Coming off of yesterday’s 59-point demolition of Finland, USA Basketball returned to action on the backside of a back-to-back vs. Turkey on Sunday afternoon.
Today’s contest acts as somewhat of a rematch of the title game from the 2010 FIBA World Championships, where Team USA routed Turkey 81-64 behind the coming out party of Kevin Durant. This year’s Turkish national team is not lead by quite as much NBA talent as they were in 2010, as Hedo Turkoglu, Ersan Ilyasova and Semih Erden are no longer a part of the roster. The only NBA talent remaining from their 2010 runner-up squad is the newest New Orleans Pelican, Omer Asik, who will be teaming up with Anthony Davis this coming season. However, Turkey’s 2014 squad is full of experience, as eight of their players participated in the 2010 World Championship run.
Team USA certainly wasn’t going to destroy Turkey like they did to Finland; in fact, they got all they could handle. Tough inside play from Turkey early on helped control the pace and set the tone for a tight low-scoring affair, as they disrupted the flow of the United States offense by going into matchup zone coverage and did a great job of controlling the boards, particularly the offensive glass. Neither side got off to a strong start shooting the basketball, as Turkey shot 4-15 from the field in the first quarter while the United States went just 6-18, but Turkey made up for it. They outrebounded the US 12-4 in the first frame – six coming from Omer Asik – and by halftime, they had gotten to the free throw line 18 times.
Kyrie Irving provided an offensive spark early on, burying a three from the top of the key and knifing through the lane for another one of his spectacular up-and-under reverse layups, while Kenneth Faried finished above the rim in transition and completed a tough up-and-under himself. However, Team USA had a difficult time converting against the zone, which forced them into settling for far too many jump shots. It’s one thing when guys are feeling it, but that wasn’t the case in the first half. Steph Curry’s frustration about his continued struggles was beyond visible, as he hit just one of his first nine shot attempts.
In the second quarter, Turkey maintained their attack and really made a lot happen off the dribble and with their crisp reactionary ball movement. They didn’t shoot well from the field in the first quarter but came back to shoot 8-12 in the second frame, leading to a 24-19 advantage. The way in which they slowed the game down and refused to allow Team USA to control the pace of the game was remarkable, and the first time we have seen something like that through USA Basketball’s 2014 schedule thus far.
At the half, Turkey’s strong defensive gameplan and relentless gang rebounding approach lead to a 19-5 advantage on the glass, as they held a 40-35 lead at intermission.
The first half was played at a slowed down, grind-it-out pace that Turkey had hoped for, but neither team was having that in the third quarter. Both sides came out like gangbusters, as each squad got into a terrific offensive flow in up-and-down fashion. Team USA finally imposed their will in the paint, as they refused to settle for jumpers like they did throughout the first 20 minutes of the ballgame. Instead of taking what the defense gave them on the perimeter, they started working the ball down low in the halfcourt and finally began to break up that zone.
Anthony Davis, who went scoreless in the first half, was much more aggressive in the third quarter where he scored 11 of his 19 points, attacking under the rim and putting together back-to-back old fashioned three-point play conversions. Kenneth Faried provided a big time burst of energy as he was extremely active defensively, cleaned up the offensive glass and continued to run the floor beautifully.
USA Basketball’s defense continued to break down at times in the halfcourt, as Turkey’s wide pick n’ roll play broke them down and lead to a flurry of open threes. However, Team USA’s sense of urgency was taken to another level as they were able to get out in transition by playing the passing lanes well and coming away with multiple strips. They shot under 40% in the first half, but went 13-22 in the third frame where they held a 31-20 advantage and built a six-point lead heading into the fourth.
Team USA ramped up their intensity even more in the fourth, as they had finally figured out Turkey’s offensive attack and were able to complete multiple consecutive stops. They absolutely locked down, disrupting everything Turkey attempted to do with the ball, opening the final frame with a 31-9 run in a game that was tight for three quarters, but quickly turned into another blowout victory for the United States.
As Fran Fraschilla repeatedly stated, this was an outstanding test for Team USA. For a team that was able to dominate the first five games of their schedule with practically zero resistance, they needed to respond after getting punched in the mouth. They did just that, forcing Turkey into 28 turnovers for the game and dominating the second half 63-37. The final score is not indicative of how the game went through the first 30 minutes, but it was comforting to watch Team USA respond in dominant form with their backs against the wall.
Kenneth Faried lead all scorers with 22 points on 11-14 shooting, while Anthony Davis grabbed six rebounds and scored all 19 of his points in the second half. James Harden put together one of his best games, scoring an efficient 14 points and dishing out seven assists as he let the game come to him as opposed to his recent tendency to force a lot with the ball. Kyrie Irving had a couple of sloppy turnovers but for the most part played a solid all-around game on both ends. I was impressed with his one-on-one ball pressure, despite making mistakes in pick n’ roll coverage. Irving finished with 13 points and five assists.
