Anthony Davis – Fansmanship

Pelicans a solid sleeper pick this season

Matt Levine — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 02:23:52 +0000

We all know about the Spurs, Thunder, Clippers, Warriors, and the rest of the top Western Conference teams. The opposite of this is the Pelicansbut the team that nobody is talking about is the New Orleans Pelicans. Led by power-forward Anthony Davis, the Pelicans are stacked with different playmakers and weapons that will help them legitimately compete. They’ve got Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon, and Ryan Anderson. They traded for center Omer Asik, who brings some veteran leadership along with a pounder in the paint on defense. Having the rim protection of Asik and Davis will make it very difficult for competitors to score inside on the Pelicans.

Tyreke Evans and the Pelicans will surprise people this coming NBA season. By Keith Allison, via Wikimedia Commons

Davis alone has become one of the best all around players in the NBA. He averaged 20.8 points, 10 rebounds, 2.8 blocks per game and shot an astonishing .519 percent from the field. Davis has developed his game every season thus far and I expect him to grow even more in 2014-2015. Matching his skill with shooters like Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson give the Pelicans a very scary inside-outside combination. Add that in along with the play of guards Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday and the Pelicans look like a complete team overall. Last season, Holiday averaged 14.3 points per game, 7.9 assists per game, and 4.2 rebounds per game in just 34 games played.

Davis is 21 years old and Holiday is 24. Both Gordon and Evans are 25, and Anderson is 26, so the Pelicans’ core players are still so young and have much to learn and grow. Being that they are still a very young team and with the youth comes immaturity and lack of experience but this team is extremely talented and they will compete for a playoff spot this season. They won’t win the NBA title but they will be in the running for the 7^th or 8^th seed in the Western Conference. Every season each conference has a surprise team and this season, the Pelicans will be that team in the West.

Levine’s 2014-15 NBA Western Conference Preview

Matt Levine — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 05:33:45 +0000

The NBA western conference is a “whole different animal” compared to the East, and for good reason. Last season, there were nine teams over .500 and one of those teams, Phoenix Suns, were 14 games above .500 and missed the playoffs. Year-in and year-out at least one very deserving Western Conference team missing the playoffs due to the elevated level of talent and play added over the years. As of now, the Larry O’Brien trophy resides in San Antonio and the West looks as if it may be back to its pure dominance that it had over the East during the early 2000’s.

Will this be the season Anthony Davis leads the Pelicans to the playoffs? By Keith Allison (Flickr: Anthony Davis) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

LeBron leaving Miami for Cleveland sets-up for another exciting season but are the Cavs with LeBron, Kyrie, and Love enough to stop any of the Western Conference powerhouses? Here is a breakdown of the contending and interesting Western Conference teams as we approach the 2014 season:

San Antonio Spurs: The defending champs will try to go back-to-back this season but it will be difficult with the opponents they will have to face. They are still the Spurs, though, and I have learned not to count out this team until they are actually done. The Spurs will again be a top contending team in the West and I expect them to make it back to the conference finals if not the finals again.

Los Angeles Clippers: Oh the Clippers. Just when you think they might actually break through, they let you down. A historically bad franchise finally has some hope and light in it and will look to expand upon that again. Their time to win is now as Chris Paul isn’t the youngest point-guard in the league. Adding veterans Jordan Farmar and Spencer Hawes will improve the team but my head still says they will get bounced in the second round again.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Realistically, the Thunder are so young with Durant and Westbrook that it’s scary. One of the best one-two punches we have seen in the recent NBA but they can’t seem to get the job done. Durant is the reigning MVP and needs to break through in the playoffs to be put into the same category as the greats that have won and I look for him and the Thunder to make it back at least to the conference finals again this season.

Portland Trailblazers: If the Trailblazers can stay healthy, they can do some major damage in the Western Conference and they showed a glimpse of what they could do in the postseason. They are a gritty, young team that has an unusual confidence. They look as if they will make another postseason run and you never know what could happen. Watch out for Portland.

