The Feed: Denver Nuggets vs. Memphis Grizzlies [11/19/12]

Recap:

The Denver Nuggets edged out the Memphis Grizzlies for a 97 to 92 victory that snapped Memphis's 8 game winning streak. The Grizzlies that lived in the paint and grabbed every single rebound just got outworked by the Nuggets. They gave up 50 points in the paint and allowed Denver to grab 47 boards, 21 of which were offensive. Where as Memphis only had 12 offensive rebounds of their total 33.

The Nuggets defense held the Grizzlies starting front court to only 28 points. Zach Randolph (12 points (6 of 15 shooting) and 13 rebounds) didn't even get to the free throw line once and his partner, Marc Gasol (16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists) was not given enough touches (only 7 shots attempted).

Despite the early season struggles, Danilo Gallinari finally found his shooting stroke today, leading his team with a game high 26 points and 5 rebounds. Javale McGee added 15 points and 8 rebounds off the bench. Denver's second unit combined for 34 points, outscoring the opposing bench by 11.

Down in the first half, the Grizzlies fought back with a 11-2 run that re-inserted themselves back into the game. However, in the final minutes of play, they suffered a drought, and allowed the Nuggets to end the game on a 8-0 run. Memphis had an opportunity to take the lead in less than a minute to play. In a 1 point deficit, Rudy Gay was forced into a bad pass by Andre Iguodala. The costly turnover turned into a game sealing three pointer on the other end by Gallinari.

Offensive End:

Memphis failed to consistently post up their big guys, if they don't get 20 points from at least one big, they are unlikely to win. The usual open shot from a kick out in the post just didn't fall. Their bench have finally returned to Earth, and the spectacular three point shooting in the 8 game winning streak crumbled. They did score 29 points on the Nuggets' 17 turnovers.

Denver survived off the charity stripe, hitting 20 of their 28 attempts. Gallo was aggressive to the basket and earned 10 points off the line. The offensive rebounding led to quite a bit of points. When this team pushes the tempo, they are at their best. In the half court, only Andre Miller can find something, Ty Lawson could not help his team on offense in any way.

Kenneth Faried's overall activity on both ends on the floor is amazing, he never stops moving, has great ball awareness and is the only person that can go toe to toe with Zach Randolph in rebounds.

Defensive End:

The Grizzlies transition defense was awful, they allowed easy layups and scrambled to find their defender.  Although Ty Lawson did not do much damage, he got to weave inside paint without any pressure. The lack of boxing out is very unlike this Grizzlies team, 21 offensive rebounds for the Nuggets is just unacceptable.

The Nuggets did a great job of collapsing on the Memphis front court, if it wasn't for the terrible perimeter shooting from the Grizzlies, they might not have pulled out with the victory. Kosta Koufos is a solid post defender, and Javale McGee was there to help.

George Karl tinkered with his line-ups during the game, defensively McGee and Koufos was the best. It was weird when he inserted his small line up that included neither of the above players, but he realized it early and made the substitution.

The Feed: Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder [11/18/12]

Recap:

The Oklahoma City Thunder electrocuted the Golden State Warriors, 119 to 109 in a memorable night for Kevin Durant. The three time scoring champion registered his first career triple double, finishing with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. His fellow All-Star teammate, Russell Westbrook added 30 points, 7 assists and 5 steals.

It was clear from the start, the Warriors had no answers for the duo. The mismatches in all positions, plus the lack of a consistent defensive effort, allowed their opponents to score at will. The offense (24th in the league) was not particularly great either, Klay Thompson (4 points, 2 of 8 shooting in 23 minutes) has not taken the extra step that was expected from his surprising rookie campaign. Stephen Curry led his team with 22 points (9 of 17 shooting. 4of 8 from the three) and 6 assists. He kept his team in the game for the second half, but the missing help from his teammates failed to make a late comeback run.

The Thunder shot lights out from behind the arc, hitting 13 of their 20 attempts (65%). And they have Kevin Martin to thank for it. The unorthodox shooter knocked down 5 three pointers for his total 23 points. Despite shooting 52 percent from the field, the Golden State Warriors just could not get a stop. If they want to take the next step, into a future playoff bracket, coach Mark Jackson has find a way to manage the offensive talents (there's a lot of them) on his team, and make them play defense.

Offensive End:

This is OKC, and their identity is Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. If it is not drawing defenders for a kick out, they will find their own way to get buckets. Russell Westbrook destroyed Stephen Curry today, he posted him up, facialed him multiple times with his patent transition 15 foot pull up and got pass him whenever he wanted.

Shots were just not falling for GSW in the first half, they had a lot of open looks, but they failed to capture it. Stephen Curry and David Lee got going in the second half. After the break, the Warriors ran a lot of off ball screens to free Curry of Russell Westbrook for open shots. David Lee was more comfortable against Thunder's interior defense, he had 19 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

Golden State has a lot of trouble with half court sets, especially in the first half. They couldn't score unless it was early in the shot clock against an unsettled defense. It got better in the second though.

The second unit led by Jarrett Jack is more patient, and attacked the basket often. They totaled 58 points in the paint to Thunder's 32, which doesn't happen often for a jump shooting team like the Warriors.

Defensive End:

The Thunder weren't that great defensively today, they did get lazy when they got a huge lead and allowed the Warriors to sneak back in within 10. They basically won by being better at trading baskets.

The Warriors defense needs work, none of the starters can hold their own against the Thunder's 5. this maybe an age issue, hopefully they will improve as the season goes by.

Notes:

• Jeremy Lamb has a ridiculously small head, what a creepy head to body ratio. And he has those T-Mac tired eyes, except his eyes are a lot bigger, we are talking Tarsier big. 
• Let me show you:

I know, I can't tell the difference either.

The Feed: New York Knicks vs. Memphis Grizzlies [11/16/12]

Recap:

The Memphis Grizzlies sits on top of the NBA with the 105 to 95 victory over the the New York Knicks, for their seventh consecutive win. The overwhelming size of the Grizzlies, bullied the smaller Knicks in the low post, ending New York's undefeated record. Marc Gasol led all scorers with 24 points and 7 rebounds. His front court partner, Zach Randolph added 20 points and 15 rebounds.

Memphis obliterated New York in offensive boards, cashing in 22 points on 12 of them, where as the Knicks scored only 12 points on 10 of them. Both teams shot well in this game, they shot at a field goal percentage of 60 to start and about 50 to end. The only difference was that the Grizzlies got another method for points. They got sent to charity stripe 32 times, and knocked down 26 of those shots (Knicks scored 16 of 21 from the free throw line).

