The Round Up - November 24th, 2012.

Stats Rundown:

The Dynamic Duo from the Oklahoma City Thunder didn't hold back, combining for 67 points of their team's total 113. Kevin Durant went for 37 points (10 of 22), 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks. Russell Westbrook added 30 points (11 of 23), 5 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 steals.

Honorable Mentions: Thaddeus Young gave the Sixers 29 points and 15 rebounds against the OKC Thunder.

Shout out: To Byron Mullens of the Charlotte Bobcats, the 7 footer finished with 27 points (9 of 15 shooting, 5 of 11 from three), 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in the overtime win over the Washington Wizards.

Boards: I don't know if this is actually real, but Carlos Boozer grabbed 19 rebounds (8 Offensive) to go with his 22 points for the victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Someone please confirm this.

Dishin': Jrue Holiday handed out 13 assists in a bad shooting night, 3 of 11 for 6 points in the overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Thief: Chris Paul robbed the Atlanta Hawks of 7 basketballs, despite his 19 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists, the Clippers still fell at the Highlight Factory.

Rookie Watch: Harrison Barnes did more than just embarrass Nikola Pekovic on nation television (You will see what I mean), he also had 10 points (4 of 7 shooting) and 11 rebounds in the win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Time Machine User: Kobe Bryant did get 19 points (6 of 11 shooting), and 5 assists in the blowout win over the Dallas Mavericks, but the honor goes to Ray Allen. 5 rebounds and 17 points, 3 of which placed the Miami Heat a single point ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers with 18 seconds left in the game for the victory.

Washington Sadness: The Wizards lost again in overtime. John Wall and Randy Wittman will probably not be back for this franchise.

John Wall is probably wondering why he even dressed up in a suit for this game. (Via:@MikePradaSBN)

This is Randy Wittman's "I am going to be out of a job soon face." (Via: @TasMelas)

Michael Jordan Owned: The victory over the Washington Wizards gives the Charlotte Bobcats their 7th win, tying their win total from last season (66 games) in just 12 games. Thank you Mike Dunlap and Rich Cho.

Wanted List: DeMarcus Cousins dunked on Derrick Favors and will probably get suspended for 5 games for the highlight. (Jokes, but he did get ejected for a minor retaliation bump on Enes Kanter and it made the referees look like they were out to get Cousins thrown out.)

Whoops: You are doing something wrong if Andris Biedrins gives you the look of disappointment, Draymond Green. Do not try to take another man's rebound and then score on your own basket. (Via:@cjzero)

Metta World Threes: MWP knocked down 5 of 7 three point attempts to add to his 19 point total. On most days, those are ill advised shots but Mike D'Antoni don't care. Just don't expect it to keep happening.

Human Ostrich: Chris Bosh scored his 13,000th point today. Congratulations, your neck extends as your total points pile up.

Trick Tricks: Kevin Love would rather pass the ball to himself than actually give the ball to Greg Stiemsma on offense.

Highlight of the Night: Breaking News - Harrison Barnes is missing from the Golden State Warriors locker room, his status is uncertain. Update - Nikola Poekovic has brutally ripped the spine off the rookie and is drinking his blood (using the small intestine as a straw) as he yells "You No Dunk on Pekovic, Dunk and You Die."

Notes: Los Angeles Lakers vs Memphis Grizzlies [11/23/12]

I decided to do away with the feed, and start a new series. Where I will break down the good and the bad for both teams in a specific game.

Memphis Grizzlies 106 - Los Angeles Lakers 98

The Good:

Grizzlies: Mike Conley and Marc Gasol tore the Lakers apart, the two man game they played was beautiful and executed to perfection. Marc Gasol is the ideal complimentary big man, on pick and rolls, he can pop out for an easy 15 to 18 footer or roll hard for the lay in. His passing ability benefits Conley, they ran simple give and go plays, where Marc stood at the top of the key and always found the cutting point guard. 

