Boxing Day Games

Sorry Steve...
When D'antoni left Phoenix, i saw Steve Nash's stats decrease a fair whack.
I looked back at previous history, and noted that Nash had inferior stats prior to his D'antoni days also. His assists in Dallas in 03/04 were a career high of 8.8. The following year, after his trade to the D'antoni coached Suns, his assists jumped to 11.5 and he recieved his first MVP trophy.
After four seasons of D'antoni ball, Nash averaged a stunning 17.5 points and 11.2 assists. Then once D'antoni fled to NY, the Suns brought in Terry Porter, Shaq, and slowed down the Suns usual blistering pace. Nash's buoyant stats then dropped to a pre-D'antoni-esque 15.7 & 9.7.
After they dumped Terry Porter, the Suns GM Steve Kerr brought in Alvin Gentry, who's game plan is similar to D'antoni's e.g 7 seconds or less.
If you look at Steve Nash this season, he is playing like somone 10 years younger. His 18.1 & 11.3 are as good as any of his MVP season's. He is playing with Channing Frye (who was a benchwarmer in Portland) and is making him look like an allstar. Grant Hill is turning back the clock. And J-Rich (although not statistically dominant) is relevant for the first time since the 07 playoffs. In what could be described as the weakest team in all of Nash's days, he has them to a record good for 4th in the West, even though they have played more road games than any other team in the league. And its all due to the 35 year old running the point.
Before this season, i was starting to think that Nash would never have been this good without D'antoni. That he needed D'antoni's system to thrive. Then i look over in NY and see thier record. It's now that i realise, along with many other NBA viewers, that i was wrong the whole time. D'antoni didn't make Nash. Nash made D'antoni.
So now i feel completely guilty about ever doubting one of my alltime favourite players. Ther's only one thing needed to be said at this stage.
Sorry Steve...

Todays NBA action

• Woh Woh Woh Josh Smith are you kidding me!!! The Hawks forward poured in 22 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, 5 blocks and.... 4 steals! Ohhh ever so close to the ever so elusive 5x5. And still we wait for the next player to achieve it. My top 5 most likely:
  1- Josh Smith
  2- Andrei Kirilenko
  3- Tyrus Thomas
  4- Dwyane Wade
  5- Andre Iguodala
  What are your 5?
  
• Pyscho T, my man from NC, got starters minutes and posted a handy 19 & 11 and...
  
• If your one to look at a players +/- to see how effective they are, then check out the Indiana's starters vs benchwarmers for the game against Atlanta. The 5 starters went a combined -106, and the bench went a combined +46. Pacers new starting lineup:
  G- TJ Ford (+9)
  G- Luther Head (+11)
  F- Tyler Hansbrough (+11)
  F- Josh McRoberts (+5)
  C- Solomon Jones (+7)
  
• Now that the Nets are nearly back to full strength, it will be interesting to see whether Brook Lopez's scoring will go down. On one hand, you have Harris, Lee, and Jianlian back in the lineup taking shots off him. But on the other hand, Lopez will no longer get double and tripled teamed in the post so his poor 48% from the field should rise to his rookie year mark of 53% at least, and probably go higher.
  Lopez is now the franchise player, and i think the others know this, so they won't deprive him of too many shots i would assume.
  
• We all know Gilbert Arena's is packin heat, but that doesnt mean he's hot. It's never pretty when you take more shots(28) then score points (26). His 1/7 from deap was particularly icy.
  
• Tony Parker AKA Sacre Le Blur is averaging his lowest points rebounds and assists since 03/04. The man is only 27. He should be in his prime. After his career year last year, i thought we would be seeing much of the same. Hopefully Mr Eva Longoria can find his feet soon, after an early season injury.
  
• Basketball is back in Sacremento!!! After taking the Cavs to overtime a few days ago, the Kings challenged the Lakers and ultimately, were outclassed in 2OT. But who can't be impressed? In a year that most thought they would once again be cellar dwellars, the Kings are doing thier best to grab the 8th seed in the West.
  Who was leading from the front against the Lakers? Once again, it was rookie Tyreke Evans(18 points).
  
• My favourite new point guard (Curry) took on my favourite old point guard (Nash) in a matchup of two very exciting offences today. Curry took home the win, but Nash taught him a few lessons on his way to 36 points and 9 assists.

Because i didnt get a chance to mention it yesterday, i will now. Cavs win Cavs win Cavs win Cavs win Cavs win Cavs win Cavs win Cavs win Cavs win Cavs win Cavs win Cavs win Cavs win Cavs win Cavs win Cavs win.
And i have officially decided that LeBron is better than Kobe. More on this soon.

shaq note

I just wanted to point out how strange it is that shaq is probably going to retire after this season (he's 37), but he's still making 20mil this season.
How often do you think a player, in any sport, retires after finishing a $20,000,000 contract?
Congratulations Miami Heat. The smartest thing you did this decade was not signing shaq to 5 years for 100mil (at age 33-when most players, especially centers, are already on the steep decline), but actually getting rid of that peice of shit contract.
Big Aristotle? Big Shaqtus? Or The Big Waste of Money?