DeMarcus Cousins lead the bench brigade yet again, putting in 11 points on 5-8 from the field. He also converted a monster reverse pivot post spin as quickly as you’ve ever seen him move, almost reminiscent of Shaquille O’Neal’s “Black Tornado.” Maybe Diesel has had a hand in his development out in Sacramento? Not a bad mentor to have for a big fella.
Anthony Davis is the best player that USA Basketball has, but Faried is their number one source of energy. The guy is an absolute menace with the way he approaches the game. He was once again all over the place defensively, where he got his hands on a lot of basketballs and made his presence felt on the glass. Faried also did a terrific job getting out in transition, where he sprinted full speed and got ahead of the pack on multiple occasions. He was extremely active on the offensive glass, as well, where he played the garbage man role and threw his body into the opposition to convert cleanup buckets. He put up some numbers today, but the spark of energy he provided is unprecedented. What a Manimal!
The FIBA World Cup is officially underway, basketball heads, and USA Basketball opened up their preliminary round schedule against Finland this afternoon in overwhelmingly dominant fashion.
Finland’s national roster isn’t infused with jaw-dropping talent that stacks up with what the United States has to offer, but they’ve got a few names you might recognize. Their best player is Petteri Koponen, who has never played in the NBA but was drafted in the first round (30th overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft by the 76ers, who have since forwarded his rights to Dallas. Erik Murphy, a former Florida star who spent last season with the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz, will be fighting for a roster spot in Cleveland Cavaliers training camp next month. You may also be familiar with former NCAA ballplayers Sean Huff (Valparaiso) and Gerald Lee Jr. (Old Dominion).
Despite some minor speculation that Mike Krzyzewski would reinsert Derrick Rose into the starting lineup for World Cup play, he has decided to roll with the same starting five we have seen over the last three games – Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kenneth Faried and Anthony Davis.
Contrary to Team USA’s tendency to dance with the ball and settle for jumpers throughout exhibition play, they made it a point to attack the rim early on against Finland’s minimal defensive resistance. All of Team USA’s first 19 points came in the paint or at the free throw line off of fouls committed under the basket. Finland ran a lot of high pick n’ roll from the top of the key, generally electing to take jumpers in one-and-done fashion. Specifically in the second half of the first quarter, Finland was extremely sloppy with the ball and had a tough time dealing with the US ball pressure as they harassed the perimeter and swarmed the passing lanes. On the strength of their relentless two-way attack, USA Basketball closed the first quarter on a 20-8 run.
Finland’s second quarter was as brutal of a stretch as you will ever see in professional play, as they were unable to score a single field goal throughout the entire frame. Their only two points came at the free throw line. Team USA destroyed them in the second quarter on a 29-2 run, thanks to their absolutely dominant defensive stand from all angles, pushing their lead up to 42 at halftime. They way they dominated the opposition was just out of control.
After Finland missed 19 consecutive shots and accumulated 17 first half turnovers, he score was 60-18.
Some life was ignited into Finland’s squad in the locker room, as they came out and finally put some points on the board in the third quarter (21), but the game was obviously all but over. Team USA lead by as many as 62 and ended up winning the game 114-55, which reminds me of how my old B Team used to get crushed in AAU play.
Anthony Davis was quiet in the first quarter offensively, but the opening of the second quarter displayed a little bit of everything as he stuck a mid-range jumper off of a jab, finished in traffic and converted a three-point opportunity off of a strong drive on the baseline. Davis wasn’t necessarily needed to score the ball this afternoon but he poured in 17 points anyway, from a variety of areas on the floor.
Klay Thompson quietly shot the lights out, as usual, and lead all scorers with 18 points while knocking down four of his seven attempts from beyond the arc.
DeMarcus Cousins was the first sub off the bench and once again brought a great deal of energy, as he grabbed 10 rebounds and was one point away from a double-double. Rudy Gay was extremely active on both ends, himself, as he worked hard in transition and made a lot of extra efforts for loose balls. Gay finished with 10 points and five boards off the bench.
From a physical standpoint, Derrick Rose looked better today than he did all last week as he put together an explosive drive/and-one finish late in 1st quarter along with a vintage tomahawk slam in the second frame. The former MVP also buried a three in the 4th. He did, however, continue his struggles of finishing at the rim as he works to get his timing back in true form. Regardless, he was very aggressive and explosive off the dribble, which is the most important factor. The feel for the game will reassert itself as time goes on through good health. Rose finished with 12 points and three assists in 22 minutes of action.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
There was no individual who stood out or made a singular contribution to put the team over the top. This was an all-out team effort from the get-go on both ends of the court, but the stifling defensive performance that Team USA put on today dropped your jaw to the floor. Sure, Finland was severely outmatched in terms of talent, but that’s not why they got annihilated the way they did. USA Basketball made it a point to turn their defensive pressure up to another level, and they locked down murderously throughout the majority of the game.
