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BlackTops Basketball

Tizzo — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:20:58 +0000

Posted in Uncategorized

Gimme 10! Player Profile – Tony Parker

Tizzo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:15:36 +0000

The Spurs Need More of This From Parker!

Do a Google image search for Tony Parker and you will find pictures of his bare butt jumping off a boat (really). You will find snapshots of him from celebrity magazines. And a TON of pictures of his wife. For the record, she is unbelievable, but we care more about his play on the hardwood, not his …. ahem! You get the point.

Two years ago, Tony Parker was NBA Finals MVP and arguably the best young PG in the game. Last year, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Brandon Roy made Parker arguably the fourth best young guard in his conference! With San Antonio’s rapidly aging roster, a dominant season from Parker is neccessary if the team is going to challange again for the title.

Last year, TP was definitely hampered by injuries. The entire Spurs team was. But unlike the rest of the Spurs, he is so young we do not predict more of the same in the future. As good and Duncan and Ginobli are – and they are great - age is going to catch up to them, probably sooner than later. Parker is the only part of San Antonio’s core that has yet to hit his prime.

If Parker is the Spurs future, there are some parts of his game that he must update. Defensively he is quick as a cat, but he must focus on cutting the floor off for opposing penetrating guards or else the like of Paul and Williams will eat him alive. TP must also shoot the ball more and better. Over his career, he has proven himself a reliable scorer, but most of his offense is generated close to the basket. Having a more reliable outside shot (and shooting it) will help him penetrate past defenders (who will have to play him closer), create space for Duncan and Ginobli, and hopefully spare his body some of the pounding it takes constantly going to the rack.

We expect Parker to show a new focus on being the leading man on his aging roster, and good things to follow. TP is the only Gimme 10! guy who is arguably the third best on his own team. That may work to his advantage as he tries establish himself as the new sheriff in Texas.

Posted in Foreign Excahnge Rate, Him 2.0, Top Squads Tagged: Best of the Rest, Gimme 10!, San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker

Gimme 10! Player Profile – Dwayne Wade

Tizzo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:08:43 +0000

How High Can Wade Lift the Heat?

There are three aspects to Dwayne Wade’s game in this photo that were not on display last seaon. If you guessed “healthy legs,” you are correct. If you thought “healed shoulder,” you were right as well. The third thing: the little ensignia denoting a trip to the Finals over his heart.

No, we do not expect D Wade to be able to melt away the ugly on the Heat’s roster and lead them deep into the playoffs. But a healthy Flash may be able to lead them back to the tournament, and that will be no small feat.

Understanding how injured Wade was during last year’s disappointing season is simple if you got the chance to watch him play healthy at the Olympics. If you did not, we will summarize:

Healthy legs allowed the Flash to run and jump like he did when he single-handedly propelled Miami to its lone NBA title.
A healthy shoulder contributed to increased field goal accuracy, greater freedom slashing to the hoop, and Wade’s pattented explosive finishes around the rim.

The real bonus for fans is Wade claims to have learned how to take preventative measures to ensure that he finishes this season healthy (in some corners of the league, the word “fragile” and his name are often found together.) Wade deciding to focusing on keeping fit to decrease recovery time both game-to-game and after injury may prove to be the best offseason move made by the Heat’s organization. Honestly, they need him.

With the very real possibility that Shawn Marion will not finish the season a member of the Heat, rookie Michael Beasley’s adjustment to the league (he is off to a rocky start), and the general palcity of talent that is Miami’s roster, if the Heat end up in the playoffs, do not be surprised if D Wade is atop many lists for MVP. Though we are sure he will say he would rather have a championship, being honored as the NBA’s top talent a year after missing over 30 games due to injury would probably still make the unofficial mayor of Miami smile.

Posted in Be The Best, Him 2.0, The Myth of 2010 Tagged: Be The Best, Dwayne Wade, Gimme 10!, Miami Heat, MVP

Gimme 10! Player Profile – Amare Stoudemire

Tizzo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:03:07 +0000

: Look Out Below: Phoeniz Is Officially Team Amare Stoudemire!

Do you see the guy in the bottom right of this picture? He is not in a member of the Suns anymore. You may remember he was replaced with a hefty older fellow, Shaquille something or other. And the coach who figured out a way to let Phoenix soar up and down the court - shot-clock be damned – is also elsewhere this season.

So with Shawn Marion running alongside Dwayne Wade in Miami, and Mike D’Antoni trying to rebuild the hapless Knickerbockers, Phoenix is gambling that a more half-court oriented offense, actually playing defense, and a fully healthy Amare Stoudemire playing his natural PF position will get them farther in the playoffs than last year’s first round exit. Frankly, the only part of that bet that makes any sense to us is Amare.

Trying to get a team of shoot first veterans (plus a less than dominant Shaq) to suddenly begin defending, may be like trying to go off-roading in a Corvette. If it does work, the big reason will be Amare Stoudemire.

Half court teams maximize possessions by forcing their advantage(s). Amare is clearly the Suns player most likely to give opposing coaches fits trying figure out a way to guard him, so we expect the Phoenix offense to run through him more often than not.