The defense was active in most stretches, they gambled a lot by over helping on Dwight Howard, which did make the indecisive center to rush his shots. In the fourth quarter, he finally capitalized on the help and found the open shooters (the Lakers got 3 three pointers in a row, which counted for the 3 assists he had in total).

Lakers: Not too much. The team did hit 12 three pointers to keep themselves in the game. Antawn Jamison (16 points) came back to life, giving the bench some needed scoring. Kobe Bryant did Kobe Bryant things in late game, knocked down tough jumpers, got to the free throw line and finished with 30 points.

Besides Dwight Howard's presence that made the Memphis bigs hesitate before making their move, there was absolutely nothing good about the Lakers defense.

The Bad:

Both teams gave up a lot of points on turnovers. Memphis' 17 paved way for 24 points and LA's 18 for 29.

Grizzlies: This game went away from the post too early. Obviously Dwight Howard played in to that equation, but when Zach Randolph had Antawn Jamison in position there is no reason to not get the ball to him. I thought Marc Gasol was too willing to pass early, he should have went to work more.

The gambling on defense might not have been necessary, Grizzlies are a pretty solid individual defensive team, they were fortunate that the Lakers didn't use it to their advantage until the fourth.

Lakers: The Los Angeles Lakers features one of the best front courts in the NBA, yet the team only scored 24 points in the paint, compared to the 40 by their opponents. It amazes me, how this is a problem. They have refused over and over again to go to the post, Dwight (7 points) had only 7 shot attempts in the 39 minutes he played. What is even more amazing was that in one possession, Darius Morris decided against re-posting their star center and instead take Conley on the baseline to put up a miserable attempt. Howard is at fault too, I know he may not be 100 percent recovered from the back injury, but if he settles for one more lay up or short hook, Laker fans better be ready for disappointment. He has to dunk the ball, he can't shoot free throws, so why not get the damn basket. At this point, I am starting to agree with Shaq, which either means I am spiraling towards insanity or you are not playing like you are suppose to.

About Pau Gasol, well this sums it quite nicely:

Like I said earlier, Kobe Bryant did Kobe Bryant things, and it was not exactly a good thing. He shot 7 for 23 from the field, and he basically decided to play hero ball in the fourth. I just don't think he trusts his teammates, he kept jacking the first shot available against Tony Allen's tough defense and complained for fouls on the shots he missed.

So far, the Mike D'Antoni pace offense is not there, not the speed nor the pick and roll game. I am certain I did not see a single successful pick and roll, where the screener finished with the basket, hopefully Steve Nash will fix it (His return have not even been determined, as a matter of fact, he can't even jog yet).

Their defense is incredibly terrible. I don't think the guys standing in the perimeter, in front of their assignment can actually move. It is a good thing they have Dwight Howard though.

The Round Up - November 23rd, 2012.

Stats Rundown:

Everything Houston Rockets, 72 points in the first half against the New York Knicks and blowing them out 131 to 103 (The Knicks knocked down 17 threes and still got blown out). James Harden remains super efficient, 33 points (7 of 15 shooting, and 16 of 16 on the charity stripe), 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block. His fellow Rocket, sophomore Chandler Parsons scored a new career high, 31 points (13 of 17 shooting, 4 of 7 from three), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and a block.

Boards: Mo hair, don't care. Anderson Varejao grabs anything in the air, 17 rebounds (11 OREB) to go with his 19 points in loss to the Orlando Magic.

Dishin': Rajon Rondo is stat whorin' his way to the 36th game with a double digit assist, his 16 assists, 8 rebounds and 6 points helped edge out the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Shout out: To Greivis Vasquez of the New Orleans Hornets, 25 points (10 of 13 shooting) and 14 assists in the overtime loss to the Suns.

Thief: Byron Mullens is a 7 foot center for the Charlotte Bobcats and somehow stole from the Atlanta Hawks 6 times in the loss.