Christmas Eve

A funny little tidbit i noticed whilst scrolling through Wednesday's Bullets on ESPN: "Tracy McGrady ... had by far his best performance of the season, even coming close to a dunk on one occasion." Poor T-Mac, one of my alltime favourite ballers. I fear this is the start of the end for him. Let's hope he doesn't pull an Iverson at least.

What's happenining in the NBA today Chunk?

• What can Dwight Howard do with 4.3 minutes?
  Well, considering he averaged 33.1 minutes per game in his first 18 games, and 37.4 in last last 11 games, a difference of 4.3 minutes, his averages have gone up by 2.6rebounds and 1.7blocks. Thats equates to 19.0 blocks per 48 mins. Weird, what that extra few mins does to his game.
  
• Lovin Carl Landry lately. His 16.4 points in 27mins off the bench is dreamy.
  
• Deeeetroit. 64 points against the worst defensive team in the league!!! To think this team made the EC finals in 2008..
  
• Kevin Love may even be a better rebounder than Dwight Howard. He's 21, averages 13 a game, and best of all.... He's a white boy!
  
• Double teaming Lopez in the post? Not a worry for New Jersey, if the big man can hand out 7 dimes like he did today. (season average of 1.9apg)
  
• Randolph's amazing yet intriguing game was on display tonight. 12pts, 8rbs, 2ass, 2stls and 8 blocks.
  
• Steph Curry over his last 3 games: 19.3ppg, 8.3rpg, 6.3apg. If he keeps this up, as well as his tasty 1.9 steals(season) we might have to extend the ROY race to 3.
  
• You gotta feel bad for Portland regardless of how you feel about them. Check thier starting lineup from todays game: Miller, Bayless, Howard, Aldridge, Webster.
  Then realise it could be Roy, Fernandez, Oden, Aldridge, Outlaw. The Portland pool is still the deepest, it just ain't got no water.
  
• But on a positive note, Jerryd Bayless got his first career start and dropped 31 and 7.
  My favourite summer league rook from last year is makin strides.
  
• Timmy D must be getting sick of putting up awesome numbers but not getting wins. Another 24 & 11, another loss, this time to a depleted Portland team.
  
• J.R Smith poured in 41 points off the bench in the Nugs big win over the Hawks. A funny stat though: he went 10/17 from 3 point territory but only 1/6 from the charity stripe.
  
• Arrrghhh!!! Don't make LeBron mad!!! After being even at the end of regulation against the Kings, the Cav's went 13-0 in overtime and LBJ ended up with 34 points, 16 boards and 10 assists. Can you say 'TRIPLE MUTHERFUCKEN DOUBLE'?
  

Well tomorrow is christmas and that only means one thing, Cavs V Lakers!!!!
Look for a completely unbaised LeBron vs Kobe 'Who'se a better player' post coming soon...

Meryy Xmas

Arena's is back

Agent Zero is back ladies and gentlemen. During a boring night of bartending at the Esplanade, the only thing worthy of putting a smile on my face and momentarily relieving myself of my boredom was a 4 word message i recieved from my man robbie d.
"Agent Zero is back"

Here's what else is goin down

• I'm still waiting for Andrew Bogut to have a career year. I just reckon one year he's gunna explode into a 20-10 dominant force, but instead it seems he just creeps up slowly, crawling towards that mark. His 15.2ppg and 1.9bpg are career highs, but he has rebounded better before. In a league where you can get Brook Lopez at number 10 in the draft, the number 1 pick has to show the worldhe has game. Or forever be tagged as a bust.
  
• After starting slow, whats the chance D12 once again leads the league in rebounds and blocks? His November averages of 11.7 & 1.75 have been replaced by 14.2 & 3.22 in December. 17 and 5 in January?
  
• Utah Jazz, owner of the only two teammates that are 20-10 players(nearly). But are they the best 1-2 punch? Who would you rather have?
  Williams and Boozer- (19.8ppg & 10.2apg)(19.9ppg & 10.9rpg)
  Nash and Stoudemire- (18.1ppg & 11.4apg)(20ppg & 8.3rpg)
  Kidd and Nowitzki- (8.4ppg & 9.3apg)(26.1ppg & 8.1 rpg).
  My pick: Nash and Stoudemire.
  
• Tyreke Evans went up against another young point guard of the future, Derrick Rose today. Rose edged out Evans with 1 more point and 4 more assists but Tyreke took home the win. Lets hope Evans/Rose/Jennings/John Wall can all develope the sort of rivalry that D-Will and CP3 have.
  
• Don't look now, but if Spurs keep winning (currently 15-10), Tim Duncan will be my sleeper MVP pick. His 20, 10.8 and 2.1blocks is off the chizzle, considering he's playing a career low 32.1mins a game. His scoring is currently the highest its been since his 04/05 campaign. The career high FG% is pretty tasty too.
  

Thats all for now. Peace