USA Basketball has officially made their way to Spain in preparation for the World Cup, as Tuesday afternoon’s matchup against Slovenia at Gran Canaria Arena marked their last exhibition contest before the tournament begins this coming Saturday.
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s roster stands a bit thinner than the last time we saw Team USA in action, as Gordon Hayward, Kyle Korver, Damian Lillard and Chandler Parsons were released in order to cut the roster down to the final 12. No changes were made to the starting lineup, however, as Coach K decided to roll with the same five that he put on the floor to begin the last two contests vs. Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, consisting of James Harden, Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving on the perimeter alongside Anthony Davis and Kenneth Faried.
Slovenia is lead by 2013-14 All-NBA Third Teamer Goran Dragic of the Phoenix Suns and his brother Zoran, who averaged 10.9 points per game last year for Unicaja Málaga of the most prolific professional Spanish league, Liga ACB. Starting Slovenian national team big man Miha Zupan is also worth bringing to your attention, as the 6’8″ forward/center has carved out a 14-year (and counting) professional basketball career for himself as a legally deaf individual. For further assurance regarding how difficult that is to accomplish, look no further than Lance Allred, the one and only legally deaf player in NBA history.
Most of Slovenia’s offense is predicated off of high pick n’ rolls, cross-screening across the paint, weak-side flashes/curls to free up shooters and of course, Goran Dragic’s mesmerizing isolation breakdowns. Slovenia doesn’t have much to run through in the post and as a result, they are a very perimeter oriented team that came into today’s contest hoisting an average of 30 three-point attempts per game, as noted by Fran Fraschilla early in the first quarter. After a rough 2-11 start shooting from the field, Slovenia continued to follow through with their system and got back into the game by knocking down some triples after swinging the ball around the horn. Team USA jumped on the opposition for a strong 18-9 advantage early on, but were unable to build on the lead to close to quarter as they grew sloppy with the ball and settled for jumpers.
Kenneth Faried was once again an animal – dare I say Manimal – on the offensive glass and really made his physical presence felt in the paint and battling for loose balls in the first half. That kind of energy is contagious and valuable in so many ways that box scores will never illustrate. On top of that, it was pretty clear that Slovenia didn’t want any part of challenging Anthony Davis at the rim, especially after he altered multiple attempts and sent a couple back. With The Uniblocker and The Manimal setting the tone for a slew of unanswered buckets, Team USA put together a 17-2 run early in the second quarter extended their lead to 16 by the halfway mark of the frame.
Team USA didn’t run many halfcourt sets because they almost didn’t have to. The majority of their offense, especially throughout the 10 minutes of play prior to halftime, was created at the free throw line and in transition off of stops and leak-outs after rebounds. Slovenia was completely locked down for a heavy stretch as they shot 6-21 in the second quarter, but a late string of three long-balls lead to a 9-1 Slovenia run to close the half. That’s what they do. They were down by as many as 18, but their jam-packed paint protection and hot shooting bailed them out to help cut the deficit to just 11 at intermission. Not bad for a team that shot 32% and gave up 27 free throws.
Deja vu.
USA Basketball held a significant talent advantage, put together urgent spurts of stifling defense, got a lot of easy buckets in transition and built a big lead. Of course, they still struggled to find rhythm in the halfcourt and failed to lay the hammer on their runs due to beating themselves. Then second half starts, and it’s just over once the US graduates their sense of urgency to demolition mode. This game’s storyline is not much different than what we’ve seen in exhibition matchups prior to today’s meeting with Slovenia. Once that switch is flipped, it’s on like Donkey Kong and Team USA turns into a dominant force.
You thought Slovenia had a tough time in the second quarter? By the halfway point of the third frame, the USA went crazy on a 23-4 run and pushed their 11-point halftime lead up to 30 in the snap of a finger. This time, however, Slovenia had no chance of recovering and putting themselves back in the game. Coach K and Tom Thibodeau had to be upset with the inconsistent play throughout the first half, but the troops responded and swarmed absolutely everything the opposition attempted to do after they came back from the locker room.
I can’t stress this enough: Anthony Davis and Kenneth Faried completely took the game over on the defensive end of the floor, where they threw their weight around, blocked and altered anything that came towards them and created a seemingly unlimited number of transition opportunities for Team USA. The frontcourt duo combined for 32 points and 20 boards, but even those gaudy numbers don’t do their impact justice. Slovenia simply didn’t have anyone on the roster that could compete with them from a physical standpoint, and it was as clear as water.
