No Podcast, No Cry (Exception: Tracy McGrady)
No podcast today people. The white stuff isn’t letting us out. Tune back in tomorrow for your regularly scheduled programming.
The vid above was after last season’s 1st round loss to Utah. Last Wednesday, the Rockets shot 27% from the free throw line in a home win versus the Pistons, and the post game comments have been bugging me ever since.
Tracy McGrady had this to say: “It’s mental. It’s just you and the basket, and the fans definitely don’t make it easy on you. Every time you miss, (they say), ‘Awwww!’ ‘Awwww!’ That’s the worst thing you can do to a player — especially at home.”
Can I get a collective ‘Awwwww’ from all of you reading. That is just so sad. Fans expect you to make a free throw and are disappointed when you don’t. Did the pebbewy ball hurt your little fingers Tracy? Come on, MAN UP!
Try playing in New York or in Philadelphia or a city where your own fans will purposefully challenge your mental toughness. It’s obvious T-Mac has little ability to tune out the crowd and focus on the game like the great ones (see: Larry Bird, etc). McGrady = not the hardest of cats. I look forward to more mental breakdowns like the clip above. Is it just a coincidence T-Mac and Vince Carter share Lamar as their middle name?
Comments (9)30 Teams / 30 Hours: Unbottled Rockets
You know, one can never have too many NBA season previews. (That’s a lie.) Which is why we present a new series to add to the list: The Basketball Jones’ 30 Teams in 30 Hours NBA Season Preview. Yup. It is what it is…
7:00p / Houston Rockets: Scola, Chucky, Bonzi and Shane BAT-CHI-AY; there isn’t a more talented three/four crew in the L. I’m still worried Yao’s feet will ever be able to handle a full 82 (plus playoffs) season. He should be allowed to play on a Segway Personal Transporter ala Gob. (And Novak should be allowed to date his cousin.) The Rox point guard situation — Skip, Bahamas James and Stevie Franchise — reminds me of a story I once heard about some guy vomiting on new wicker furniture while changing his baby’s diaper. New coach Rick Adelman looks the owner of a successful deli shop and/or a Commanding Officer in the Canadian army. Like everyone else out trolling the Internets, I’m pretty high on this team. I’m sure they’ll blow it.
Skeets says: 2nd in the Southwest, 3rd seed
Tas says: 3rd in the Southwest, 5th seed
(Don’t forget to check out today’s NBA season predictions podcast.)
Comments (0)Because Of You
Lately, I’ve been walking around, slouched over, head down, kicking whatever’s at my feet. Ya, it is because I have a bit of a neck problem, but it’s also because I’m ashamed. I just can’t look anyone in the eye.
When Vassilis Spanoulis quit on the Rockets, he quit on Greeks all over the globe. Spanoulis was the only true Greek in the NBA (Mr. Iakovos Tsakalidis, you don’t cut it), and he accomplished a lot. V-Span proved you could be the 2nd worst player in the entire league (Adonal Foyle), and still be given a nickname. He wasn’t just a guy who was handed a contract even though he was the 3rd best player on the Greek national team, he was an inspiration. It gave us Greeks the tingles when we saw him in that Rocket uniform warm-up. He was gonna be basketball’s George Michael (last famous Greek I know, look it up, he was from the motherland). Spanoulis was what every athletically mediocre / lazy kid wanted to do with his life — fool people into paying you because they think you’re good.
But the ride only lasted a year because like every Greek, he had a lot of quit in him. Just like that construction worker in Athens that told me he couldn’t move that tractor outta my way ’cause he was “takin’ a fuckin’ break,” Spanoulis decided to be a bum and take the easy road. Unless you’ve been to Greece you wouldn’t understand. This is a part of the Greek essence. But V-Span could’ve worked hard to earn some minutes in Jeff Van Gundy’s rotation? HA! Who the hell are you kidding? He would rather argue with JVG (another strong Greek trait).
So when the big Spanoul and his agent explained his departure this way: “I cannot survive. I must stay at my home… It’s something serious… I cannot live there. I thought I can… No, I cannot.” Do not believe him. In fact, I don’t know even know what he’s trying to say there. Actually, I do. I’ve heard that caca a million times before. He’s saying, “I didn’t get my way and have the starting point guard position handed to me, so I’m going to cry until you release me.”
A smart man once said, “Stay tough when things get rough”. I’ll tell you one thing, that man sure as hell wasn’t Greek. Whoops, actually, that was me who said that; I always knew I was a Canuck deep down. Either way, I just can’t raise my eyes from the ground right now. No, I cannot.