The godsend gift to the Knicks have been revoked. Their scorching 43 percent three point shooting have dropped to 26 percent tonight, adding itself to the long list of offensive struggles. It definitely didn't help when their leading scorer Carmelo Anthony (20 points, 7 of 14 shooting) got in foul trouble early in the third quarter and having to sit for the rest of it. Just to watch Memphis go on a 19 to 1 run, that established a lead the Knicks never managed to comeback from.

New York did give the Grizzlies a scare in the fourth quarter, picking up their defensive intensity that led to a 12 to 3 run. They would eventually cut the lead that was once 21 points to 8, but it was the closest they ever go.

Offensive End:

In the first half, the Grizzlies did not go to their usual post up game early, instead they ran a very effective pick and roll with Mike Conley Jr.. This versatile set, allowed Conley to do what ever he wanted. If he gets doubled off the screen in the key, he can easily kick it out to a big, that can hit a mid range shot on a consistent basis. If not he could penetrate or find the roller (advantage from size) for more buckets.

In the second half, Memphis resumed their old play, punishing the Knicks with Marc Gasol's crafty moves. New York has a problem at the four if they have to defend a bigger guy like Gasol. Carmelo have no chance against Marc.

New York came out to play hot potato. They moved the ball quick and made the extra passes. Their off ball movement, combined with their off ball screens did some damage early in the game. Carmelo has developed in his willingness to pass, he tries to attack the basket more often than settling for a jump shot. I think LeBron really influenced him, Melo is probably not happy that his fellow 2003 draft pick got the ring before him, so he inspired to work harder on both ends of the floor. 

The Knicks offense became stagnant once Melo left with foul trouble, they over dribbled, stopped passing and just could not hit a shot. Without a guy that can draw multiple defenders on him, the Grizzlies took advantage.

Melo killed Rudy Gay in the isolation play, his strength always created enough space for his shot to fall over the long out stretched arms of the Memphis swing man.

I don't know if it would have held up, but they should have went to Rasheed more in the post. He got 10 points in the first half, just destroying his man in the low block. He should have remained down there, but he decided to stand outside to shoot in the second half.

Defensive End:

Memphis defense is solid, they rotate well and can get out to the shooters quick enough just to bother it. If you want to see how boxing out is done properly, please watch what the Grizzlies front court do. They are so good with their timing and positioning, it feels like every single ball willingly falls right into their hands.

New York was alright on the defensive end. They didn't give the 100 percent effort like they did in their undefeated streak. The Knicks really need to work on fronting the post, they were absolutely terrible. Either getting out-positioned or just not trying to do it at all. Rasheed is the laziest defender on the team, at one point he got Mike Conley Jr. off a switch, and decided to taunt him, instead of actually getting out to defend him. It resulted in three points and whole lot of trash talking.

Just a fact I picked up from this game, the Knicks are annoying good at stripping the ball and Jason Kidd can somehow always get his hands on them cleanly.

Notes:

• For all the amazing SHEED moments, please check out the Round Up, you won't be disappointed.
• New York got a lot of technical fouls in this game, I think J.R. Smith, Melo, Coach Woodson and SHEED got one each. 
• J.R. Smith and Jerrd Bayless almost threw down, which would have resulted in the least interesting fight ever. 

The Feed: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder [11/14/12]

Recap:

The Memphis Grizzlies took out the Oklahoma City Thunder, 107 to 97 for their sixth consecutive win in the season. I hate to do this early in the season, but I am going tell you right now that the Memphis Grizzlies are a force to be reckoned with. The rest of the league can not let them fly under their radar, because this healthy Grizzlies team will make you work if you want to come out top.

OKC had Memphis on ropes in beginning, going off for 30 points in the first quarter, shooting 53 percent from the field. Fueled by the notoriously loud crowd in the Chesapeake Energy Arena, the Thunder held the Grizzles to only 33 percent from the field in that quarter. However, everything changed in the second.

The Grizzlies retaliated in the second quarter, outscoring the Thunder 36 to 15. The Memphis bench sparked a 16-6 run, completely dominating their opponent's second unit on both ends on the floor (The Memphis bench finished with 31 points to OKC's 13). Oklahoma City did not do themselves any favors, coughing up 8 turnovers (15 total) to contribute to a lead that they would never return from.

They had no answers for Rudy Gay, who went for 28 points (12 of 21 shooting), 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Zach Randolph added 20 points and 8 rebounds. The Grizzlies got help from everyone on the team, they were certainly not short on fire power tonight.

Kevin Durant (34 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks) had to carry his team, with the exception of Serge Ibaka (17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks), nobody could find points in the second half. Russell Westbrook did not have a good night, 17 points on 6 of 19 shooting, and a surprising 13 assists. The Thunder made late runs down the stretch, but Memphis's ability to repeatedly disrupt any slight momentum shifts held off OKC charge.

Offensive End:

Rudy Gay killed Thabo Safolosha, the height difference alone, allowed Rudy to take any shot he wanted. The Memphis post up game could not be contained, combined with their unselfish ball movement, the Grizzlies got a lot of open shots.

Both teams were great in transition, neither were stoppable.

If Kevin Durant decides to score the basketball, no one can stop him. Besides the usual high pick and roll, dribble penetration, drawing attention with stars to kick out, the only thing that stood out in the Thunder's offense was Ibaka's 15 foot jumper, with Zach consistently helping in the interior, Serge had the free pass all game.

Defensive End:

Serge Ibaka's timing is impecacble, he can block anything. His help defense threw the Memphis bigs off in the beginning, they had to do a triple pump fake just to shake him off.

Memphis did the little things to force those 15 turnovers. Marc Gasol drew so many charges in this game, he fell down in just about every other play. The size of the Grizzlies bothered Russell Westbrook. He never managed to get past that wall, it tuned him out of his driving game.

 Notes:

• Z-Bo and Kendrick Perkins got thrown out for what seemed to be some trash talking. Allegedly there were scuffle between them after the game that involved police investigation. It was confirmed later that there weren't actually any police involved. That is all according to twitter, so I don't really know what went down.

LeBron James scores 32 point in the second half against the Houston Rockets.

I was going to recap the Miami Heat vs. Houston Rockets game, but this is something you HAVE to see for yourself to believe it. LeBron James started with only 6 points in the first half, in what seemed to be a blowout victory for the Heat, the Rockets caught on late and the reigning MVP decided to put his team into his back pack. This man dropped 32 points in the second half, shooting 12 for 20 from the field and 5 for 7 from the three. There's more, he added 10 rebounds, 6 assists and the go ahead basket with 19 seconds left in the game.