Slovenia shot 26-71 for the game, including 9-27 from beyond the arc while they knocked down just 10 of their 17 free throws. This was flat out an abysmal offensive performance against a far superior squad. Goran Dragic was relatively quiet against his fellow NBA contemporaries, as he scored just six points on 3-10 shooting while his brother, Zoran Dragic, lead Slovenia with 16 points and 5 rebounds.
All 12 USA players took the floor in the blowout, while half of them reached double-figure scoring. Kyrie Irving and Rudy Gay did an outstanding job pushing the pace and converting out in transition, while Steph Curry’s playing time was limited due to foul trouble but he still managed to pour in 10 points in 14 minutes of action. Gay and Klay Thompson lead the bench brigade with 11 points apiece, while DeMarcus Cousins brought the ruckus in terms of energy and finished with six points, four rebounds and three blocks.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
ANTHONY DAVIS – 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks, 4 steals
Anthony Davis was absolutely all over the place on both ends of the floor. Defensively, the intimidation factor of The Uniblocker was in full effect as he made every Slovenian player second-guess challenging him in the paint. Davis blocked four shots, but changed at least double that along with his usual cleansing of the glass as he finished with a game-high 11 rebounds. The large majority of what Team USA was able to do out in transition was created by the foundation that Davis and Faried laid down on the defensive end. Davis was also very active around the rim, as he finished above it and aggressively put pressure on the competition by making multiple trips to the free throw line, where he shot 8-11. If you have a set of eyes attached to a fully functioning cranium, you can agree it is clear that Davis is the number one key to USA Basketball’s success. He positively affects the game in so many ways, it blows your mind, and you never have to worry about questioning his dedication or effort level. This afternoon’s game was just another exciting reminder that the kid has legitimate Hall of Fame potential down the line.
Finally, the exhibition schedule is complete. I don’t know about you, but as much fun as I’ve had watching the last four games, I’ve already got my popcorn ready for the real deal.
TEAM USA PRELIMINARY ROUND SCHEDULE
Saturday, August 30 – vs. Finland – 3:30 pm ET (ESPN)
Sunday, August 31 – vs. Turkey – 3:30 pm ET (ESPN)
Tuesday, September 2 – vs. New Zealand – 11:30 am ET (ESPN2)
Wednesday, September 3 – vs. Dominican Republic – 3:30 pm ET (ESPN2)
Thursday, September 4 – vs. Ukraine – 11:30 am ET (ESPN2)
Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski has confirmed that the three-way trade involving the Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers, which sends Kevin Love to the Cavaliers, is finally official. Beyond negotiation, the trade’s hold-up was centered around the waiting period for Andrew Wiggins to become trade eligible 30 days after he officially inked his rookie contract.
Everybody knows that this solidifies the Cavaliers as an Eastern Conference powerhouse behind the superstar trio of LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, but what does this mean for all parties involved? Walk with me, basketball heads, and let’s examine this blockbuster deal.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Incoming Assets – Kevin Love Outgoing Assets – Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, 2015 1st Round Pick (via Miami)
When LeBron first returned to Cleveland, without a Kevin Love deal in place, the majority of basketball observers questioned whether or not the Cavs were ready to compete for championships. In fact, many doubted it was feasible in 2015 without some kind of blockbuster haul to give King James some help. Now that they’ve cashed in their chips and traded the NBA’s last two number one overall draft picks, they’re ready to roll. Instead of people arguing about Cleveland’s chances of contending, we’re now wondering if the new “Big Three” in Cleveland can exceed what was done in Miami over the last four years.
From a basketball standpoint, this offseason is a dream come true for Cavaliers fans, even the ones that set those #23 jerseys on fire back in 2010. Cleveland basketball has now returned to prominence, and they’ve got three superstar players in their prime that complement one another perfectly. Chris Bosh is outstanding but Love may just turn out to be the best big man LeBron has ever played with, and Kyrie Irving surely has a lot more left in the tank than the 32-year-old Dwyane Wade. Love is arguably the best rebounder in the entire NBA, an incredible jump shooting big and a guy that can play off of anything LeBron or Irving want to do on the floor. Cleveland’s spacing and offensive prowess is going to be an absolute nightmare for all 29 opponents, especially after bringing in Mike Miller along with the plan to court Ray Allen. Cleveland is going to devastate opposing defenses with their drive-and-kick game, deadly pick n’ roll/pop play along with three guys that can individually break you down if all else fails. Hell, maybe four if Dion Waiters can accept a smaller role and bring it consistently.
The Cavs have a lot to prove on the defensive end of the floor, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better defensive quarterback than LeBron James. Anderson Varejao will remind everyone about what he brings to the table, as well.
