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SportDime - by Book It

Basketball is by far my favorite sport and the NBA is my favorite sports league of all time. But it is one of the most fascinating sports leagues to actually research and learn about. It's a league that has had its share of controversies, scandals, and naysayers since its creation in June of 1946. The 2011-2012 season, like the 1998-1999 season, features many back-to-backs and back-to-back-to-backs. Talk about putting strain on your roster and if you think some of the injuries are not directly related to the lack of a training camp and little rest in between games please think again.

This is simply the situation the players and owners had to deal with since the lockout prevented the season from starting on time. It's no longer time to complain about it, but Stern and his cronies in their New York offices sure were not shy about cramming as many games as possible to make up for the two months of regular season games lost. The fact the regular season ends April 26th and the playoffs start just two nights later should tell most NBA junkies all they need to know. There is a pure rush to squeeze as much out of this season as possible and the Finals are ensured to go no later than June 26th.


But I'm not so sure the common theory teams playing back-to-back or three games in a row this season will affect their ability to win games. It will come into play of course and it will depend if they are on the road or playing three in a row at home. But still, early in the season I think these consecutive games are serving as a good barometer for "contending" teams (sorry Charlotte, New Orleans, and Golden State, and New Jersey) to be used to playing with each other and getting into playing shape by actually playing games. Now the 50 game season in 1998-99 produced 64 sets of back-to-backs and eventually led to some sloppy basketball and tired legs.


But early in the season thus far, I saw a graphic for teams playing three games in a row and all but one of them won their third and final game despite what happened in their previous two games. I can't recall the team that lost or all the teams involved, but it was on NBA TV and it revealed something to me. The theory of teams struggling through back-to-backs has never really been a solid one in the NBA. It is more of a common misconception amongst fans, media, and gamblers alike.

There are a lot of extenuating circumstances, but I think eventually at some point the grind of this season will take its toll on all teams, good and bad, and it really won't matter who is in the midst of three consecutive games or not. For now, I see most teams holding their own as best they can and staving off injuries to key players. But at some point, most of these players are used to getting a few days off between games during the season and that is not going to be the case. Eventually, I expect to see some fatigued teams running around and how it directly affects one team's performance over another's is yet to be seen. But I will be eager to see what the rest of the season's scheduling challenges brings to these teams and players.

I do not know what the stats are, but I'm going to say if you are just talking about winning games and not covering pointspreads, NBA home court advantage probably sees home teams win the most out of any other professional sport at least in this country.

If you don't believe look at some box scores to see a glimpse of the story I've been fascinated with for years. Keep in mind I'm not saying games are fixed or that more Time Donaghy's exist on the NBA referee roster. But there is often a link between home court advantages and home town calls, which can make life very rough for road teams in the NBA.

For example, Monday night the Portland Trailblazers lost in one of the toughest venues in the NBA in Salt Lake City, Utah against the Jazz. They let a 13-0 Utah run in the second half get the best of them and wilted down the stretch. Yes, Portland's home/road splits are terrible as they dominate at home and struggle on the road. Still, they were up double digits and were categorized as being "outworked and outhustled" by head coach Nate McMillan after the game. That may be all well and true, but I noticed a very telling phrase that stuck out to me in the ESPN postgame summary written up online.

Portland was described as "giving up" 38 free throws to Utah, while only shooting 13 of their own inside Energy Solutions Arena. Just a little food for thought. Since Utah made 26 of those 38 free throws and Portland's free throw attempts the entire game were half of the free throws Utah made, don't think these things matter. Foul trouble matters, free throws slow down momentum, and getting to the line builds the confidence of a team playing from behind. That's exactly what happened in Utah tonight, and it happens very often in the NBA on a nightly basis. So I'd say if you are a road team in the Association, don't worry about when your next game is or how your getting there (first class travel accommodations no doubt), but be prepared to shoot insanely well from the field (45-50%) as a team because more often than not the charity stripe is not your friend on the road.



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NBA schedule

January 19th 2012 22:01
The condensed NBA schedule for the 2011-2012 season has definitely taking its toll. When you play 66 games in only 124 games, that breaks the routine most players are accustomed to in general seasons.