Golden State Warriors: No matter what their record is during the season or what seed they get in the postseason, they are as scary a team as any. They can shoot the lights out and maybe having a new coach in Steve Kerr may push this team to their potential. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are the best backcourt in the league and its time for them to prove it in the playoffs.

Houston Rockets: I really liked the pickup of Trevor Ariza after Chandler Parsons left, but the reports that Dwight Howard and James Harden think of themselves as bigger than the team worries me. Even the greats realized they needed help to win and I don’t see the Rockets getting by the second round this season. This offseason could have been epic for Houston, but losing out on Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony was huge.

Memphis Grizzles: Everyone always sleeps on small-market Memphis and I’m not sure why. They were one game away from defeating Oklahoma City in the first round and they played that game seven without Zach Randolph. I believe if he had played, Memphis would have advanced because they were the better team. This offseason, they signed Vince Carter, which will help scoring a little bit unless he turns back into the Toronto version of himself; then watch out NBA

New Orleans Pelicans: I am personally deeming this season the “season of Anthony Davis” assuming he can stay healthy. Davis is an absolute beast and is continuing to grow and learn. I expect the Pelicans to compete for a playoff spot this season and show people that they mean business in this league.

Dallas Mavericks: This team could either be really good or they could not be able to live up to expectations. Monta Ellis had a great season last year but he’s always had some question marks. Dirk is older and we don’t know how effective he can still be. I hope they play to their potential because after adding Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler they could end up being a top team in the West.

Phoenix Suns: So far Eric Bledsoe is still a free agent and they better change that fast; he is too good to not bring back. I just don’t see them contending. They overachieved last season, but I hope they can prove me wrong.

Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe is finally back and D’Antoni is out — what more could Laker fans want? Byron Scott was a good choice as the Lakers try and figure themselves out. Adding Carlos Boozer, Jeremy Lin, and draft pick Julius Randle will help the Lakers be somewhat relevant and if they can stay healthy they might be able to compete for a first round exit in the playoffs. I don’t doubt the Black Mamba and I think he can lead this team to the playoffs with an early exit. Only time will tell how he and the Lakers play though.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Losing Kevin Love hurts but it needed to be done. Adding Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and Thaddeus Young will help this team be a little more interesting. Give this team a good three years before they actually start competing on a regular basis.

Every NBA season some surprise teams jump up and contend for the playoffs. In the West those could be the Pelicans, Lakers, and Suns.

Patience is the key for Lakers

Matt Levine — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 03:50:20 +0000

Even before Dwight Howard joined the Lakers many fans and members of the media looked to the 2014 off-season as a chance for the purple and gold to make a splash and start focusing their personnel moves on their post-Kobe Bryant days. Going into the 2013-2014 season with absolutely no hope of a championship, the Lakers stuck to their “plan” by signing a large majority of their roster to 1-year contracts to preserve the cap space they would enjoy the following offseason. Once the 2014 offseason hits, the Lakers will only have three players on their salary cap giving them flexibility to do what they want. But the real question is, what should the Lakers do with all that cap space?

If the front office is patient and handles the 2014 off-season correctly, it may only be a few seasons until the Lakers return to the White House. By Lawrence Jackson [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

After signing the injured Kobe Bryant to a two year contract extension, the Lakers have put themselves in position to have at least one star player on the roster to try and entice other players to come play in Los Angeles. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade and Eric Bledsoe all currently have contracts that expire during the 2014 offseason. Many have speculated that Carmelo Anthony would end up joining the team but I implore the front office to keep their checkbooks cool during the 2014 offseason. Other than the possibility of LeBron James, I don’t think the Lakers should make any major moves this offseason. Since the beginning of the NBA, the Lakers have been championship contenders for most of their years; not some team that overpays players just to patch up roster spots.