But it is not just that he will be the focus of the offense that has Stoudemire poised for an explosive year. Here are three more reasons: 1) he is young – at only 25, he has time physically and mentally to develop his game; 2) he is healthy – the second half of the 07-08 campaign appears to show his knee is fully healed; and 3) he is playing opposite the Big Cactus – diminishing the number of pure centers he will face at both ends, not to mention making it much harder to double team The Man-child.

Amare has two offensive challenges this year: he has to maintain his scoring efficiency despite getting fewer opportunities in transition, and he has be willing to start further from the basket (because Shaq cannot). This will be made harder because in Phoenix’s new scheme, he will actually have to guard somebody. Alas, they will have to guard him as well.

Steve Nash, Grant Hill, even Shaquille O’Neal probably have a little something in the tank. And Phoenix thinks it did particularly well drafting talent to fit its new approach. Still, this team is built to win now, not in the future. With D’Antoni and Marion no longer around, that future has a name. That name is Amare.

Posted in Be The Best, Him 2.0 Tagged: Amare Stoudemire, Be The Best, Gimme 10!, MVP, Phoenix Suns, Shaq

Gimme 10! Player Profile – Carmelo Anthony

Tizzo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:59:23 +0000

The Closest Thing to D in Denver

We tried to get a picture of Carmelo playing defense. Honestly we did. All jokes aside, there are two things missing from Carmelo Anthony’s impressive skill set, defense and leadership. He has had a roller coaster ride of a life the past few months (a lousy trip to the playoffs, a DUI, an Olympic gold medal), but we have faith that Carmelo is finally going to get it going on both ends.

Why do we believe in Melo? We think he is desperate. Denver was by far the worst defensive team in the playoffs, despite having arguably the best defender in league (Marcus Camby) as a starter. Now Mr. Camby is gone to the Clippers so if Denver’s wings do not step up and defend, they can kiss the playoffs goodbye.

It is that simple, and it starts with Melo. When he came into the league with LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, many argued Anthony was the best of the three. Five years later, he is the only one who has not taken his team to the NBA Finals. As with last year, his team is more talented this year than that of his classmen, but the window is closing fast in Denver. That super talented team needs someone to step up in the locker room and on the court and address the pink, no-d playing elephant in the room.

Did we mention Carmelo needs to be a leader? Certainly we all make mistakes and we all want to forgive Melo’s DUI as well as some of his on the court antics, but he needs to give us a reason to do so.

Carmelo Anthony is a scoring machine. After watching him torch every set of nylons in the every gym he’s been in (NBA and FIBA) tfor the last three years, that is not up for debate. Still, without some attention to keeping his opponents from scoring at will, his prolific point totals are in vain. We believe (or hope) that the defensive-mindedness of Team USA will rub off on the kid from B-More and he will in fact be more.

Posted in Be The Best, Him 2.0 Tagged: Be The Best, Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets, Gimme 10!, MVP

Gimme 10! Player Profile – David West

Tizzo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:27:54 +0000

Wild Wild West of New Orleans

Xavier University is an interesting school. It is a proud Jesuit (Catholic) school in a Protestant city that thinks its a town. Most of the student-body embodies the Jesuit educational philosophy and tries to live Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (“For the Greater Glory of God” in Latin). Then, cross-town rival Cincinnati comes over to play a friendly game of hoops and all hell breaks loose. Have you ever seen a city divided by rage?

David West plays with his the rage of his alma mater during rivalry week night in and night out. It is a thing to behold. At 6’9″ he can get his shot pretty much when and where he wants it, but he likes to earn his buckets around the basket. He rebounds with fury and can defend the likes of Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan. And by the by, he is not the best player on his team.

When we watch Chris Paul play, there really is not much to critique. He is the total point guard package. Therefore, if NOLA is to take the next step to being an elite team (which we think they will), some one else has got to step up. Our money is on the undersized guy from the small school that liked to smack the big schools in the mouth.

Over the course of the 07-08 season, West was as consistent as he was good. But in the playoffs, his up and down play may have cost the Hornets a shot at sending the Spurs home early. Do not get us wrong, when he was on, he was on, but we suspect that Mr. West may simply forget to turn it off this season. With New Orlean’s talented group of starters and the addition of James “I Win Championships” Posey, we expect the wild West wind to blow far into the playoffs this season.

Posted in Him 2.0, Top Squads Tagged: Best of the Rest, David West, Gimme 10!, New Orleans Hornets

Gimme 10! Player Profile – Chris Bosh

Tizzo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:53:28 +0000

: Has International Play Awakened the Beast Within Bosh?

The folks in Atlanta caught a glimpse of it when he was at Georgia Tech. The good people of Western New York and Canada have seen it for years. And after his surprising showing in Bejing, the whole world is now officially on notice: Chris Bosh can ball!

It is hard to imagine now, but there was a point when Charles Barkley did not realize how good a basketball player he really was. Then he went to the Olympics and played the best on the best team ever. After Barcelona, it did not take much to convince Chuck he was great.