Not only are we seeing sprained ankles and the tear of pectoral muscles, but there are players genuinely out of shape for the season. Paul Pierce has to be the biggest name on this list of out-of-shape players. In one of the Celtics recent games last Friday night, Pierce sat out most of the fourth quarter and when he was out on the floor looked gassed after only a few trips up and down the court.

Fans don't put a lot of stock in training camp, or pre-season training in any sport for that matter, but the reality is these are crucial to preparing players for the season to come. Without a training camp to not only get familiar with new teammates and the playbook, the process of being in basketball shape is now intertwined into the regular season. So lots of players are feeling the effects of what they might have endured had they gone through a regular training camp.

Obscure injuries like torn pectorals have happened to the Atlanta Hawks' Al Horford and the Warriors' Kwame Brown. And remember, any injury that could take some time to heal may put the rest of their season to play in jeopardy. Dwyane Wade went down with a severely sprained ankle and last season's playoff hero for the Mavericks Juan Jose Barea has been limited with a sprained ankle and pulled hamstring despite signing a lucrative contract to join the Minnesota Timberwolves.

These are all things to keep an eye on as the young season progresses, especially with some of the older players as well who are in their mid 30s. It's also quite entertaining to see the names of ballots for the All-Star game when there have only been like 10 regular season games played. Pretty comical stuff but not as funny as Joel Anthony of the Miami Heat actually being eligible on the ballot.

Til next time enjoy the games!
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Miami Heat are hot on Christmas Day

December 25th 2011 21:41
One of the things I have noticed thus far with the Miami Heat in their Christmas Day game with the Dallas Mavericks is the pace Miami is dictating against the Mavericks. Erik Spoelstra was given a contract extension, so there is no doubt he has the confidence and support from owner Micky Arison and president Pat Riley. Interestingly enough, Spoelstra comes directly from the "Pat Riley School of Basketball" and clearly uses much of what he learned under Riley to his current team. I mean he was being groomed by Riley to be the next coach in succession for the Heat so it makes sense when Riles headed up to the front office once more he appointed Spoelstra his head coach.

To me the relationship between Micky Arison and Pat Riley is much like that of Knicks owner James Dolan (one of the sons of Cablevision and HBO founder Charles Dolan) and Isaiah Thomas. Except the difference is Pat Riley knows how to coach and run an organization in the proper manner and earned Arison's trust because of his resume.

Riley has built a powerhouse in Miami, but last season was not real shocking. Considering the fact it was their first season together, the Heat did well to make the NBA Finals but endured a season of up-and-downs along the way. In their first game, Miami is playing with an uptempo pace not often seen last season. There was a lot of walking the ball up the floor, but it seems Spoelstra and company want to take advantage of the athletes they have on the floor.

And the best way to do that is to let these guys push the ball up the court and look to score before a defense can settle in and try to contain them in the half court. So far, it is evident the Heat have been practicing quick inbound and outlet passes to get the ball out to a guard and look for Wade, James, or Bosh cruising down the floor. If they make it look as fun and easy as they have today (they are leading by 31 right now as I write this), Miami definitely might have found a better offensive philosophy that allows more freedom and space for these stars to score.

Even though Pat Riley was known for his reliance on defense and hard practices, Riley coached the fast breaking Lakers from 1982 to 1990. So if the Heat continue this offensive style, it would not be anything Pat Riley has not seen before. The other thing is the Heat could be one of those rare teams that could play an open style kind of offense at times and still be able to lock people up defensively because they are strong on that end of the floor.

Of course, the old saying goes the playoffs slow down tenfold, but I think Miami's stars would be able to play at this kind of pace in the playoffs at times and still be able to dig in defensively. It would not be like the early 2000s Dallas Mavericks or the mid to late 2000s Phoenix Suns because those teams were poor defensively.

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Dwight Howard doesn't care

December 21st 2011 19:34
Being a big basketball and NBA fan throughout my life, I have definitely had a falling out with the players of today and their mindsets with regards to how they regard their careers as professional basketball players on and off the court.

Dwight Howard is 26 years old and has been playing for seven years with an organization that has paid him handsomely and "failed" to get him help. But really is that what this is about? Look the NBA is a star driven league but there are only so many impact stars to go around and try to lure them to your particular franchise.