Report: Spanoulis Refuses to Return to Houston [Yahoo! Sports]
Photo: the hunchback and his bell by rarermages by shutterburger
Comments (21)The Ballad of Yao Ming
Does that Steve Nash kid have a five o’clock shadow? Because if so, I’m ready to call this the funniest sketch I’ve seen since Mr. Show.
See also: Yao Ming Grasps The Sparrow’s Tail
Comments (1)Yao Ming Grasps the Sparrow’s Tail
What’s sad is that I actually know these moves. Yeah, I once cut off my balls and took a Tai Chi class in high school. I was trying to impress a girl. Amber. It didn’t work.
In fact, the only thing I remember embracing that summer was some fucking tiger that I had to return to the mountain. (Second stage, step 17.) What a waste of money.
Comments (4)Christmas Caroling
With all this brawl talk, we’ve forgotten what the holidays are all about. Let’s get back to what we’re supposed to be celebrating. Join me in watching this video so we can make fun of strong accents, feminine voices and the ever-geeky Scott Padgett.
Comments (5)Live-Blogging Three Games … Sort Of
8:02pm: OK, the boys are here. Here we go. Again, I have no idea how this is actually going to work. The Hawks-Cavs game is currently being recorded, the Sonics-Heat is on the tube — in HD, yes! — and the Rockets-Griz starts… um… now I think? Shit. Oh, Kidney with a put-back — Sonics 11, Heat 11. BASKETBALL!
8:05pm: No Tracy, you’re a fool!
8:09pm: Watching games with fantasy die-hards is hilarious. It’s been 10-minutes and I’ve already heard, “No, no, shoot that,” “Alright, an assist for Ridnour,” “Yes, I need that three.”
8:12pm: End of the 1st Q.: Seattle 21, Miami 11. I’m real excited about live-blogging this game.
8:14pm: And we’re over to the start of the Rockets-Griz game. What!? Not in HD? What is this bush-league, amateur-hour bull-shit?
8:15pm: That was a lot of dashes. Back to the Sonics-Heat…
8:20pm: My D-Wade boner has faded over the last couple of months, but there’s two things I still love about his game: the deep kiss off the glass, and the way he can split two defenders.
8:23pm: I thought they were getting rid of that dead-ball rule at the end of the shot clock? Am I wrong? Why did I think this? KD? Evil KD?
8:25pm: Nice pass into Fortson. Two… and the foul. Timeout. Sonics 30, Heat 21.
8:27pm: Mike Miller looks like a girl I dated in the early 90’s. Rockets 17, Griz 8. Timeout. Pass me a cheetoh.
8:32pm: Grish: “Has Mutombo scored in the last few years?”
8:35pm: Back to the HD Sonics-Heat. Man, I love these stats at the bottom of the screen: Wade has scored double-digit points 78 of the last 79 games.”
8:37pm: Kidney with 2. The Heat have scored 8 straight … and Antoine with a put-back. Wow. Heat only down 2.
8:40pm: Looks like Yao thinks the Rockets are going to make the playoffs… he’s already growing the neck beard!
8:42pm: Damnit! We just saw the score for the Hawks-Cavs. Over we go… WHOA! What is wrong with the lighting in the Q? It’s so bright. Cavs 61, Hawks 59.
8:44pm: Text: “It’s an emotional game — Big Z” … Image: Big Z, completely zoned-out on the bench. Hahaha … Yeah, real emotional, Z…
8:46pm: FYI: Sonics up 6 at the half. Double FYI: Britney Spears broke up with K-Fed today.
8:49pm: Wisdom LeBron takes the charge. So wise…
8:52pm: And we’re back to the FedEx Forum. Oh, 27-21 Griz, 6-mins left in the 2nd. LIGHTS OUT! … Rudy with a jumper … Battier answers with a three; the crowd golf claps. That is polite.
8:57pm: Have the Griz played a Gay-Warrick-Swift line-up yet? I want to see that.
8:59pm: Biz LeBron with a beautiful pass to Marshall under the rim. Cavs up a couple.
9:02pm: LBJ iso on the left … blows by JJ baseline … scoops it up and in left-handed … Kid LeBron says, “Ooooooooooooo…”
9:07pm: Fact: Udonis Haslem was fat in college.
9:09pm: Alonzo just blocked an alley-oop. You think he blocs every shot his kids take on those little Fisher-Price nets? I do.
9:16pm: This is why I watch the game: 10,000 career points for Donyell. History, people. History.
9:17pm: JeffPotts, wins … CHUBBY HASLEM.
9:22pm: OK, back to the closest game: Cavs 84, Hawks 80. Under three to go…
9:25pm: LeBron chop-blocks Josh Smith, but no foul is called. Timeout Hawks. … Only 2 on the shot-clock … JJ WITH A MONSTER 3! Tie-game.