Rookie Watch: Damian Lillard is taking advantage of Anthony Davis's injury to really put himself in front of the ROY race. 28 points (11 of 17 shooting, 4 of 8 from three), and 8 assists in the victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Honorable Rookie Mentions: Dion Waiters had 25 points and 5 assists for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Andre Drummond gets his first appearance on the list, 13 points, and 13 rebounds for the Detroit Pistons win over the Toronto Raptors.

Time Machine User: Paul Pierce showed the young Thunder how the old dudes do things, 27 points (8 of 16 shooting) in the Boston victory.

Reverse: Tyson Chandler who usually does the blocking, did not do the blocking, Daequan Jones did.

Hot Starts: These guys take things very seriously in the first quarter.
Al Horford had 14 of his 26 points and 5 of his 13 rebounds in the quarter. Carmelo Anthony and Chandler Parsons finished it with 18 points each. In the first 9 minutes against the Indiana Pacers, Tony Parker went 7 of 7 for 14 of his total 33 points and 5 of his 10 assists. Andrea Bargnani actually did something for the Raptors, scoring 17 of his 34 going into the second quarter.

Skates: Lance Stephenson did Tony Parker things to Tony Parker. Age must be a thing.

 

Lovin ain't Winnin: The Minnesota Timberwolves are 0-2 with Kevin Love back in the line up, they will be fine after some time, but Kevin Love is still kind of scared.

NBA.com

Burnin' the Bugs: The Phoenix Suns went on a 39-9 run to comeback from behind to tie the game against the New Orleans Hornets and win it 111-108 in overtime.

Mile High: Andre Miller is the best and Javale McGee too.

Jokes on you: The Charlotte Bobcats put ZaZa and Ivan Johnson on the kiss cam because they can and it is funny. (Via: @andytoddcook)

Scoopity scoop: Jamal Crawford only plays NBA effective street ball, Gerald Wallace gave it a go too.

Highlight of the Night:  Deron Williams will never attempt a dunk again.

Thank you Slow-mo, for the funniest Blake face yet.

Kendrick Perkins will be guarding Rajon Rondo tonight.

Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo were the best of bros, after all they were on the same Boston Celtics team that won the Championship in 08'. Three years later, the ugly goatee wearing big man got traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder and the bros had to go on their separate ways with their respective team. Although they dearly miss each other, being part of the Celtics somehow allows you to be able to completely cut out all of your emotions, just ask Kevin Garnett.

They are still cool, but Perk still wants to shut Rondo down and maybe prevent him from continuing his 35 games with double digit assist streak.

From John Rohde of the Oklahoman:

Asked if Perkins was going to check Rondo tonight, Brooks smiled and said: “Absolutely. Perk is begging me to do that. That would be fun. I’m sure the fans would love to see Perk getting down in his defensive stance, pressuring the ball. I don’t know how fun that would be for me watching it.”

I am not too sure it is a very good idea for Scott Brooks to put a 6ft 10 guy on a 6ft 1 point guard that is currently playing out of his mind. After all, Perkins couldn't even guard his position against Marc Gasol, who embarrassed the hell out of him.

(Yes, I am very well aware that the Thunder sometimes switches on the pick and roll, leaving the point guard for Perkins to defend, and it is always hilarious watching him taunt. For future assignments, remember that smacking the floor repeatedly and encouraging a guard to shoot a wide open shot is not really defense.)

Via: PBT

Sign the Petition to stop Dwight Howard from wearing his headband.

Via: @cjzero

I may or may not have started this petition, but for those of you who keep up with the blog (Thank you), you would know that I hate all of the accessories Dwight Howard wears, from the newly added headband (which he might be wearing because he is a super immature adult that wasn't allowed to wear one in Orlando. And just like a teenager that rebels everything their parents does, he wears it just to say "Ha-ha, in your face, I am wearing a head band and you can't do anything about it because you decided to trade me away for nothing) to the f--king stupid sleeves.

Thanks to Harry Erickson, we might be able to do something that can change the world. What was his reasoning to start the petition? Well:

It looks ridiculous.