My plan would be to save the cap space, despite how Kobe Bryant might feel about it, and save it for the 2015 and 2016 off seasons in order to more-thoroughly return the team to its rightful place atop the NBA. First off, the Lakers will be getting a top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, which is linked to being one of the deepest drafts in recent memory and might eventually be compared to the historic 2003 draft (we hope Jerry West was wrong). So they will more than likely get a young star in the making to put alongside Kobe for the 2014-2015 season. Once the following offseason starts, however, the fun begins. Such players as Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge and Marc Gasol will be free agents come 2015 and many expect the Lakers to snag Love, who played at UCLA, from Minnesota.

Wait another offseason, which could mean post-Kobe, and the 2016 free agent class is even better. With such players scheduled to become free agents as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard and others, the Lakers could put themselves in position to return to championship contention within a few seasons simply by being patient in free agency for a few years. The two names most heavily linked to the purple and gold are Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, which matched together, could be a deadly combination for opponents.

As for the fans, we might need to bite the bullet on next season as well in order to potentially celebrate another title a few seasons later. Those of us in the seats as well as the Lakers front office should realize that. The one problem is that the pressure of an impending Kobe Bryant retirement may put the Lakers in an awkward situation and they may push the panic button and sign a player like Carmelo Anthony this offseason. Nothing against Carmelo — he is a great player — but the best thing for the Lakers future would be to wait for now and use the cap space in future off-seasons.

NBA Draft Dull and Uneventful

Luke Johnson — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 23:36:19 +0000

Last night’s NBA Draft was dull and uneventful. Yawn…

By the second overall pick I knew what kind of a draft this was — one wrought with players who in three years will be playing overseas or sitting at the far ends of NBDL benches. While Anthony Davis (First overall to the New Orleans Hornets) and a few others have variant forms of star potential, the rest of the party lacked the pungent flare necessary to leave a lasting impression. The draft had no blockbuster moves despite swirling speculations that players such as Dwight Howard, Josh Smith, Rudy Gay, Pau Gasol and Luol Deng could have been had by the evening’s highest bidder.

Instead, the biggest move of the evening was the trade of Mavericks 17th pick Tyler Zeller and combo guard Kelena Azubuike to the Cavaliers, for 24th pick Jared Cunningham, 33rd pick Bernard James and 34th pick Jay Crowder. Nobody batted an eye at news of the trade, other than it involving a three term war veteran in the 27 year old James. The young man served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Qatar, before landing with Leanord Hamilton’s Florida State Seminoles squad.

Picks worth your attention

Anthony Davis, F, Kentucky Wildcats, 1st pick overall to New Orleans Hornets: While I don’t think Anthony Davis is the kind of big man who will ever dominate the pros (think offensive game of Kenyon Martin with the defensive intangibles of Tyson Chandler), I do think he will make an impact from day-one with the Hornets. His long frame and outrageous vertical leap, will allot him countless blocks both on the perimeter and in the key. He’ll be the defensive game changer getting athletic scorers like Jarett Jack and Eric Gordon in the open floor, while following up tempo misses with crowd pleasing dunks. He is extremely thin, weighing just 225 at 6’11”, and doesn’t have the type of body (long wing span with underdeveloped chest – frame and elongated bicep make up) to fill out the way I think people are hoping he will. That alone will be the difference between a big like him and a rugged bang-on-the-block big like Dwight Howard or Al Jefferson. Best case scenario: Quick, thinner, more versatile version of Tyson Chandler.

Bradley Beal, G, Florida Gators, 3rd pick overall to Washington Wizards: I hate the comparisons to Ray Allen. Not only is it outlandish to compare any young player to a legend (think Harold Minor or Jerry Stackhouse to MJ) like Ray Allen, but badly assessed anyway. Beal shot just 33% from the three point line last season and unlike Allen, has a developed left and right hand dribble. But he isn’t the spot shooter Allen was, and doesn’t have the motor to demand the ball like a franchise player. Beal’s second rated (meaning: team oriented, living on the coattail of another) personality is a perfect fit for Wizards alpha point guard John Wall. Matching him with an outside scorer like Beal, allots Wall ample driving space. It also gives the young point guard a kick out option and better spaces the floor for the efficient Nene. Beal’s most uncanny gift is his crash of the offensive glass, which paired with Nene, Kevin Seraphin and athletic wing Trevor Ariza, should concoct one of the best rebounding team’s in hoops. Best case scenario: Streakier, more lock down defending version of Eric Gordon.