From a financial standpoint, Cleveland is setting themselves up for a big time commitment. They’re only sending out the rookie contracts of Wiggins and Bennett, which combine for about $11.7 in 2014-15, and we all know Love is destined to sign a max contract extension in due time. Then you’ve got LeBron’s upcoming contract restructuring and, oh yeah, Irving just signed off on a $90 million extension, as well. It’s all worth it, though, as Cleveland is in prime position to contend for multiple titles going forward.
Of course, there is always a risk involved when you’re giving up the top pick in the draft and a talent like Wiggins, even when the return is an All-Star in his prime, but I’ll go out on a limb and say that Cleveland’s upcoming postseason success will erase any doubts one may have. Get your popcorn ready, this is going to be fun to watch.
Trade Grade – A
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MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
Incoming Assets – Andrew Wiggins, Thaddeus Young, Anthony Bennett Outgoing Assets – Kevin Love, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Alexey Shved
This was inevitable.
The Timberwolves had no choice but to find the best deal possible in return for their 25-year-old superstar, as it would have been beyond foolish to let him walk as a free agent for nothing, but the organization has no reason to be upset about it. Minnesota may have lost the face of the franchise, but they absolutely replaced him with a big time young talent that is potentially capable of carrying that title for a long time going forward. Andrew Wiggins was the top pick in the stacked 2014 NBA Draft for a reason, and he brings Timberwolves fans something they are desperately starving for – hope.
Flip Saunders and the Wolves even managed to bring in a better package for Love than they got for Kevin Garnett in the summer of 2007. You probably won’t find the Wolves in the playoff picture this season, but there’s plenty to be excited about and that’s exactly what they were desperate to establish with this trade. Not only is Wiggins blessed with superstar potential as a two-way game changer, he has Ricky Rubio, one of the league’s best playmakers, to set the table for him as he learns how to lay down the silverware himself. Thaddeus Young is a heck of a player already, and will serve as a quality immediate replacement as the squad’s new starting power forward. His strengths complement Nikola Pekovic’s post presence beautifully, and gives the Wolves a steady veteran they can count on to produce and lead by example with his strong work ethic.
Financially, this trade is practically a draw for the Wolves as Love, Mbah a Moute and Shved’s accumulative 2014-15 salary stands at about $23.3 million while Wiggins, Bennett and Young combine for $20.23 million. At the end of the upcoming season the Wolves will have a $5.8 million team option on Bennett’s contract, which you would imagine depends solely on his performance, while Thad Young has a $9.72 million player option for 2015-16 (I’ll save you the suspense – he’s probably going to take it). It remains to be seen where Bennett’s career is headed after a disappointing rookie year, but the potential is there. If the number one overall pick from the 2013 NBA Draft can resurrect himself and start showing people that he can make something of himself at the NBA level, he may turn out to be a steal. Even if he doesn’t pan out, there is no risk for the Wolves, as they can simply let him go after one year without any financial backlash, and they still have Wiggins locked into his pro-rated rookie deal.
It’s all about the future, Wolves fans. Wait, haven’t they heard that before? Just kidding, smile. Things are looking up.
Trade Grade – A
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PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
Incoming Assets – Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Alexey Shved, 2015 1st Round Pick (via Miami) Outgoing Assets – Thaddeus Young
Thaddeus Young is a better player than the two that Philadelphia brought in, but this is still a terrific deal for the 76ers. A team like Philly needs to stockpile as many quality young players and assets as possible, as they continue their quest to build a competitor through the maturation of youth. They did just that by adding another first round pick to their collection, and they saved a lot of money in the process.
If Young accepts his 2015-16 player option, he will make just under $19 million over the next two seasons. Meanwhile, both Mbah a Moute and Shved’s contracts combine for just $7.58 million and each expire at the end of this season. By my calculations, that’s adding a first round pick at the same time as saving over $11 million. Not bad, especially considering how Young wanted a change of scenery in the first place.
The Sixers lose the better player but this deal adds to Philadelphia’s flexibility, list of assets and available playing time for younger players. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute will be looked at for leadership, especially when it comes to Joel Embiid, a friend and fellow Cameroon native.
Trade Grade – B+
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This deal legitimately works out beautifully for all parties involved. Cleveland put together their “super team” and combines their newly reacquired hometown hero with no joke of a supporting cast, which should compete for multiple rings. Minnesota resurrects the level of excitement and hope throughout the organization and fan base, and brought in a collection of assets that most teams in their position haven’t been able to pull off, while Kevin Love gets to avoid the free agency process by getting thrown at a contender right away. Philly saves some cash, perhaps improves their odds in the 2015 NBA Draft lottery (they will be there) and puts even more emphasis on the youth movement.
In my opinion, everybody wins while the only team with any chance of feeling any level of regret in the future could be Cleveland, but that only happens if Cleveland doesn’t win a title while Wiggins develops into the next Tracy McGrady. I’ll go out on a limb and predict an eventual Cleveland championship, and Love’s best basketball may still be ahead of him.