I know some of you are saying that they were playing the Rockets, yes that is all true. The fact is that his greatness can not be ignored, all the years of people bashing his play can only accept that he is now the best player in the NBA (Current) and from a basketball fan perspective, it is a privilege to watch him play.

Update: Just some ridiculous stat.

The Feed: Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls [11/12/12]

Recap:

The Boston Celtics hold off a late Chicago Bulls rally in the 4th quarter for a 101 to 95 victory in the United Center. The defensive minded Bulls could not get a stop, giving Celtics 58 points in the first half (33 in the 1st quarter) and never found a way to overcome the lead they gave up.

Chicago have not allowed a 100 points to their opponent since April 8th, 2012 and the Celtics snapped the 15 game streak with a rare offensive display. Boston never shot lower than 50 percent from the field in this game, and was even at 60+ in the first half. Rajon Rondo led the charge with a near triple-double, 20 points, 10 assists, 9 rebounds and 5 steals.

Luol Deng had 26 points and 11 rebounds. Joakim Noah chipped in 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls. Carlos Boozer was aggressive early, scoring 10 points in the first quarter and as usual he only got another 5 to finish the game. It is frustrating and infuriating to see a 266 pound man spinning away from his defender for a fade away jumper instead of taking it to the basket. Just the pure thought of him settling for jump shots make me want to hang myself.

Chicago still managed to keep this game in reach in the 4th quarter, where the Bulls started to making shots and went on a 10-0 run to crawl within 3 points. They somewhat captured on Boston's foul trouble and used the bonus to to get as close as two points. Which was the closest they would eventually get, as they failed to hit the free throws as the most critical moment.

Offensive End:

The problem with Chicago is that they rely on good execution to score. This is  the exact reason why they miss Derrick Rose. The Bulls have a lot of trouble getting into sets quick, and they don't have the offensive power to create shots.

The Celtics are, as you would have guessed Rondo controlled. He takes his time to analyze the floor to get his teammate good looks at the basket. His dribble penetration is key component to his team's success. Having bigs that can space the floor with their mid range shooting is a blessing, it allows him to basically do what ever he wants inside.

Boston bench outscored the Bulls 26 to 18. Leandro Barbosa changes the Celtic offense, he is not a pass first guy, he looks for his own first and pass second.

Defensive End:

They are very similar in the defense they play, and you can credit Tom Thibodeau for that. He was once an assistant coach for Doc Rivers and he helped create that 2008 NBA Championship defense. Both teams trap the player coming off the screen hard, trying to force them to make a bad pass for a turnover. (Celtics had only 8 turnovers to Bull's 13)

The difference tonight was that, the Celtics passed out of the trap early, and they knocked down their shots, something the Bulls didn't do. Also the Bulls fall for every single pump fake, what is up with that?

Rookie Watch:

Marcus Teague was lacking confidence early, once he came out in the 4th quarter, he started to get comfortable, maybe a little too comfortable. He took a few ill advised shots late, but he did get himself to the free throw line to cut down the lead.

Jared Sullinger didn't do anything that stood out. He is not a bad defender, and the only points he got in this game was a shot clock beating three pointer.

The Round Up - November 11th, 2012

Stats Rundown:

You probably have not heard of his name, but Wayne Ellington is giving you one hell of a reason to remember him. Coming off the bench of the Memphis Grizzlies, this man dropped 25 points on the reigning NBA champions, shooting 7 for 11 from 23 feet out (three point land).

Board Monster: Kris Humphries grabbed 21 basketball misses in the victory over the Orlando Magic.

Block Party: Serge I-BLOCK-A swatted at everything today and got him 7 blocks.

Butter Fingers: Russell Westbrook doing Russell Westbrook things, turning the ball over 8 times today, but still got 27 points (10 of 16 shooting), 10 assists, 4 steals, 6 rebounds and the win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Rookie Watch: No Notable performances.

Time Machine User: Kobe Bryant is still killing it, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and the W over the shorthanded Sacramento Kings.

7 Seconds or less: Mike D'Antoni signed a 4 year contract to be the Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Out goes the defense. (Firing a defensive coach (Mike Brown) and then hiring a offensive specialist, makes it clear that the Lakers have no idea what they are doing.)

Hops: DeAndre Jordan trying to top Gerald Green with his own mid air still. DJ is 6' 11". (Via: @NBA)

.

Veteran's Day (Remembrance Day) Headband is awesome: Dwight Howard trying the Frank Ocean look on court. (Via: @cjzero)

 

Threes on Threes on Threes: Memphis Grizzlies were on fire behind the arc, hitting 14 three pointers, which is the most they have made in a game over the last 5 seasons. (They ARE the Grizzlies after all.) (Via: @tomhaberstroh)

6 Points in 4 seconds: CJ Watson doing his best Reggie Miller impression. (It was against the Magic though.)

Grit N Grind Defense: Jerryd Bayless making a huge play, first turning the ball over to Ray Allen and then making a ridiculous block to pay for his mistake, leading to one of Wayne Ellington's 7 three pointers.

Highlight of the Night: Rudy Gay completely punking LeBron James.

The Feed: Miami Heat vs. Memphis Grizzlies [11/11/12]

Recap:

The Memphis Grizzlies took out the reigning NBA Champions, Miami Heat 104 to 86 in a game full of surprises. There was no way the Heat were going to beat the Grizzlies in the FedEx forum tonight. If you were to describe a perfect game played by a NBA team, Memphis would be the epitome of such play.

Remember when outside shooting was an issue for the Grizzlies, well you can scratch that off. They went 58 percent from behind the arc, hitting 14 of their 24 three point attempts. Wayne Ellington is responsible for all of that, coming off the bench, he knocked down 7 threes, to go with his total 25 points, 3 assists and a contagious energy that lifted the rest of his teammates up.

Rudy Gay led all Grizzlies with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Zach Randolph and Mike Conley Jr. added 18 points each, to go with their 12 rebounds and 9 assists respectively. Memphis dominated this game, never allowing Miami to take the lead. Every time the Heat went on a little run or have a  slight shift momentum in their favor, the Grizzlies would come back with a big play, crushing all of the Champs' chances.

Besides LeBron James (20 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists) and Chris Bosh (22 points and 8 rebounds), no one on the Heat found a scoring touch. Dwyane Wade was entirely out of it, going 3 of 15 for only 8 points. It definitely didn't help that their bench got outscored 41 to 26 by Memphis or the fact that they couldn't hit their free throws (22 of 36, 61 percent).