Harrison Barnes, F, North Carolina Tar Heels, 7th overall to Golden State Warriors: Unfortunately Barnes is the bad byproduct of a media obsession. From day-one at North Carolina, fans, the media and critics alike, believed Barnes would set a mark as great as Michael Jordan or James Worthy in Tar Heel blue. What they forgot to reconcile was his inability to dribble, his spotty three-point shot and his poor defensive mechanics (side to side shuffle, upright positioning). While the media mud slung him as a failure, the rest of us college hoops fans adored him for what he was: a fill-it-up, late-game “give me the damn ball” kind of scorer. The move from Carolina to the uptempo Warriors couldn’t fit the Sean Eliot-like wing any better. Barnes fell in love with the spot up three in transition while playing for Roy Williams and should get much of that with a three point gunning led attack under coach Mark Jackson and star point guard, Steph Curry. Barnes improved his three point shooting his sophomore year and has always been a lights out mid range gunner. Placed with Curry and last year’s athletic pick, Klay Thompson, should make for one high octane affair in Oakland. Best case scenario: Stronger, better finishing Sean Elliot; More quiet tempered Stephen Jackson.

Jeremy Lamb, G, Connecticut Huskies, 12th overall to Houston Rockets: I fell in love with Lamb last year when he and Kemba Walker led the Huskies to a surprising National Championship. For so many reasons: His step back pull up game, his cool and collected demeanor, his athletic reach defensively on the perimeter, his long stride (Durant-like) and most importantly, his ability to play second fiddle with another great player. Lamb is the most complete offensive player in all of this year’s draft, and he’s the most ready to make a difference now. While Lamb will never be the go-to guy on any team, I do believe he’ll be that efficient 2nd or 3rd piece and quietly dropping 17 to 20 points. He’s lean and active, takes the big shot, and has a fluid mid air finisher in the open floor. My definite pick for the draft’s biggest steal. Best case scenario: Less physical Rudy Gay.

John Henson, F, North Carolina Tar Heels, 14th overall to Milwaukee Bucks: John Henson is John Henson’s own enemy. Actually, John Henson’s parents are John Henson’s own enemy. If you have ever seen the 6’11” shot blocking, rebounding, rim rattling freak, you will love him as a basketball player but I doubt his rail thin body’s ability to hold up for the entirety of an 82 – game NBA season. If he can somehow learn when to sacrifice his body and when not to, the Bucks could have themselves a better-scoring Marcus Camby. I like Henson’s upside on offense. He’s quick and can dribble fairly well for a man of his size. The Bucks’ up-tempo, high volume attack with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis fits him superbly. Best cast scenario: Think Marcus Camby averaging 14 points per game.

Jared Sullinger, F, Ohio State Buckeyes, 21st overall to Boston Celtics: The big man known as “Sully” or the “Big Teddy Bear,” has been rung through the ringer. One week before the NBA draft, Sullinger, a two time All American 1st team winner and prolific low post player, was red flagged by medical advisers because of a lingering back issue. Projected to be a top-5 pick after his Freshman season, Sullinger became a perfect example of a kid losing stock for staying put in college. And, while we applaud him for that, we feel sorry for him as well. No post player was as efficient and consistent as the 6’9″ forward the last two years at the collegiate level. “Sully” led two top-tier Buckeye teams in scoring and finished in the top-3 in the Big Ten in rebounding. While he is athletically impaired, he has tremendous foot work, strong hands, an array of post moves and a nice fifteen to twenty foot face up game. His wide frame allows him enough of a cushion to work his way around more athletic big men and for a slower forward, he plays above average post defense. If KG does in fact retire, we’ll know the verdict on Sullinger right away. Best case scenario: Al Horford with the athletic limitations of Glen Davis.