I cannot put it in any other way. So if you believe in this cause, please join us, the 293 supporters to make Laker games a better viewing experience. We only need 207 more people, you help would be much appreciated.

Jack Taylor scored 138 points in a NCAA game and Kobe loved it, Melo not so much.

Yea, that dude in the middle is Jack Taylor, he doesn't play in the NBA, and probably never will, but he will be remembered as the guy that scored 138 points in a Division III NCAA Basketball game. You read it right, he scored 138 points out of his team's total 179 points. They beat their opponents by a margin of 75 points and Kobe loved everything thing about it.

From Dave McMenamin:

Reporter: Kobe, a college kid scored 138 points tonight and took over 100 shots ...

Bryant: "Wow ... No kidding? Where?"

Reporter: Grinnell college in Iowa.

Bryant: "Really? Wow. That's impressive. That's crazy. I don't care what level you're at. Scoring 138 points is pretty insane. How many 3s did he shoot?"

Reporter: 71.

Bryant: "Holy sh--. How many points did they score as a team?"

Reporter: 179.

Bryant: "What?!"

Reporter: No other starter had double figures.

Bryant: "That's incredible."

Reporter: Dude on the other team scored 71 points and lost.

Bryant: "That's amazing. He must have been wearing the Mambas, man. Only Mambas have no conscious to shoot the ball like that."

Reporter: If you did that, would people be celebrating you?

Bryant: "Would people be celebrating me if I scored 138 points? You know how it is, some people would, some people wouldn't. They can all kiss my a-- as I'm sure he feels the same way. If you score 138 points, you kind of have a license to tell people to f--- off."

A very Kobe like answer, the plug for his shoe was totally necessary and hilarious. I bet Kobe now wishes he went to college and destroy every trace of that record. Maybe that is what he will do after he retires, although it is completely impossible due to stupid rules, there was a 59 year old college football player.

When Carmelo Anthony, a fellow point-getter heard the news, he didn't give much praise and was actually critical.

"I never heard of nothing like that. That's like a video game," Anthony said, an incredulous look on his face. "How can you shoot 100 times, though?"

He joked that from now on when someone asks if he's taking too many shots, he'll mention "that someone shot it 108 times."

The notion of Carmelo's disgust at someone shooting over a 100 times in a single game is very laughable. Hopefully for the Knicks, he won't play up to that excuse because that wouldn't be too good for the team that has finally found an identity.

Then again, Jack Taylor might secretly be Melo 5.

Source: NY Daily News

Vintage Rasheed Wallace Moment - "Ball Don't Lie."

Oh man, I am so glad Sheed is back in the league. Without out him, the game just isn't same, the art of trash talk is nearly extinct. At least we don't have to worry about it for now, because we still have the Professor, maybe he can instill some of his skills into his fellow teammates. I am kind of surprised nobody laughed at the old guy on the court just yelling anything he can think of, I can't even stop watching this without cracking up. I guess Doc Rivers never warned his son about Sheed, you can never miss the first free throw from a foul by the man with a hole in the middle of his hair, otherwise these amazing moments in the NBA happens, and I, thank you.

Via: @jose3030

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.

Raymond Felton never got into the weight room until this season.

That picture was taken 4 months ago, before the New York Knicks swept up the rest of the NBA, going undefeated for 7 straight games. Last year, Raymond Felton came in to the shortened lockout season out of shape for the Portland Trail Blazers. He even admitted he relaxed because he didn't think there would be a season. It was totally unprofessional, he became somewhat of a internet joke and was hated by every Blazer fan. It also really bothers me that his job was to ONLY stay in game shape, instead he ballooned up over the summer, and stuffed a few too many cupcakes in his face.

In a recent interview with the New York Post, Raymond FAT-ton explained how he got back in game shape in 4 months.

I’m probably in the best shape I’ve been in since college, since the first year I got into the NBA. I feel like I’m back to 21 years old starting off with the Charlotte Bobcats.

This is what he looked like as a Bobcat. Yea, pretty hard to believe, he once looked athletic and it went downhill from there.