Offensive End:

Mike Conley Jr. takes the Grizzlies to a whole new level when he is on the court, he is much better at pushing the ball than Jerryd Bayless and plays with way more effort. Marc Gasol only attempted 6 shots today, they have to get him more touches. Not only can he put up big numbers, his passing ability, especially in the high low with Zach Randolph is a sight to behold.

Obviously the pure size of this team killed the Heat inside, the attention one big can draw opens up the floor for Memphis. In this game particularly, it led to a lot of threes.

Miami shot 38% from the field, they couldn't buy a bucket. They did outscore the Grizzlies 42 to 40 in the paint. Playing a smaller four, made one of Memphis's big man to always leave the inside, allowing easier points in the paint. Surprisingly, they grabbed 15 offensive rebounds tonight, which is about 8 more than their average.

Defensive End:

Memphis individual defense was great, they have a starting five that is versatile on both ends and can hold their own one on one. They do have a problem with transition defense, they are just not quick enough. Having two bigs that is not particularly athletic is going hurt in this department, but this is not a team that will turn the ball over a lot. Size do factor against a smaller Heat, the Grizzlies held them to only 86 points, 21 points less than their average (the highest ranked offense in the NBA right now, per 100 possessions).

Miami's interior defensive rotation was stellar, they certainly weren't prepared for the 14 three pointer outburst, but it was amazing to see how fast this team rotates. There was one possession where Marc Gasol had the ball in deep position, and out of no where 3 red jerseys came out to contest him. Heat players that guarded Z-Bo fronted him really well, limiting his touches.

Notes:

• LeBron James and Lionel Hollins are the two people that I have noticed to have the most teeth in the NBA. One would ask why I know such things, well personally, I have less than the average amount of teeth because they are irregularly big, so big that I had to remove extra teeth for braces. So I know a few things about teeth.

The Feed: Los Angeles Clipper vs. Atlanta Hawks [11/11/12]

Recap:

The Los Angeles Clipper pummeled the Atlanta Hawks 89 to 76 for their third straight victory today. This was a tight defensive game to begin with, neither team shot over 50 percent from the field or got 40 points in the first half. However, everything changed in the second half, well, at least for one team.

Blake Griffin led all scorers with 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. He took advantage of the size difference between the two teams, adding his numbers into the total 50 points they had in the paint to Hawk's measly 22. Atlanta did try to go to the post early with Josh Smith (13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and a couple ill-advised three point attempts), who was guarded by the smaller Caron Butler, but they strayed away the strategy after a Clippers defensive adjustment.

In the second half, specifically in late third quarter with the Hawks up 53 to 48. Los Angeles went on a wild run, outscoring their opponent 31 to 12 in a game that has been neck to neck from the start. Atlanta gave up 10 turnovers in just the fourth quarter, completely shifting the momentum to the Clippers direction and it stayed until the expiration of the game clock.

Offensive End:

Atlanta ultimately lost this over the little things, missing their free throws (44 percent, 7 of 16), and turning the ball over 22 times to Clipper's 13. Three point shooting kept them in to the game, they hit 4 more threes than the Clips (5). They should have not went away from posting Josh Smith and Al Horford up and revert to their kick out shooting game. Al Horford needs more touches, he should at least attempt 15 shots a game, he only got 10 and even less against the Heat.

The Clippers started with transition post ups, it allows Blake or DJ to get very deep position before the ball hits them. Atlanta came on to the third quarter to fix that, so Los Angeles started to take jumpers. Once those started falling, they spaced out the floor, moved the ball quick and attacked the basket.

Defensive End:

Both teams were strangling each other with their defense. Nobody got to their ideal pace in the first three quarters. After halftime, the Hawks changed up their defensive strategy a bit, playing better interior defense that deterred the Clippers from posting up.

In the fourth quarter, Atlanta was just sloppy, giving away easy buckets, especially in transition.

Los Angeles was consistent through and through, against a team without a true super star, their individual defense stood out.

Notes:

• Shaq was at the game to watch DeAndre Jordan, who he called on National TV to be the BEST center in the West, the Dwight Howard trolling will forever go on. 
• When the sideline reporter went to interview him, his son said that his dad can't talk to you because he works for TNT, a cute little funny moment.

The Round Up - November 10th, 2012

Stats Rundown:

It was a weird night in the NBA, we got a few surprises. There is going to be a lot of Charlotte Bobcat mentions, this will forever be a Round Up to cherish for the rest of the 2012-2013 season. Kemba Walker did everything today, dropped 26 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 7 assists, and got 8 steals, pretty good for a guy that is just 6 foot.

Honorable Mention: Nicholas Batum was a mad man, scoring 33 points (11 of 18 shooting), grabbing 7 rebounds, handing out 4 assists, stealing 2 basketballs, blocking one shot and hit the game tying 3 pointer against the San Antonio Spurs. Too bad, the Spurs scored their free throws in the next possession and Batum missed a three pointer to win the game.

Board Monster: Kenneth "Manimal" Faried grabbed 17 rebounds, to go with his 18 points in the double overtime victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Thief: Kemba Walker snatched 8 basketballs from the Dallas Mavericks.

Butter Fingers: Jrue Holiday is going to be a regular high here, averaging a league high 5.7 Turnovers per game in this season, he coughed up another 7 today in the victory over the shorthanded Toronto Raptors.

Rookie Watch: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist finally posts up a big game, scoring 25 point (from 8 of 12 shooting), grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking 2 shots.

Time Machine User: Paul Pierce and his old man moves gets him another mention, finishing with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists in the victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Free Basketball: Two games went to overtime today, the Charlotte Bobcats defeated the Dallas Mavericks 101 to 97 in OT. Denver and Golden State went into double overtime, the Nuggets came out on top, defeating the Warriors 107 to 101.

Passin' History: Rajon Rondo (10 assists) surpassed John Stockton for the 3rd longest double-digit assist streak, with his 30th straight tonight.

Game of Runs: Believe it or not, the Philadelphia 76ers outscored the Toronto Raptors 32 to 7 in the second quarter. Yea, 7 points in 12 whole minutes. They shot 2 for 20 from the field quarter.
Houston Rockets went on a 22 - 1 run in the second half against the Detroit Pistons, who still have yet to put up a W (0-7).

And 1 - Shoe: MKG went on a one man fast break against the Dallas Mavericks, got the basket and the foul, with only one shoe on.