I mean Dwight Howard could be in a much worse situation and he has been to the NBA Finals once three seasons ago and got swept. Still, he's been an All Star since 2007 and won three Defensive Player of the Year awards already. His career high in scoring was last season at just over 22 points per game, so yes the guy is the best big man in the game right now. 22 points in a Stan Van Gundy offense that values three pointers so that is impressive, but his situation could be like that of Kevin Garnett's in Minnesota not too many seasons ago.

No the DeVos family and Otis Smith have not acquired a second star caliber player and of course most NBA fans are going to say Rashard Lewis, Jason Richardson, Vince Carter, and Gilbert Arenas are past their prime and not top options anymore. Howard plays well with Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu but they are not the second and third options teams like Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Boston have. Still, Derrick Rose carried his Chicago Bulls team last season to the brink of a Finals appearance, if not for the athleticism and star power of the Miami Heat.

People say big men are the key to starting a franchise, but someone needs to get them the ball. The NBA is no longer a league dependent on supremely talented centers because the game is so much more perimeter and guard oriented. Not to say a guy like Howard isn't coveted by every team in the league. He has been paid well (over $16 million from his contract last season) and will most certainly get more whatever team signs him to another long term contract.

Watching the highlights of him basically mope up an down the court against the Miami Heat in an exhibition game the other night pretty much illustrates where this guy's mind is at. For a dude who prides himself in his Southern roots and Christian faith, he certainly is acting like just another pampered, frustrated star that wants it his way instead of just going out , collecting his check, and trying to win games for the franchise that pays him.
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Open Court on NBA TV

December 14th 2011 19:19
In a day and age where a lot of television shows fail to capture my attention, it's no surprise a basketball-themed roundtable show caught mine. The show, called "Open Court," airs on NBA TV and is hosted by none other than TNT's Ernie Johnson. Most of the payroll ex-players are on this roundtable.

That includes the likes of Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, Steve Kerr, Chris Webber, and new addition Shaquille O'Neal. But it also throws in Steve Smith, who has a wonderful personality and just as many tales to tell. This show debuted during the lockout, but I think plans must have already been made to run this show whether a season was going to happen or not


[ Click here to read more ]
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NBA- No Babies Allowed

December 12th 2011 21:51
I'm sure the stars of yesterday in the NBA thought all the time of teaming up and joining forces in certain cities to create mini All-Star teams to run all over the rest of the league. But there is a difference between thinking what-if and actually doing it. I wonder if Michael Jordan would have felt all his titles would have been legitimate if he skipped town after not winning anything until eight years in the league.

There have been examples of this in prior NBA history, but not to this extent and especially not at the age of these stars. The Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and Lebron James characters in the NBA represent the new breed of the NBA superstar. Guys who basically want to be able to have their cake and eat it too. Not only do they want to be in certain markets, but they also want to be able to win. Of course, it all makes sense because more popularity increases your own personal "brand," which leads to more business opportunities to make more money off-the-court. Winning games and championships is just another caveat to it all


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The Draft and Freddy Adu

June 23rd 2011 18:59
Derrick Williams is going to be a star. Nothing more, nothing less.

Also, it is about time Bradley gave Freddy some time in the Gold Cup. He should be a mainstay on the squad now, whether it be starting, or most likely coming on as a sub and bringing some pace to the side


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NBA Jam Tuesday - 1

February 1st 2011 20:28
NBA Jam


We are going to experiment with a segment I like to call: NBA Jam Tuesday. Any guy in their 30's or younger knows exactly what NBA Jam is and how awesome it can be to play with friends - especially drunk ones who run around in the backcourt until there is five seconds left on the shot clock, then they pass to the off screen guy who gets an easy dunk. You people know who you are


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Bracket Busters - St. Mary's Gaels

January 21st 2011 17:40
St. Mary's Gaels
St. Mary's Gaels


When one thinks of the West Coast Conference, Gonzaga automatically comes to mind – and for good reason. Gonzaga has been very successful under coach Mark Few, recording at least 23 wins in all of 11 seasons he has been the head coach for the Bulldogs. However, they may now have a perennial contender to the WCC championship – the St. Mary’s Gaels


[ Click here to read more ]
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Relegation?

January 20th 2011 17:38
Cleveland Cavaliers
Relegated? Most Definitely.


I really enjoy soccer. It is my favorite sport to play and coach, and I love watching it whenever we get a game on ESPN. That made me think – other than the game itself, why do I like it so much? I came up with the following reasons off the top of my head


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