Doug Benc/Getty Images North America

 To follow up:

... Probably getting in the weight room, something I never did in my life (chuckle). I did a lot of running ... training two times, three times a day ... and then I had a great chef on board. I didn’t drink nothing but water for like three months.

Seriously? A professional athlete like yourself, did not work out until your 10th season in the league. Unless you are Kevin Durant, you have no excuses. At least you are playing great in New York right now, but that doesn't mean the fat jokes will stop.

The Round Up - November 18th, 2012.

Stats Rundown:

Kevin Durant gets his first career triple double tonight in the victory over the Golden State Warriors. He scored 25 points (8 of 16 shooting, 3 of 5 from the three), grabbed 13 boards and dished out his first 10 assists. He has only had more than 8 assists twice in his career, what a ball hog (jokes, I would rather him shoot more than allow Russell Westbrook carry the offensive load). (Via:@johnschuhmann)

Board Monster: Anderson Varejao is still very good at getting rebounds, grabbing 15 in the loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Dishin': A day after Rajon Rondo got 20 assists against the Raptors, Jose Calderon decided do his best impersonation of the Boston guard. Handing out 18 assists in the victory over the Orlando Magic.

Thief: Russell Westbrook robbed the Golden State Warriors 5 times in the Oklahoma City Thunder win.

Butter Fingers: Rajon Rondo and Roy Hibbert both lost the basketball 6 times in their games. Roy Hibbert is continuing to disappoint, failing to be the star that the Indiana Pacers have paid a max contract for.

Rookie Watch: Damian Lillard registered 16 points, 3 assists and 3 steals in the victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Time Machine User: Kobe Bryant is playing out of his mind this season, 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 ASSISTS and 3 steals. This is his 18th triple double in his 17th season in the NBA.

Head Band Boo Boo: Jason Kidd received a cut during the game, and needed 7 stitches to the side of his head, which explains the strange head band positioning. It is somehow very amusing.

FROLO: Just a daily update on Andrew Bynum's funk-a-licious hair.

Injury Update: @GotEm_Coach got actual footage of Andrew Bynum injuring his knee in the bowling alley.

I ain't no Slouch: One of the famous Washington Knuckleheads, Andray Blatche, has blossomed into a solid player in Brooklyn. He actually went 10 for 10 from the field up until the middle of the third quarter. He finished with 22 points on 11 of 12 shooting in only 19 minutes of play. Who is this guy?

Shameless Records: Rajon Rondo kept his double digit game streak alive to 34, but it was in a 20 point blowout loss to the Detroit Pistons. Doc Rivers had to keep Rondo late in the game for him to get those 10 assists. He even called timeouts to draw up plays for the point guard to find someone to score. Something Boston struggled to do today.

Elbow Room: Ron Artest AKA Metta World Peace have no voluntary control of his elbows, they keep flying around hitting people in the head, "accidentally." Jeremy Lin is unfortunately one of those unlucky recipients. I am sure James Harden have useful advice to recover from a hit like that.

Sunday Night Football:  MWP is probably playing the wrong sport.

Número Uno: Pau Gasol scored his 15,000th point tonight, making him the 10th foreign player in NBA history to do so. He is also the first Spanish player to reach that mark.

Highlight of the Night: Russell Westbrook haven't dunked on someone in a while, so he felt like he had to remind people that he can still in fact jump very high.

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 Round Up - November 17th, 2012.

Stats Rundown:

Chris Bosh and his giraffe neck got him 24 points (9 of 11 shooting), 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks in the win over the Phoenix Suns.

Board Monsters: Emeka Okafor grabbed 14 rebounds in the loss to the Utah Jazz. This marks the Washington Wizards' eighth straight loss, they remain win less and at the bottom of the NBA.