 

Redemption: Remember that Andris Biedrins free throw attempt that missed so bad, it actually stopped 4 feet short of the rim? Well he actually hit both of his free throws today and the fans in Golden State are lovin' it. From that reaction you would have thought he hit the game winner, but the dude needs all the confidence he can get.

Highlight of the Night: Breaking News - Gerald Green can jump really really high.

The Round Up - November 9th, 2012

Stats Rundown:

LeBron James was one assist away from a triple double, he finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists and hit dagger that sealed the victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Honorable Mention: Carmelo Anthony scored 31 points and grabbed 7 rebounds to lead the Knicks over the Dallas Mavericks.

Board Monster: Pau Gasol grabbed 16 boards in the victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Dishin': Rajon Rondo had 20 assists tonight in the loss to the 76ers, making this his 27th game with 11+ assists, tying him with John Stockton's record in 1990-91. That is not all, he also matched another John Stockton record, this game becomes his 29th straight game with double-digit assists, which is the third longest in NBA history.

Butter Fingers: OJ Mayo of the Dallas Mavericks lost the ball 8 times in the loss to the New York Knicks.

Block Party: Anthony Davis and Marcin Gortat stuffed 5 basketballs each.

New Record: LeBron grabbed his 5,000th rebound today in the victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Rookie Watch: Anthony Davis scored 23 points, grabbed 11 boards, and blocked 5 shots, the unibrow is at work.

Time Machine User: Kobe Bryant doing young Kobe Bryant things and more, getting 27 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in the blowout victory. Oh yea, if you don't already know, Mike Brown got fired as their head coach.

UNdefeated: The Knicks are the only team that is left to be undefeated, they are now 4 and 0.

Veteran's Day: It is veteran's day, so NBA player wore special head bands to pay tribute, and as always Spencer Hawes pulled it off the best. Definitely modern.

Fight: Brandon Jennings and Bradley Beal got into a little scuffle.

Good intentions gone wrong: MKG tried to prevent a fight between his college teammate Anthony Davis from fighting with his current teammate, Byron Mullens, but instead he pushes the ref 5 feet away.

SHEEEEEEEDDDD NOOOOOOOO!!!: Brandon Wright has no respect for seniors.

AIRBALL!: Andris Biedrins with the worst free throw attempt ever. 10 year old kids would at least hit the rim.

Rim-Stuffed: Kenneth Faried tried to show off with a windmill dunk, it didn't end well.

EMBARRASSMENT: When 3000 year old Andre Miller blocks you on a dunk attempt, you might as well pack your bags and retire. Sorry Derrick Favors.

Highlight of the Night: DeMarcus Cousins scarred Danny Green for life, that is what you get if you try to be Manu Ginobili, when you are not Manu Ginobili.

Game Winner: Chase Budinger wins the game for the Timberwolves in the most boring way.

The Feed: Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks [11/09/12]

Recap:

The Miami Heat took down the Atlanta Hawks 95 to 89 without Dwyane Wade, who is out with a cold on this Friday Night. LeBron James put in another near triple double performance, with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, including a clutch basket to close the game. Chris Bosh stepped up in an effort to fill Wade's void, with a game high 24 points and 5 rebounds.

The Hawks kept this game close, fighting back every lead change and never allowing Miami to take control. Jeff Teague led Atlanta with 20 points from 7 of 8 shooting, while dishing 11 assists. The point guard knocked down back to back threes in the fourth as part of the 14 to 3 Hawks run that erased the 9 point deficit the Heat established early in the quarter.

Down by 2 points with a minute remaining, the struggles of Josh Smith (13 points, 6 of 19 shooting, and 8 rebounds) continued, missing two crucial free throws to tie the game. After a costly Hawk's misplay in a second attempt to even the score, the Heat picked up the opportunity and placed the ball in to the hands of the MVP. In the next 30 seconds, LeBron James would make his move at the left side of the key, shredding DeShawn Stevenson, he hits the 15 footer to give his team a four point lead to seal the victory.

Offensive End:

Miami killed Atlanta in the paint, outscoring them 40 to 26. You can put the blame on Al Horford (10 points, and 7 rebounds) for being to passive, against Chris Bosh, a decent defender, he should put up more than 9 shots. Josh Smith had a tough night inside, thanks to Heat's help defense, they forced him to basically pass the ball out.

The Bench of both teams contributed, Ray Allen and Anthony Morrow put in 17 points for their respective teams.

Defensive End:

Both teams played great defense, as I mentioned earlier, the Heat did play the interior well. They held their opponent's field goal percentage to 42 and forced them to take a lot of outside shots.

The Hawks play a pretty mean man defense, they rotate well, but the Heat stars are a bit overwhelming for them.


The Moments:

• If you caught this game on NBA League Pass, Rapper T.I. did the color commentary for the first half of this game, which is pretty cool. I missed it, but I bet it lacked enunciation.
• Josh Smith air balled a free throw.
• In the post game interview, Chris Bosh said that he was as quick as a cat. Yea, he is a weird dude.
• 2 Chainz was at the game and greeted LeBron right after it, not important.

The Feed: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Chicago Bulls [11/08/12]

Recap:

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Chicago Bulls 97 to 91, in a grind out at the United Center. This is one of those games where, both teams played well, kept it close to the end and the Superstar emerged in the final minutes to close out the battle. Kevin Durant started off slow, scoring 10 of his 24 points in the first half. It definitely didn't help that Bad Russ was unleashed, hitting only 7 of his 22 shot attempts for 16 points, but he did manage to dish out 12 assists, which included a few big plays that changed the game.

Serge Ibaka led the Thunder early with 15 of his 21 points in just the 1st half of play, taking advantage of Carlos Boozer's late rotations, he became nearly unstoppable. Under Tom Thibodeau, the disciplined Bulls stepped up the in the second half on both ends on the floor. In the third quarter, Chicago went on a 11 to nothing run, where OKC shot 0-7 to give them the lead in the before the start of the 4th.

Oklahoma returned the favor, holding the Bulls to 19 points in the fourth, while scoring 31 points. They dominated Chicago in the paint outscoring them 46 to 34. In the absence of Derrick Rose, the Bulls had to rely on jumpers from Luol Deng (27 points) and Richard Hamiliton (20 points) to keep them in the game. Unfortunately the shots didn't fall late in the quarter and Kevin Durant sealed the victory with a couple of clutch baskets.

Offensive End:

The Bulls without Derrick Rose relies on good ball movement to create shots, they will usually have the guard run a pick and roll to assess the situation, if there are opportunities, they will find it. Their most effective play is running Rip Hamilton (or other players) through double screens to cross from wing to wing, this will not only disrupt the defense, it will open guys up. If Noah gets the ball in the post, he is very patient with it, he is a great passer and will find the cutter.