Biggest Bust Picks

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist , G, Kentucky Wildcats, 2nd overall to Charlotte Bobcats: Kidd-Gilchrist is not a shooter nor is he an offensive weapon. He’s a defender who happens to get in the open-court from time to time with tremendous strength. But he’s raw. He relies far too heavily on his strength to get him where he needs to go, which in today’s NBA, will land him in foul trouble.

Terrence Ross, G, Washington Huskies, 8th overall to Toronto Raptors: What seperates Ross from John Jenkins (23rd to Hawks) or Jenkins fellow Vandy vet, Jeff Taylor (31st to Bobcats)? Both players were had for cheaper and have the collegiate experience and NBA-ready stroke necessary to hit the deep three. Ross is not an athlete, he’s a compact shooter with limited depth. Lorenzo Romar produces players who fit within his kabob of miss meshed talent, making very average offensive players seem better than they actually are.

Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois Fighting Illini, 11th overall to Portland Trailblazers: Leonard is a product of being big, wide and strong. But he has clumsy big man feet and the lack of a true post move. Remember Yinka Dare?

Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina Tar Heels, 13th overall to Phoenix Suns: This means without a shadow of a doubt, Steve Nash will be wearing someone else’s uniform next season. To draft Marshall, a back up point guard at-best and a very poor man’s Beno Udrih this high, you have to be one desperate organization.

Miles Plumlee, C, Duke Blue Devils, 26th overall to Indiana Pacers: I thought Leanord was bad, but this is worse. This is a pick on school name alone. Plumlee, a product of Coach K, never played more than 20.5 minutes per game and finished with a career point average of 6.4 points per game. He’s really wide; that is seriously the best I’ve got when it comes to assessing his game.

Remember When We Cared About Dwight Howard?

Luke Johnson — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:57:43 +0000

Remember when we cared about Dwight Howard? When we sat in spin circles discussing his presumed changing of address, every day from November through April?

We differed in our opinions. Some of us thought he’d land in LA LA, to stake his claim to an acting career and play the Superman savior role for the dwindling career of Kobe Bryant. Others of us thought he would go to the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, or even stay with the Orlando Magic. I hoped he’d flounder in a miracle sign-and-trade to the New Orleans Hornets or Charlotte Bobcats. And I’ll tell you why.

For one: I didn’t really care. I was more interested in the winding down of the NFL.

For two: I was anticipating the return of baseball and salivating over an Albert Pujols’ new beginning with my beloved Angels.

For three: I was gearing up for the NBA playoffs, that so far have been brilliant with the performances of Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

A sign-and-trade to one of the above two teams made for good news and even better conversations. Can you imagine swinging a club with a few cronies, drinking beer, talking about Dwight Howard in a Bobcat uniform?

“Billy did you see where Howard went to?”

“Nope.”

“The Charlotte Bobcats, dude.”

“The who?”

“The Bobcats, they started from scratch when the Hornets moved.”

“Never heard of em.’ You gonna swing or not?”

The irony behind that trade would have made sense to every one of us who resent Howard for one ridiculous reason: He stole the “Superman” name from Shaquille O’Neal and hadn’t the decency to think of anything else. Just because he jumped nine inches in a superman cape to win a dunk contest, doesn’t mean he can stake claim to a mantle only real superstars can carry.

What has Howard ever won? A dunk contest. Oh, and Defensive Player of the Year, a rebound title and I’m sure, somewhere someplace, a body building competition. But besides that? Best Smile his senior year in high school?

Look, I’m not denying the man is gifted with incredible height and an athletic intangible to go along with it. But Howard has never and never will be, a franchise player. He will always be the raw inefficient offensive player who needs three other scorers to make him relevant.