9:28pm: Hughes completely WASTES a possession … Gooden has to force a 3 … no good … Lue creates on the other end … Hawks score … LBJ comes back and settles for a deep 3 … miss … Lue fouled … misses the first … misses the second. OH MY GOD! GO TO BED, TYRONN! Timeout Cavs.
9:30pm: Simple, simple play drawn up by Coach Brown. LBJ dribbles to the top of the court … swings it to Hughes on the right … he rattles home a 3. Cavs up 1. 35 secs left.
9:32pm: Solid perimeter D by the Cavs … the JJ/Zaza pick-and-roll isn’t there … ball’s swung around … J-Smooth has to force a jumper … miss.
9:34pm: Gooden hits both free-throws … 14 secs left for the Hawks … they need a three; where is Salim? … Tyronn has a Coke and takes in for an easy 2. Hawks down 1. 6 secs left. Timeout. Let’s talk about it.
9:37pm: LBJ fouled. At the line … he hits the first … misses the 2nd! … Hawks bring it up … Tyronn into the paint-by-numbers … TEARDROP! Tyronn ties ‘er up. OVERTIME, BABY!
9:42pm: Who are you Tyronn Lue? And why are you missing an “e” on the end of your name? Hawks up 3 … 3 1/2 left.
9:46pm: Joe Johnson gets 3 the hard way. (I heard that on TV once.) Hawks up 6. CAW-CAW!
9:47pm: Joe hits another 3! He’s gotta a li’l Melo-clutch in him, eh?
9:49pm: Quick look at the other games: Seattle 81, Miami 79 (5-minutes to go) … Rockets 64, Griz 60 (start of the 4th)
9:54pm: OK, we’re going to stick a fork in a McCain’s deep-and-delicious cake and then the Hawks-Cavs game. It’s over. Hawks win. JJ and Tyronn … well played, men man and boy.
9:57pm: Wade nails a 3. (His third of the game.) We’ve got ourselves another game here, folks … Sonics up 3, about 2 1/2 left.
10:00pm: What’s with all the superstars choking at the line tonight? First LeBron, then Wade, now Ray-Ray misses one. Seattle up 3 with only a minute left. Miami ball.
10:01pm: Ken, on the superstars missing free-throws: “It’s a role player’s game.” Hahahahaha…
10:02pm: Wade is fouled. (Surprise, surprise.) He hits both at the line.
10:05pm: Ray takes it to the net … draws the foul … hits the first … and misses the second … Wade brings it up, down 2 … pulls up for the jumper, but passes to Posey who knocks down the 3 … Timeout … Miami up 1. 19 secs. left.
10:06pm: Quick Rockets-Griz look-in: Dahtnay Jones — is that the right spelling? — with a monster dunk in some traffic. Nice timing with the remote there.
10:09pm: Damien Wilkins falls in the corner … jump-ball … and oh Lord, they foul Wade who tries to tip the ball down court … Wade hits both. Heat up 3 … no timeouts for Seattle … Watson pushes it up … Damien gets a wide-open look at the 3 … MISSES! Gerald would of hit that!
10:11pm: And Dominique would have dunked it … from behind the 3-pt line.
10:12pm: I hope Damien’s not invited to this year’s Wilkin thanksgiving dinner.
10:14pm: Is anyone still here? KD? Jeff? Mutoni? Nora’s dad?
10:15pm: Ken: “What’s your favorite player/luncheon meat combo?” Yup, we’ve reached that point…
10:17pm: Grish: “I’ll take a Garbajosa with cheddar”. Amazing…
10:19pm: Well, well, well… what happened here? Rockets up six, 50 secs. left. Cardinal misses a three, Chucky misses a three, Michael Dickerson misses a three…
10:20pm: …you’re still paying attention, yes?
10:22pm: Oh, Nora sees your “Darvin Ham on rye”, Jeff. And she raises you with a “Calderon Calzone”. I have no idea why this is so much fun…
10:24pm: And it’s over: Houston 86, Memphis 80. (No, they didn’t stop playing after 3 quarters.)
10:32pm: Well, I guess that’s it. Thanks for reading along, thanks for the comments, and goodni– NO! LAKERS … T-WOLVES … GAME 4 … NEXT!
10:38pm: I’m kidding, I’m kidding… thanks a lot, guys. That was a lot of fun. See you — and by see you, I mean you’ll hear me — early tomorrow morning. Don’t forget to get your questions in. I’m out.
Comments (20)Yao Ming Wants Ice Cream
“Vanilla? … Chocolate? … Cookies and Cream.”