On behalf of all basketball junkies, I can’t wait to see how all of this shakes out. The season can’t come soon enough.
USA Basketball returned to Madison Square Garden to face off with Puerto Rico, as this marked the third of four exhibition contests before the World Cup showdown begins in Spain on August 30.
Puerto Rico’s roster isn’t overwhelmed with NBA talent, but they’re lead by Minnesota Timberwolves guard J.J. Barea, former New York Knicks first round pick Renaldo Balkman and, of course, notorious Team USA killer Carlos Arroyo, who dropped 24 points to lead Puerto Rico to a 19-point Olympic victory over the USA back in 2004. You might also recognize 38-year-old center Daniel Santiago, who once had a cup of coffee in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks.
Lead by a strong opening quarter from Barea, Puerto Rico’s offensive attack put a lot of pressure on the US defense from the get-go as their spacing and dynamite pick n’ roll game forced Team USA to cover all areas of the floor, with threats spread out to every section in the halfcourt. Pick n’ rolls were executed from the top of the key as well as the free throw line extended on each side of the floor, scattered with different looks such as strong-side sets in diamond formation.
The scoreboard was knotted at 24 apiece after the contest’s initial 10-minutes but a 19-6 USA run throughout the bridge of the first and second quarters gave Team USA a double-digit lead early in the second frame. However, Puerto Rico maintained their composure and continued their methodical approach to breaking down the defense, bringing the gap back down to a single possession with under four minutes to go in the first half.
Team USA once again fell into their own trap of stagnant offensive execution, predicated off of repetitive isolation play and as Fran Fraschilla put it late in the second quarter, “one and done offense” where they run up the court and jack the first shot they see. Puerto Rico took advantage of that and capitalized off of USA Basketball’s overzealous shot selection as they did a good job of turning USA’s quick misses into their own offense, which doesn’t show up under “points off of turnovers” on the score sheet but is just as devastating.
Puerto Rico shot 6-10 from beyond the arc in the first half and got 10 points out of both Arroyo and stretch-four Ricky Sanchez, along with eight from Barea. Klay Thompson and Sanchez traded threes to close the half, highlighted by Thompson’s coast-to-coast drifting buzzer-beater, as USA held a 52-47 advantage at intermission.
Kenneth Faried opened the second half with contagious energy, as he went into Manimal mode and set the tone for Team USA in the third quarter. He ran the floor hard, was all over the place defensively, challenged and blocked multiple shots at the rim, cleaned up some US misses, threw his weight around in the post, displayed a soft touch on a jump hook and brought the crowd to its feet with an emphatic two-handed slam after sprinting the length of the floor in transition. Faried finished the game with 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks on 6-6 shooting, but his contributions go far beyond what numbers can tell you.
Everybody fed off of Faried’s energy as the US played scrappy pressure defense, maintained their hot hand from 3-point territory and quickly put together a 21-6 run throughout the first five minutes of the second half. That was all she wrote. By the end of the third quarter, the USA had extended their lead to 20 and the game was all but over.
Even with the score differential seemingly out of reach, USA Basketball continuously exhibited their defensive prowess and never let up in terms of harassing Puerto Rico’s guards. Coach K once again used the blowout opportunity to work on the team’s full court press package.
Derrick Rose may have taken a couple of days off to get rest and treatment to deal with knee soreness, but he looked just as confident and explosive tonight as he did in the exhibition opener against Brazil. Rose, who finished with six points and four assists, was very aggressive off the dribble and did a terrific job of creating for his teammates after drawing the defense off the dribble-drive. He did, however, come off the bench as Kyrie Irving commanded the starting point guard position for the second consecutive contest. Irving was the star of the show in his first start on Wednesday night, and followed up nicely with 11 points, six assists and four rebounds vs. Puerto Rico.
Golden State’s sharp-shooting backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were in full effect, as the “Splash Brothers” combined for 32 points and shot an accumulative 8-14 from beyond the arc. As their former head coach Mark Jackson would say, “Hand down, man down.” Puerto Rico didn’t seem to get that memo, as their defense repeatedly broke down and left them wide open for spot-up jumpers.
J.J. Barea lead Puerto Rico with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists while Carlos Arroyo wasn’t far behind, scoring 15 of his own.
Steph Curry had a blast tonight. Not only did he shoot the lights out, as we’re immune to witnessing, but he was also a big part of the reason Team USA was able to establish pace in transition. Curry did a terrific job on the break and did better than usual in terms of dribbling with a purpose, as opposed to dancing with the ball. He was very decisive with his movements and just flat out played intelligent all-around basketball all night long. He also threw a gorgeous no-look behind-the-back bounce pass to James Harden for perhaps the highlight of the game. It’s tough enough for opposing squads to deal with the ball skills of Harden, Derrick Rose and Kyrie Irving, but when Curry plays at this level it puts their backcourt in a different category. Teams are going to have fits trying to control this group out in Spain.