Did this summer’s gold medal do the same for Chris Bosh? Time will tell, but we suspect he is due for an eruption. the Raptors have finally sorted out their point guard situation, added a center (albeit an injury-prone one) to free up Bosh to roam, have a decent rotation, and are as happy with Sam Mitchell as they likely ever will be. They are a uniform/ logo away from being a ”sexy” pick to go deep in the playoffs.

All that and now Bosh has the added confidence of knowing he is one best players in the world, having just proved it at the Olympics. With the whole world (literally) saying the US team was undersized down low, Bosh demonstrated that he is more than a tweener, he can cover a shooting big man outside and he bang in the box. We do not see him forgetting that this season.

To say Bosh has been good for a long time is an understatement, he has been great. But now it would appear, he is about to become dominant.

Posted in Be The Best, Him 2.0 Tagged: Be The Best, Chris Bosh, Gimme 10!, MVP, Toronto Raptors

Gimme 10! Player Profile – LeBron James

Tizzo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:19:30 +0000

How high can LeBron fly? Very high!

Every player has a ceiling…right? Well the rest of the Association is hoping that LeBron James is approaching his. Unfortunately for the rest of the Association, we have identified a few ways the King can improve. (Yikes!)

Obviously, the Cavaliers can not expect anymore out of their franchise player. He single-handedly transforms their mediocre roster into a legitimate title contender. Like it or not, in a playoff series where possessions are hard to come by and every scoring chance counts, one player can make all the difference in the world (admittedly, it helps if that player is a 6’9″ 255lbs point forward with astronaut hops!).

Still, LeBron could have been better than the best player on the court in the Cavs 7 game classic series against the eventual NBA champion Celtics. And if he had been, the Cavs would have likely derailed Boston’s trip back to the promised land.

Simply put, LeBron could make more out of his opportunities. He is an incredibly efficient scorer (48.4% in 07-08), yet does not play with his back to the basket in the mid to low post, does not shoot mid-range shots over retreating defenders, does not shoot the 3-point shot at a particularly high clip (31.5% last year), and does not make the most of his frequent trips to the free throw line (though he led the league in attempts per game he shot only 71.2%). He sounds awful. Who would ever want this guy on their team?

Of course, the best player in the game does a few things right. He can penetrate at will. He can finish (just ask KG). He is the best passing forward in the league (apparently he has 6 eyes). He rebounds (many players can but he does). And he has made a concerted effort to be a better on-ball defender. Not to mention he is a leader of not a team, not a city, not a state, but an entire region. In fact, he is so good at the things he does so well, if he never addresses his faults, he is still a sure fire Hall of Famer.

Still, we believe that if he were more efficient with his 3-point shot (roughly the same number of attempts but more consistent), his foul shot (he needs to be at least in the high 70%’s), and put pressure on defenses early in games by making them defend him in the post, he would be unstoppable. That is, if he isn’t already.

Posted in Be The Best, Him 2.0 Tagged: Be The Best, Cleveland Cavaliers, Gimme 10!, LeBron James, MVP

Gimme 10!

Tizzo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:37:11 +0000

Him 2.0 is Starting 5′s evaluation of NBA player development. Generally speaking, we ask the question “Who is breaking out?” But there are some players who make “generally speaking” a moot point. Guys like Caron Butler, Luol Deng, and Brandon Roye could conceivable “flip the switch” and go from border-line all-star to superstar. This being said, here are 10 players (in no particular order) who if they address the obvious holes in their respective games, can lead their respective squads deep into the playoffs.

LeBron James
Dwayne Wade
Chris Bosh
Dwight Howard
Carmello Anthony
Tony Parker
David West
Amare Stoudemire
Andre Iguodala
Josh Smith

Posted in Him 2.0 Tagged: Amare Stoudemire, Andre Iguodala, Carmello Anthony, Chris Bosh, David West, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Gimme 10!, Josh Smith, LeBron James, MVP, Tony Parker

What is ‘Starting 5′?

Tizzo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:00:04 +0000

Starting 5 is a unique approach to NBA blogging. Our goal is to combine the best of blogging and digital media with the best of NBA beat writing. Think of us as the ultimate tweeners: we are can play the wings in transition, and bring thoughful analysis to the headlines around the league; and we can pound in the paint, following up stories to provide a more comprehensive perspective.

At Starting 5, we break up the season into two halves (Training Camp to the All-Star Break, The All-Star Break to Training Camp) and cover a series of stories for the duration of a half. It is our belief that putting the “headlines” in the context of season-long trends will provide some deeper understanding and appreciation of the game we love.

All that being said, here are your 2008-2009 NBA first half Starting 5!

BE THE BEST – Sizing up the MVP race
TOP SQUADS – Does your team have what it takes to win a championship?
THE MYTH OF 2010 – The impossibility of predicting the future
HIM 2.0 - Tracking player development throughout the league
FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATE – If basketball is global, what does that mean for the NBA?

Posted in Be The Best, Foreign Excahnge Rate, Him 2.0, Introduction, The Myth of 2010, Top Squads, Uncategorized