Yao Ming - I Want Ice Cream! [YouTube]
Comments (0)Quickies: Yao, Vanna White Style
- Dwight Howard — aka ‘Sergeant Snap’ — thinks the Magic can go to the Finals this year. I have no comment. (And oh, I’m slightly reading between the lines here, but it’s sounds like The Man-Child is going to be 2K Sports next cover boy.) [Orlando Sentinel]
- Chuck Klosterman on this year’s playoffs: “People overestimated the idea of the ‘team concept’, so when it got to Wade and Shaq (in the Finals), you get to that last tier, and it’s who has the guy that the other team can’t stop.” [Undeclared — SLAM!]
- As a Radio & TV grad, there’s little I love more than new basketball commercials. Check it: “[Amare] Stoudemire joined teammates Shawn Marion and Steve Nash and NBA stars Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O’Neal, Tony Parker, Chris Paul, Paul Pierce and Rasheed Wallace for the photo shoot to introduce the new Nike ‘Air Force One.’ The commercial was shot in an airplane hangar with the players decked out in flight suits before playing basketball.” [East Valley Tribune]
- Paging Paul Lukas: The Raptors unveil their new-look; The Wizards rumored to be introducing an alternate — black and gold — road jersey. I like; sounds sort of pimp. [TheStar.com & The Washington Times]
- Stromile Swift is back in Memphis. Cool, cool… wait, when did he leave? [CommercialAppeal.com]
- Dear Sirius, when the f you going to return our calls? Look, if you don’t want The Jones on satellite radio, just tell us. [Uncrate]
- Update: Wow, I just pledged my (2nd) allegiance to the Rockets and look what happens! Bonzi agrees to a two-year, $5M deal with Houston. [ESPN]
Q&A Rocket Propellant
Every NBA season I select five or so NBA teams — in addition to my hometown Toronto Raptors of course — that I make a conscious effort to follow closely throughout the year.
There’s usually little to no reason for my selections — it may be that they have a favorite player (i.e. the Suns), it may be that their line-up interests me (i.e. the Magic) — but nonetheless, it’s something I like to do. Keeps me grounded, you know. (I have no idea what that means.)
Anyway, one of the team’s I plan on following this year is the Houston Rockets. Couple of reasons why, I guess: (1) I’m still waiting for Yao to unleash his Olajuwon-like beat down on the L. I know he has it in him. (2) I’m hoping T-Mac can open his droopy eyes and bounce “back” from all those injuries, and (3) I like the additions of Battier, V-Span, Davis Love Lucas the III, and Kirk Snyder a lot.
So I was happy to come across ClutchFans’ writer Jeff Balke’s spin on 20 questions to ponder this Rockets season. The entire thing’s worth a read — print it off; take a dump — but here are a few choice Q&A’s to wet your appetite:
1. Can Rafer Alston shoot a better percentage, particularly on 3s?
Can he? Yes. Will he? Probably. Alston has never shot 40 percent from behind the arc for a season. But for four straight years from 2001 through 2005, he averaged nearly 38 percent from behind the three-point line including two years he played in 80 and 82 games each. Given that history and the fact that he was, at times, one of the only legitimate scoring options on the floor last season, last year would seem to be an anomaly rather than the norm. With the return of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming plus the addition of shooters like Shane Battier, I have to believe Alston will improve on his poor shooting season in 2005-06.4. Is Shane Battier a four? He’s not going to shut down the studs. They don’t shut down each other. But can he make it tough enough to get the ball inside to make up for a lack of size once teams get it there?
Personally, I think he is and I think he can handle fours on the block. Setting aside Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Elton Brand, very few guys at the position are legit fours in the west. Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion, for example, are likely better guarded by a big, strong three like Battier than by a four like Juwan Howard. Plus, forcing big men like Duncan and Brand to play on the perimeter when Battier is out there provides much needed spacing and Jeff Van Gundy has said that he wants Yao to be surrounded with three-point shooters at every position when he is on the floor.6. Who is the backup point? Unless Bob Sura comes back, which is a question in itself, I’m guessing Vassilis Spanoulis, but it’s awfully tempting to put John Lucas’ outstanding shot on the court.
I think Sura is done. I wish he weren’t, but I don’t see him coming back. As a result, I think Spanoulis is the guy. He has that toughness and skill with the ball Van Gundy likes. He’s big for a one giving him size on opposing guards and can hit the three. Lucas will be an intriguing player to watch, particularly with the accuracy of his shot. My guess is that Van Gundy will lean towards him early given his experience in the NBA, however limited it may be. But V-Span has the look of a guy ready to contribute at the point in the NBA.
Answering the Chronicle’s 20 Questions [ClutchFans]
Comments (4)About
The Basketball Jones is a NBA blog and podcast, written and recorded five times a week by J.E. Skeets, Tas Melas and Jason Doyle. Comments, questions and cold hard cash are always welcome and much appreciated. Contact us.
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