The Stars of OKC draws the attention of the defense to find open man. As always Westbrook and Ibaka high pick and roll will produce results, especially when Boozer is on Serge, because his snail like speed to recover on his defender, gave up easy 15 footers for Air Congo.

Defensive End:

Both teams were good in the defensive end in first half, but that all disappeared in the second, where each team suffered defensive lapses in different quarters. The turnovers really hurt each team's play, as they combined for a total of 43 turonvers (21 Bulls, 22 Thunder).

Chicago is rotate well with the exception of Carlos Boozer, they are quick to trap and challenge shots.
Ibaka does wonders for the Thunder in the paint, he got 4 blocks tonight. They like to pack in the paint, so they are a bit slower to get out on the shooters.

The Moment: Serge Ibaka planted a little kiss on Russell Westbrook's head before the start of the game, and it resulted in a hilarious shocked reaction.

Dude, gross. - Russell Westbrook.

The Feed: San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers [11/07/12]

Note: Of course the two games I decide to watch today were blow outs, I had thirteen games to choose from and picked the two worst ones of the night.

Recap:

The Los Angeles Clippers ended the San Antonio Spurs's 5 game winning streak 106 to 84, handing Tim Duncan and company their first loss of the season. The Clippers terrorized their foes on both ends of the floor with a high octane attack that held their lead through all 4 quarters of play.

Blake Griffin scored a game high 22 points to go with his 10 rebounds (74th time to get 20 points and 10 rebounds, second to Kevin Love), DeAndre Jordan added 20 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks, while keeping Tim Duncan (10 points and 6 boards) quiet all night. Seven Clippers scored double digit points to Spur's two.

San Antonio struggled to find an offensive flow (41 FG%) in the smuggling Los Angeles defense. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili combined for 13 points, only a point more than their leading scorer tonight, Danny Green.

The Clippers completely dominated this game, hitting 55 percent from the field, grabbing 46 rebounds to Spur's 29 and forcing 20 turnovers. Those ridiculous numbers disrupted San Antonio all game. When ever they made a run, the Clips would stop it in the next possession, preventing their opponent from finding any spark for a comeback.

Offensive End:

They both really like to run in transition, Spurs never got going, but the Clippers did and destroyed them. For San Antonio, their two main plays are, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan pick and roll and off ball screens to get shooters in the corner for three pointers. With Manu on the floor, he will create the offense through dribble penetration. The slick ball movement that is usually present in Coach Pop's team was just not there this game.

Los Angeles goes to the post early, to get Blake or DeAndre involved. Chris Paul will find guys by attacking the paint and offense through pick and rolls. Their transition offense was smooth, guys were making good passes and finding the right person for the bucket. Props to Eric Bledsoe, who dropped 15 points in 15 minutes (of his total 22), he brought the crowd the life and gave the Clips an extra offensive push.

Defensive End:

Welp, the score pretty much says everything about Spurs's defense tonight, so I won't really get into that. I am just going to point out that they don't really double on defense, they stick with the man assigned. Boris Diaw did a good job, if Blake didn't hit those 15 footers, it would show. 

I don't know what got into the Clippers, they were playing defense at a high level and actually kept the pressure on the entire game. Their rotations were quick, and was even faster as the game progressed.

The Moments:
Man that were so many GIF worthy moments in this game, I will post them all in the Round Up that will be up later.

• Coach Pop was so much nicer to the lady (Heather Cox) that interviewed him after the 1st quarter and he used the word "HAPPY," what a hypocrite.
• Blake Griffin had absolutely no love for his fellow red head brother, Matt Bonner as he almost jumped over him for a dunk.
• Chris Paul flopped on the Manu Ginobili touch foul and started shit. Got like 3 dudes T'ed up and even gave Spurs a free point on the technical penalty.
• Jamal Crawford "nutmegged" Nando De Colo, by putting the ball through the French's legs.
• To make the above scenario better, DeAndre Jordan's reaction was caught on camera and gave us two solid "WTF's!."

 

The Feed: Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat [11/07/12]

Recap:

The Miami Heat torched the Brooklyn Nets 103 to 73 in an impressive defensive clinic. The Heat held the Nets under 19 points in every quarter except of the first (22), while going crazy on the offensive end as well.  LeBron Jame flirted with another triple double tonight, finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. Dwyane Wade helped with 22 points (12 in the 2nd quarter alone) and 5 rebounds.

The Nets kept it close in the first half by going inside to their big men, Brook Lopez (8 points and 7 rebounds) and Kris Humphries (11 points and 11 rebounds) to take advantage of Heat's missing height. But Spolestra came out in the second with a different defensive approach and as you can see, the final score pretty much told you how it worked out.

Deron Williams led all Nets with 14 points, his struggles against the Miami defense, made him lose the ball 7 times to add to Brooklyn's total of 19 turnovers, which led to 31 Heat points.With no help from the bench, the Nets crumbled in the American Airlines Arena.

Offensive End:

If you couldn't tell already, Miami really likes to run and there is no better team to do so. Their ball movement tonight was beautiful, extra passes and just good decisions. In the half court, the Heat trio will draw doubles every time they get the ball and there will always be a lonely shooter waiting behind the arc. The Heat don't really run set plays, except for this consistent off ball screen to free Ray Allen.

I have got to give props to Mario Chalmers, I used to really hate this kid, because he was cocky on a team with 3 future Hall of Famers, but his play has been improving every year and if he can set guys up like he did in this game, I can't imagine how good he will make this team.

Brooklyn went to their big men early, and it was effective until the second half. Deron Williams will create opportunities via dribble penetration. Not much pick and roll play today, probably due to Miami's great rotations, but he found some points in this play. He will pass the ball to Joe Johnson in the wing and then go by two screens to either get the ball back up top if there was nobody open or get into the corner for a open shot.

Joe Johnson has yet to get going in his new black jersey, going 4 of 14 and forcing lots of ugly shots.

Defensive End:

I know I go on about the Heat's defense a lot, but how can you not, they are so disciplined and knows their places so well that it is weird to see a mistake. They do like to pack the paint, especially against Brooklyn's bigger players and could still get out to shooters in time to affect the shot. In pick and rolls, they know how to take away lanes and if you try to get by, the ball will be gone and into the your basket in less than 2 seconds.