Team USA will now head to Gran Canaria Arena in Spain, where they’ll wrap up their exhibition schedule by taking on Slovenia on Tuesday, August 26 at 2:00 pm ET. Keep your eyes peeled for the inevitable upcoming roster cuts, as well. In the post-game press conference, Mike Krzyzewski noted that the team prefers to trim their roster down to the final 12 before heading to Spain tomorrow. Damian Lillard, Andre Drummond, DeMar DeRozan and Gordon Hayward were the only four USA players that didn’t play in tonight’s game. Stay tuned!
Coming off of Saturday’s 17-point victory over Brazil, USA Basketball made their way to “the mecca,” New York’s Madison Square Garden, to take on the Dominican Republic in their second of three exhibition games.
Leading up to tonight’s contest, Derrick Rose was listed as a gametime decision due to experiencing knee soreness and undergoing treatment on his surgically repaired knees. The team classified the decision to sit Rose as precautionary, but the 2010-11 NBA MVP is expected to practice tomorrow and take the floor in Friday’s exhibition finale vs. Puerto Rico.
Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski began the game with the same lineup that he used against Brazil, with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving replacing Rose in the starting five alongside James Harden, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis and Kenneth Faried.
The Dominican Republic roster is flooded with New York natives who itched to perform in a homecoming battle vs. the USA, seven in total, highlighted by former Louisville standouts Francisco Garcia and Edgar Sosa. Sorely missing from the roster for tonight’s game was the leader of the Dominican national team, Atlanta Hawks All-Star Al Horford, who is still recovering from a torn right pectoral muscle.
This game was over soon after tip-off, thanks to the maniacal talent differential in the USA’s favor. Coach K’s troops were able to establish pace right away, as the Dominican Republic’s stagnant offensive attack lead to multiple transition opportunities for the US. After the red, white and blue put together a 14-0 run early in the game, the momentum had defiantly shifted in Team USA’s direction, and they never looked back.
On the strength of double-digit scoring efforts from both James Harden and Klay Thompson in the first half, the US jumped on the opposition to command a 22-point lead by intermission. Game, set, match. It was over, and the second half scoreboard mirrored what had already transpired in the first 20 minutes of the game. The entire second half was reminiscent of what NBA fans like to refer to as “garbage time,” as the Dominican Republic’s energy level had been completely broken down and recycled by the scrappy US defense.
Kyrie Irving lead the charge in the second half, as “Uncle Drew” buried all five of his shot attempts in the game and finished with 12 points. DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay poured in 13 points apiece while Andre Drummond scored 12 to fill out the list of six USA ballplayers to reach double-figure scoring, while Houston Rockets swingman Francisco Garcia lead the Dominican Republic with 14 points of his own.
One of the bright spots for the US was the debut of DeMarcus Cousins, who sat out Saturday’s exhibition opener after tweaking his knee in practice. The big fella brings a whole new dynamic, as a paint protector who can play with or behind Anthony Davis and make a strong impact on both ends of the floor. On this squad, however, “Boogie” Cousins’ defensive contributions are valued to a higher regard than what he can do with the ball in his hands. Cousins took just one shot in tonight’s contest, but also grabbed eight rebounds in 16 minutes of action.
As mentioned above, Kyrie Irving was chosen to replace Derrick Rose in the starting lineup and it looks like he ate his Wheaties this morning. Not only did he shoot 5-5 from the floor, take care of the ball and contribute to the team’s overall crisp ball movement, but he put in consecutive highlight buckets in the third quarter to help Team USA extend their lead even further heading into the final frame. That jaw-dropping ball handling ability was put on display and in addition to his third quarter highlights, in the mid-second quarter he delivered a vintage shake n’ bake crossover dribble at the top of the key and capitalized on it with a beautiful stop-and-pop J as the shot clock was winding down.
Heading into the game, many questioned whether or not it would be the last moments for certain players in USA red, white and blue but in the post-game press conference, Mike Krzyzewski noted that USA Basketball will not make any roster cuts before Friday’s game. All 16 players are expected to attend tomorrow’s practice and with the recent uncertainly in Derrick Rose’s health, it makes you wonder how much that will affect the remaining perimeter players on the bubble, such as Damian Lillard. Only time will tell, but you’ve got to imagine that Rose’s health would increase Lillard’s chances of cracking the final roster. Stay tuned.
Team USA will return to Madison Square Garden on Friday night, where they will take on Puerto Rico at 7:00 pm ET in their third and final exhibition contest before heading to Spain for the real deal.
Derrick Rose took the floor at the United Center for the first time since November 18.