Case in point: 2009. Howard and the Magic propelled passed LeBron James and the Cavs en route to their first Finals appearance since Penny and Shaq in 1996. They were manhandled by a superior Laker team in five games, a series during which Howard never scored more than 21 points and shot just 39% from the floor. Instead of Howard, it was Hedo Turkoglu who made a name for himself in the previous series against the Cavs, leading the team in scoring and hitting clutch jump shot, one after another, in the closing minutes of the fourth quarters.

Dwight Howard has been lucky enough to be a big partly skilled man in a moment in NBA History so parched for big men it makes Ron Jeramy’s addiction to sex look geriatric. In fact, Howard hasn’t, technically, been the best big of his generation.

Had not, Yao Ming broken a femur every time he stepped forward, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. We would be discussing the monumental career of Yao Ming, the man who bridged the basketball gap between two hemispheres. Instead we all know the unfortunate end to Yao Ming. A stoic soul with a keen, sensible, personality, and a meek humility, not to mention a 15-foot bank shot better than most guards and the body of a giant. It ended prematurely short, as all good people do, according to Bill Joel.

But Howard on the other hand, has had a relatively painless career. Until this year, Howard had played in 90% of his games. This is the only dividing factor critics use in discussing another big of his generation, Andrew Bynum, who like Yao, has been brushed off with injury woes. This year Bynum played an injury free year and equaled Howard in most categories (considering he shared rebounds and points with two other stars: Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol).

2011-2012 season

Andrew Bynum Dwight Howard

Games Played: 60 Games Played: 54

Points: 18.7 Points: 20.6

Rebounds: 11.8 Rebounds: 14.5

Blocks: 1.9 Blocks: 2.1

Field Goal %: 55.8 Field Goal %: 57.3

Free Throw %: 69.2 Free Throw %: 49.1

MPG: 35.2 MPG: 38.3

When I originally heard the Lakers wouldn’t part with Bynum for Howard, I though they were absolutely crazy (And they still might be)! Bynum was a spoiled-brat, pampered by Laker ownership since he entered the league as an unproven and awkwardly lanky nonathletic 18-year old. He’s been injured often and shown little to any drive at using his god-gifted frame. Howard was the proven somewhat likable and consistent veteran. And then this year happened and my philosophy went to horse manure.

Howard flaunted his egotism all year with a round about approach to answering one god damned question: Dwight, would you like to be in Orlando or not? And while his teammates concocted a decent year swirled with media malaise, Howard embarrassed his coach in live interviews and bowed out early with what some critics describe as a makeshift snot nosed injury.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzORXMDvJzQ

Dwight, clearly, is not Shquille O’Neal. Shoot! He isn’t even the quiet gamer Al Jefferson is. I am beginning to think Bynum has more upside because of his offensive skill set and now for certain, Yao Ming with a dose of good health would trump him in ever major statistical category. You just can’t like a guy who flaunts himself around like a two-dollar hooker in a mismatched set of heels.

Howard fooled us all into thinking he was the funny charismatic star with a humbled determination to make his teammates better. Howard can’t even make himself better.

He shoots free throws wore, yes WORSE than Shaquille O’Neal.

He is outspoken a’ la bridal-gowned Dennis Rodman.

He is a quitter.

Dwight Howard is a quitter.

Dwight Howard is Baron Davis with a better body. You can blame God for that one. He is wielding a shredded cape, and shooting straight to Hollywood, collecting endorsement money and what will soon be one of the largest contracts in league history. But the O’Brien trophy will never be his if he wins one. It will belong to guys like Turkoglu, with the ability to hit a big shot and knock down free throws. Howard will be the face of the project but the men beneath him, the glue that holds his bloated self-ego together. If I were Magic owner Rick DeVos I would approach the Hornets and ask for the rights to Anthony Davis and a montage of role guys, and wash my hands clean of him.

O! But if only the world worked that perfectas. If only the world was just that damn ironically poetic it would be too good for words. Damn.