Just by going over their Brooklyn's roster, there is already a problem on defense, they just can't keep guys in front of them. Their rotations were decent in the first half, and then it disappeared in the second, when Miami killed them repeatedly in transition.

Rookie Watch:

No notable performances, just 3 points from Mirza Teletovic, who went 1 of 8 on the floor.

The Round Up - November 6th, 2012

Stats Rundown:

Greg Monroe did everything in his power to help his team, the Detroit Pistons to take down the Denver Nuggets, in Mile High City. Unfortunately, his 27 points, 10 boards and 3 blocks didn't get his team the win.

Honorable Mention to Arron Affalo who dropped 28 points, dished out 5 assists and grabbed 5 rebounds.

Thief: Jose Calderon and Ty Lawson snatched 4 basketballs away.

Butter Fingers: Kevin Durant, Kevin Martin, Danilo Gallinari, and Brandon Knight lost the ball 4 times.

Rookie Watch: Jonas Valanciunas scored 18 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in the embarrassing loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Time Machine User: No one stepped into the Time Machine today, but I am very convinced that Andre Miller is the BEST alley-oop passer to have ever played the game.

In Regards to the U.S. 2012 Election:

CELEBRATION TIME: When asked about Obama's victory, Joakin Noah responds with PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW!

Highlight of the Night: Kevin Durant with a welcoming ceremony for Jonas Valanciunas.

Sources: @cjzero and the Score

The Feed: Toronto Raptors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder [11/06/12]

Recap:

The Oklahoma City Thunder electrocuted the Toronto Raptors repeatedly 108 to 88 in a offensive showcase at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Kevin Durant and company came out red hot in the first quarter scoring 30 points at 61% from the field to Raptors's 17 at 37%. With every possession, the lead grew and Toronto was out of it by the first half.

The Raptors were never able to find an offensive rhythm and it definitely didn't help when Kyle Lowry left the game in the second quarter after twisting his ankle. Rookie Jonas Valaciunas led all Raptors with 18 points and 6 rebounds, getting a some help from Andrea Bargnani who added 16 points and another 6 boards. The Italian continues to struggle shooting the ball, as the main option on offense, he could never find the basket, hitting only 5 of his 14 shot attempts.

Russell Westbrook stormed the Raptors defense, scoring 19 points, while dishing out 8 assists. Kevin Durant chipped in 16 points, 6 rebounds and Serge Ibaka with his own 17 points from 8 of 9 shooting. Needless to say, Toronto never found a way to slow down their opponents.

Offensive End:

It wasn't as if the Raptors were defended exceptionally well, they just couldn't hit anything but iron. Andrea Bargnani had a fair share of wide open threes, which he never took advantage of. And without Kyle Lowry, not only were they missing their best current scorer, they lost the only person that could create offense out of nothing.

OKC got whatever they wanted against Toronto tonight, as usual Westbrook will use a high pick and roll to get free and likely take the first shot, if that doesn't happen, he had Ibaka (the Screen Setter) open from 15 feet out all game long. Kevin Durant will get most of his points via post up, or isolations. The two superstars will draw attention as soon as they touch the ball and they will find the open man if given the double team.

The Thunder will make you pay in transition, there is probably 0.01% chance, they will not score against a unsettled defense.

Defensive End:

Toronto still has not improved their transition defense, giving lay ups/dunks after layups/dunks on the break. In this game, Toronto had a tendency to over help on the ball handler (had two guys on OKC guards for no good reason), some players will follow as deep into the restricted area. This opened up a lot of space for the Thunder shooters, who had a blast, thanks to the terrible rotations.

I couldn't really tell if the Oklahoma City played really good defense, because like I mentioned earlier, Toronto couldn't even buy a basket. OKC does a good job packing the paint, preventing a lot of interior points. They only had a few noted mishaps, when Andrea is on the floor, Perkins and Ibaka will still stay near the paint just to help out on drives, too bad he didn't knock them down.

The Moments:

Some woman or girl screamed at a decibel high enough to almost crack the screen of my TV when Jose Calderon was shooting the penalty for Ibaka's defensive three seconds in the key. You know what they say, girlies love the Spanish.

If you don't live in Canada, you missed out on the Raptor's commentators making fat jokes about an obese fan, who was wearing suspenders over his half naked body. Canada is sometimes not so nice.

Rookie Watch:
Jonas Valanciunas was aggressive all night attacking Kendrick Perkins in the post. He finished with 18 points from 6 of 8 shooting and 6 rebounds.

Terrence Ross scored 10 points in the second half, which was basically garbage time.

Perry Jone III was scoreless in the 18 minutes he played.

Jeremy Lamb knocked a three down in 6 minutes.

The Round Up - November 5th, 2012.

Stats Rundown:

OJ Mayo dropped 32 points points in the blowout win over the Portland Blazers. LeBron gets a honorable mention for 23 points and 11 rebounds in the destruction of the Phoenix Suns.

Board Monster: Zach Randolph used his bear paws to grab 18 rebounds in their victory over the Utah Jazz.

Thief: Eric Bledsoe stole 4 basketballs and missed a dunk today, crimes do get punished.

Butter Fingers: Blake Griffin didn't bring his gps and so he lost the basketball 5 times in the loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Rookie Watch: Dion Waiters lit up the Clippers with a 28 point performance that included 7 threes, which he shot at a blazing 64% tonight.

Best Hair: The Sixers have the coolest hair cuts ............... in the 70's. First we had Andrew Bynum's fro and now we get a Spencer Hawes mullet. The mustaches compliments it perfectly. Via @jeskeets
 

Block Party: DeAndre Jordan got rid of 5 basketballs flying through the air.

Don't call it a comeback: The Minnesota Timberwolves erased a 22 point Brooklyn Nets lead for the victory on the road. With out Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, the Wolves outscored the Nets 32 to 10 in the 4th quarter in the knock out.
Andray Blatches had a rough day, first he ran out of gas in the middle of the road, then he got to the game to only blow a 22 point lead.

Trick tricks: Chris Paul will get by and through you.

Deja Vu: Kyrie Irving did the same thing, but to 4 All Stars who all now have chronic ankle problems.

You got JAMMED: Only Blake Griffin gets to punish rims.

History: Ray Allen scored his 23,000th point today, becoming the 24th player in NBA history to get do so (Via @ByTimReynolds)

My Bad: Nick Young decided that shooting the ball instead of passing it to the open teammate is the best way to save it from going out of bounds.

SHEEEEEEDDDDD: I am just choked up to see him back.

More SHEEEEEEEEDDDDDD: OLD MAN BUZZER BEATER is as lazy as it gets.