Dishin': Rajon Rondo can't be stopped, handinh out 20 assists today in the victory over the Toronto Raptors. Not only does this becomes his 33 straight game with double digit assists, he also becomes the fifth player since 1985 to get 20 assists in less than 33 minutes. (Via: @ZackLowe_NBA)

Block Party: Chris Kaman put his hunting skills to work, using his elite hand-eye coordination to swat 6 Cleveland Cavaliers shots in the victory for the Dallas Mavericks.

Rookie Watch: Anthony Davis would not allow Damian Lillard to stay as the front runner for the ROY, so he decided to score 28 points (10 of 14 shooting) and register 11 rebounds in the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Time Machine User: Kevin Garnett gets his first mention, 15 points (6 of 7 shooting), and 5 rebounds in 17 minutes.

Early Christmas: The Boston Celtics people thought it would be funny to bring out Grinch early and give all the young spectators nightmares that would haunt them for eternity. (Via: @nbamusings)

Happy Kevin Garnett: Yes, He exists. And he loves to groove with Gino of American Bandstand.

Old Man Dunk: Paul Pierce's legs didn't could not comprehend his demands, so the Truth had to make do. Using his veteran experience, he banked a dunk, the first ever done in NBA history.

Sad Bulls: The 101 to 80 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers, becomes the first Chicago Bulls 20 point loss since December 1st, 2010. (Via: @KCJHoop)

Scoopity Doo: Shannon Brown doing a 06' Wade impression on the 12' Miami Heat.

 

FROLO: Guess What? Andrew Bynum just re-injured his knee while bowling, and the 76ers still have to pay him $16.5 million in 2013, ain't that something?

Weak: Yesterday, was not the most entertaining day in the basketball world, tons of blowouts and non-emotional clinching close games.

Highlight of the Night: In case you didn't know, the Los Angles Clippers still like to do alley oops and they are still super fun.

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. 

Los Angeles made November 14th, Dwight Howard day.

 

Call me crazy, but giving the starting center of an unestablished team, his own day is just ridiculous. This Los Angeles Lakers team haven't done anything to prove they are in contention for the title.The funniest part is that, they have no idea if Dwight Howard would extend his contract with the Lakers after this year. Then again if Snoop Lion is present when you are awarded your own day, it can't possibly be a legitimate thing right?

DeAndre Jordan can't stop farting.

DeAndre Jordan went the extra mile, he didn't just pulled the prank, he owned it. The fanning of his shorts takes this over the top. Also I hate people that instantly reacts to the fart as if it smelled bad, there are different types of fart, not all are bad. Stop being so narrow minded people.

Tracking the growth of Andrew Bynum's hair.

Via @BeyondtheBuzzer

1. Pre-Dwight Howard trade. Happy and so innocent.

2. Post Trade depression. "I will just grow it a little, need a new look as the main man."

3. Stress. "I can't play until January, might as well hit the bong."

4. So the Lakers got Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. And all I have is Spencer Hawes with his stupid mullet, trying to convince me to remake a 60's white cop, black cop detective movie.

5. Denial. "So I am actually playing for the 76ers now, and the Lakers just got Mike D'Antoni. Are you kidding me? I could have been able to jack up ALL OF THE THREES."

6. Watched a little bit of too much Boondocks, felt like he and Huey had the same amount of maturity, so he tried to look the part.

7. My name is a Pimp named Slick Back. You say the whole thing, like "A Tribed Called Quest."

8. Trolling. "Twitter must be loving this right now."

BEST HAIR EVER. (Via @jose3030)

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.

Kyrie Irving cuts his nails, reads, naps, eats, and shaves during a cinematic dunk.

Kyrie Irving decided to stray from the norm, and used his time wisely while in flight to a spectacular dunk. It is about time we get some change, I am sick of the same old slow motion dunk that always features a man maintaining an intense facial expression, never allowing his eyes to blink, enlarging his mouth/sticking his tongue out according to the distance, dramatic arm windings and the beads of sweat leaving him on the way to the rim. It is all played out, if Kyrie would have actually finished the dunk, it would have been the greatest dunk of all time. Unfortunately we will have to settle for the greatest lay up of all time.