankle. "Mek" was supposed to return on Saturday, but didn't. He is still day to day according to the team. Melvin Ely had been filling in for him, but now he is out with the same injury. Rookie Sean May and C Jake Voskuhl are also both out with right knee injuries. This big man shortage has forced GM/coach Bernie Bickerstaff to start Gerald Wallace at PF.
Dallas Mavericks' starting SG Marquis Daniels will be for the next two weeks with a strained neck. The injury is more bothersome then serious, but it just won't seem to heal. Marquis was first hurt on a flagrant foul by Phoenix's Kurt Thomas on 12/15 and hasn't been right since. Dallas (25-9) has plenty of depth behind Daniels with Jerry Stackhouse and Adrian Griffin though. Even Jason Terry can slide over and play some SG in a pinch.
Word on the street is that Yao Ming's recovery is ahead of schedule. Even though he has to receive antibiotics in his left arm via an IV for another week, Yao has begun light workouts, and could be back in as soon as two to three weeks. That would be great news for Houston (12-20) because they are only 3-7 without him. For the record, Yao needed two surgeries to clear out the infection that had spread from right big toe into his bone.
NHL Week in Review By : Ed Wasser
Before I get into the Olympic preview let me give all the loyal readers of this space the best piece of free advice you'll ever get....don't ever do business with Days Inn. Long time MMM subscriber John Miller and I booked a room with Days Inn in Detroit so we could go to the Super Bowl. Since we booked so early we were quoted $85 a night. Then the Days Inn confirmed that rate to us a few months ago. Since then, after we bought non-refundable plane tickets, Days Inn has decided to screw us. They told us that they "couldn't find our reservations" but they would be more then happy to have us at their full Super Bowl weekend rate ($400 + a night plus tax). So basically we're screwed because $2000 for a stay in Detroit is too steep for us. Thanks Days Inn!!
Olympic Preview
- United States.....In the words of George Constaza "I got nothing Jerry, NOTHING!!!" This team might as well be a group of college kids playing the pros. The only intriguing aspect of the American team is the fact that they decided to take things in a different direction with the roster, namely they wanted to get younger. So no Tony Amonte, no John LeClair, no Brian Leetch, and amazingly no Jeremy Roenick. This is USA Hockey GM Don Waddell's way of giving Roenick a public kick in the arse in the town square because Roenick skipped playing for the US in the World Championships a few times and, even though Roenick campaigned to get on the Olympic team and probably deserved a bid, he was left out. In a great display of sour grapes, sore losing, and basically being a baby, Roenick said he would now cheer for the Canadian team because he was left off the American roster. Way to be a role model Jeremy!! It doesn't matter, with or without Roenick it would be a miracle if this team finished in the top 5.
- Finland.....A spunky squad in a Mugsey Bouges guarding Michael Jordan type of way, and they have a nice goalie in Miikka Kiprusoff but they're over matched. When I was looking at the names on their roster they definitely have a lot of vowels but not a lot of stats. Most of their roster isn't even in the NHL, most of their players are from the Finnish Elite League, an oxymoron if I ever heard one. On a sad note one guy that really made a name for himself playing in world tournaments is Teemu Selanne and this will probably be his international swan song.
- Czech Republic.....They have the NHL's best goalie (Dominic Hasek) and the NHL's leading scorer (Jagr) and a few other parts (Robert Lang and Milan Hejduk) and they could make a run but I doubt it. I just imagine the Czechs up against the Canadians and the Swedes and those two teams sending wave after wave of offense at them, there ain't no 4th line rests when playing those teams. I say bronze for them.
- Cherry Hill, NJ resident Kerry Fraser was voted the best referee in the NHL by the players. Of all the referees in the game Fraser received 33.3% of the vote.
- Canada.....The only question here is gold or silver. I kind of liked how they rewarded guys that paid their dues and kept 18 year old Sidney Crosby off the roster. The kid has played half a season in the NHL, let him play a few years before he gets a roster spot that almost guarantees him an Olympic medal. And I liked how Steve Yzerman and Mario Lemeuix stepped aside, admitting that they had their chance in the Olympics, and let other players play. As far as I can determine the Canadians only have one team that can really, really give them a run and it's.....
- Sweden.....Tons and tons of talent, tons and tons of international experience, and most of all now they have goaltending. Remember back in the day when the Swedes were throwing out ex-Flyer stiff Tommy Salo out there in international competitions? Well trust me, it happened. Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist has been helping to keep New York in the hunt in the east despite all their efforts to go into free fall. Lundqvist should be getting some play for rookie of the year but Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin are stealing all the headlines. It's true that I've seen rougher hombres on "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" then on the Swedish defense but you have to remember that in the international game the ice is 200 feet by 100 feet as opposed to the 200 feet by 85 feet found in the NHL game so puck handling and speed are key and the Swedes have that in droves. The gold is their's to lose.
- So I'm watching the CBC broadcast of the Leafs/Oilers game last Saturday night and during the first intermission they had a story about a kid named Jayce Hawryluk. The CBC believes Hawryluk will be the next big thing in the NHL. Right now Jayce is tearing his league in Ontario to shreds and his coach believes that he is currently playing hockey at a 13 year old level. Ohhh...did I mention Jayce Hawryluk is 9 years old? That's the CBC for you.
- Before I talk about the Flyers I just want to make sure I give Flyer defenseman Chris Therien his own paragraph. Chris Therien is worst player that has worn a Flyers jersey in my memory. But I don't want to sell Therien short because he's worse then just your run of the mill bad player, it's like Therien doesn't even know the rules. I mean forget the devastating turnovers, the constantly being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the all around lazy play, let's talk about penalties. Therien takes penalties that are so stupid they defy description. But the face of utter disbelief he shoots the refs after these penalties makes me believe that either Therien is a great actor or he doesn't know any of the rules of hockey. Therien takes penalties in the Flyers' offensive zone, he takes penalties with a few minutes left in one goal games, and he takes penalties against players that aren't any type of offensive threat. The guy is incredible. The Flyers brought up a kid named Randy Jones and if that kid has .0000001% the amount of the ability of your average chimpanzee he should get Therien's job as soon as some of the injured defensemen get back. Thank God.
- Since we last spoke the Flyers have lost all of one game and that was a shootout against the Capitals. And every game was a one goal game with the exception of another Capitals game and that would have been a one goal game but Forsberg scored an empty net goal with only few seconds left. And guess what....all of those games were on the road, the Flyers are on a franchise record 11 game road trip. The Flyers have more points then any other team in the NHL and are officially ON FIRE!! And the Flyers have been decimated by injuries but they have so many great minor leaguers that they step right in and they don't skip a beat (are you listening Eagles?). The Flyers are firing on all cylinders and Antero Niittmaki is playing out of his mind. I've seen a lot of games lately with a lot of teams and the Flyers will be very, very tough to beat for the remainder of the season especially when they get their injured players back. Watch out Philadelphia, it may be time for a parade.
posted by Monday Morning Mehta at 8:31 AM
1 Comments:
USC & Oregon showed the Pac-10 was overrated this year. Beating Northwestern, BYU & Rutgers in bowl games isn't exactly impressive.
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