The End of the World: Banners from the King's Sleep Train Arena fell down.

Highlight of the Night: J.R. Smith didn't really deserve this play, he let Prigioni to go on a one man fast break and decided to follow way later than you are suppose to. What were you expecting, Pablo doing a 360 dunk right through both Sixers? And to even celebrate it, how dare you man.

Source: @cjzero for all the GIFs

The Feed: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Clippers [11/05/12]

Recap:

The Cleveland Cavaliers wins their first road game of the season, defeating the Clippers 108 to 101. This marks the first time Kyrie Irving faced off against the Point god, Chris Paul, after missing the first match up with an injury. The up and coming guard did not shy away in this contest, getting a double double, scoring 24 points and handed out 10 assists.

Despite shooting terribly from the field (35 percent, 8 of 23), he knocked down 50 percent of his threes, hitting 4 in total. However, the star was neither Kyrie or CP3, it was Dion Waiters, the rookie from Syracuse, who was fire from beyond the arc, draining 7 threes that contributed to his 28 point finish.

The Clippers began the game with a 7 - 0 run that was immediately relinquished in the first quarter, allowing the Cavs to pull a 10 - 3 run, 16 Kyrie points and a lead that they never managed to come back from. They gave away the ball 25 times (to Cleveland's 17) and allowed them 18 offensive rebounds (double of what Clippers have) that resulted in to many points.

Los Angeles made a late push in the fourth, with Jamal Crawford (19 points, 4 threes) and Chris Paul (17 points and 9 assists)  running the show. They tied the game a few times but their costly mistakes on defense gave the game away. With 28 seconds left in the game, the Cavs were up 104 to 101, Kyrie Irving was left uncontested by the Clippers and he made them pay with the dagger that sealed the game.

This photo says it all.

Offensive End:
Cleveland relies on their back court for everything, if either Kyrie or Dion has a bad game, they are likely going to lose. Their best option is to just run and push the ball to the other side as fast as possible, they score lots of point when the defense is unsettled.

If the ball goes through the hoop, it is usually from a jump shot because they just don't have the guys to score in the paint, besides the occasional Kyrie drive and put backs from their big men (from offensive rebounds), everything else comes from mid range and extended.

Their main play was a screen for either Irving or Waiters, who will either shoot/drive right away. Their were some circumstances in this game where the Clippers decide to left Varejao (the screener) open, giving the Cavalier guards an easy pass to MOP head for a shot from 15 out.

Los Angeles likes to get it in to the post, with Blake Griffin, in the low block, attention will be drawn, allowing Blake to kick it out to the open shooters waiting outside. Chris Paul dribble penetration will do the same and if he decides to run a pick and roll, it will come up high, so the point god can find the holes in the defense.

Defensive End:
Both teams played atrocious defense tonight, the Clips did turn the ball over 25 times but it all came from bad passes and carelessness. They both must improve their transition defense, because they give up a lot of easy buckets.

The only adjustments I caught, was the Cavs packing the paint in the second half and the Clippers employing double teams on guards.

The Moments:

• DeAndre Jordan air balled another free throw. Someone needs to do an Over/Under for this. 
• Eric Bledsoe blew a wide open dunk with no one near him.
• The commentators called Bledsoe, Chris Paul multiple times.
• Chris Paul called one of the refs a "MFer" in what seems to be the angriest reaction from the point god. I am super bummed that I am unable to find the GIF for you because it was a glorious moment.

Rookie Watch:

Dion Waiters was monster tonight, showing supreme confidence and hitting shots when his team needed him.

Tyler Zeller left in the middle of the game after taking DeAndre Jordan's elbow to his eye, but in the 24 minutes he played, he grabbed 7 boards to go with his 15 points.

The Feed: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Toronto Raptors [11/04/12].

Recap:

The Toronto Raptors capture their first win of the season, ripping the Wolves up 105 to 86. This was not the most interesting game, with Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio out, the Raptors took advantage of the Wolves crippled offense.

The starting back court of Toronto was back in action, producing the same monstrous results.  DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry dropped 22 points each, with Lowry passing out an additional 5 assists. The game remained close until third quarter where the Raps drowned Minnesota with a barrage of points in the blow out.

Andrei Kirilenko led all Wolves with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks, Nikola Pekovic helped with 15 points. Minnesota stayed in the game early despite turning the ball over 16 times in the first half, contributing to 27 Raptor points, eventually  their carelessness came back to haunt them, giving up the rock a total 24 times tonight.

Offensive End:

The Raptors ran a lot of isolations, taking advantage of the mismatch and getting easy points. Ball movement was definitely not as good as it was in the Brooklyn game. The focal point of the Raptor's offense is still DeMar and Andrea, they like to get them going early. Besides Jose Calderon, the rest of the guys that ran a pick and roll usually used the screen to get an open shot or path to the basket.

Minnesota looks into the post early, using Pekovic's beast of a body to bully Jonas Valaciunas. If they don't look for the post up, they run a basic pick and roll with cutter coming across.

Defensive End:

Toronto needs to fix their transition defense. It has been the biggest concern over the last 3, they just can't seem to set themselves fast enough to neutralize the quick oncoming attack. Their rotations were decent tonight, but they didn't have a real challenge to defend against.

The Wolves' defense at the back court is especially weak, allowing an above average shooting guard (DeMar DeRozan) to do whatever he wanted on the floor is unacceptable. Their front court with Pekovic and Kirilenko did a great job against the Toronto big men.

The Moments:

• Alexey Shved has the girliest hair in the NBA period, no discussion.
• HOT CHEETOS AND TAKIS played at the Air Canada Center, and according to twitter, the Raptors Children dance team used it as part of their performance. Although this is greatest thing to ever happen, it is ironic to be played in Canada because unfortunately we don't carry those hand-dyeing snacks. It is fitting to be played against the Wolves, since the song was sang by kids in Minnesota.
• Dante Cunningham heel kicked J.J. Barea in the forehead and gave his own teammate a concussion.

Rookie Watch:

Jonas Valaciunas always bring a lot of energy, he might not play well, but he will play hard. He got 4 point sand 4 rebounds at the end of the night.

Terrence Ross shows confidence, he has a lot of work to do on the defensive end and nee to bulk up to keep up with the rest of the NBA. He got in foul trouble early, 3 fouls in 5 minutes, and knocked down a jumper in the garbage time.

Alexey Shved played pretty well, he needs to do what I prescribed for Ross as well. He has a lot of potential, great court vision, dished 4 assists and scored 8 point in 22 minutes.