Team USA is back, basketball heads!
After Paul George’s gruesome leg injury put a stamp on an unfortunately horrific finish to USA Basketball’s intrasquad scrimmage on August 1, the troops had a couple of weeks to regroup before they opened up their exhibition schedule. The first of three pre-tournament contests was played last night at the home of the Chicago Bulls, the United Center, as the US squared off with Brazil.
One of the most anticipated aspects of the game was centered around the homecoming of Derrick Rose, who graced the court before his Chicago fans for the first time since November 18 vs. Charlotte. Before tip-off, Rose grabbed a microphone and addressed the ecstatic Chicago crowd, who reciprocated with a loud, warm reception as their hometown superstar filled their hearts with promise and relief.
Head coach Mike Krzyzewski was forced to go a little bit smaller on the perimeter after the losses of George and Kevin Durant, who dropped out to give his body time to recover for the rigorous 82-game NBA schedule. Rose commanded the point guard position and was joined by Stephen Curry and James Harden on the wing, while Anthony Davis and Kenneth Faried filled out the front line of the squad’s initial starting five combination.
Brazil’s roster is strapped with an influx of NBA talent, such as Washington’s Nene, San Antonio’s Tiago Splitter, Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao and Marcus Vincius, who spent two years with the New Orleans Hornets from 2006-2008. Not to mention the unsigned “Brazilian Blur,” Leandro Barbosa, who is approximately a year and a half removed from the torn ACL he was diagnosed with two seasons ago. Marcelo Huertas has never played in the NBA but as one of the best perimeter players overseas, you can believe he was discussed on the scouting report.
Although Brazil came into this contest having won seven of the previous 12 meetings with USA Basketball, they didn’t have such luck on this night.
Brazil kept the US on their toes early in the game, where they played scrappy defense and capitalized in transition off of some sporadically stagnant US play. In the halfcourt offensively, Brazil displayed some outstanding high-low action along with a plethora of heady big-to-big passes that got them easy buckets around the rim. Tiago Splitter was especially effective, being featured in just about every area of the floor and aggressively pouring in double-figure scoring in the first half. Team USA increased their ball pressure as the first half progressed but after committing a few turnovers, Brazil executed a number of quality press-breakers, even with Nene featured as a facilitator to help get the ball across halfcourt. Brazil maintained their fight, took advantage of multiple sloppy USA possessions and cut a double-digit deficit to just eight at halftime, but Derrick Rose helped the USA gain some momentum with a beautiful and explosive buzzer-beating floater off the glass heading into the half.
Coach K went deep into the bench as he works to figure out his team’s rotation and situational lineups, playing 12 of the roster’s 16 players in the first half.
Particularly in the second and third quarter, where Brazil combined for a 48-39 scoring advantage, USA Basketball fell in love with a lot of isolation sets that completely disrupted the flow they implemented early in the game. Tom Thibodeau made it clear to the team that if they were going to close the game out the way they wanted, they were going to have to tighten up their defensive rotations and make better decisions with the ball. Team USA did just that, increasing their pace and completely reasserting their defensive pressure, holding Brazil to just 15 fourth quarter points.
James Harden was very aggressive attacking the rack, as he knocked down all 11 of his free throw attempts and poured in 18 points with five rebounds. Kenneth Faried played roughly half of the game and brought the same thing we see him bring every night in the NBA – a high motor, constant activity on both ends of the floor and a tenacious mentality to rebound the ball. The Denver Nuggets forward was one rebound away from a double-double. Steph Curry was a little sloppy with the ball, but shot it well early on and finished with nine points as his year-round teammate Klay Thompson was the fourth USA player to reach double-figures with 10 of his own. Rudy Gay, Paul George’s injury replacement, was Coach K’s first sub off the bench and played 12 quality minutes as a stretch-four.
Derrick Rose played 24 minutes of aggressive basketball and looked both explosive and confident in his body. The 2010-11 NBA MVP scored seven points, grabbed four rebounds and increased the arena’s volume with a vintage crossover and up-and-under finish in traffic in the third quarter.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Anthony Davis — 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks
Anthony Davis was the real star of the show. The number one overall pick from the 2012 NBA Draft showcased his versatility on both ends of the floor, finishing with a game-high 20 points to go along with eight rebounds and five emphatic blocks. He was all over the place from start to finish. The Uniblocker was extremely active as a paint protector, controlled the glass and as usual, ran the floor as well as you could ask any big man to do. Offensively, he shot 9-15 from the field as he flashed to open areas in textbook fashion, finished well at and above the rim and displayed his improving shooting range by burying a few jumpers. He also sacrificed his body and threw himself into the stands with a terrific diving save of a ball going out of bounds early in the fourth quarter. Moments later, he saved another ball off of a block of his own, which converted into a three-point play in transition. What a special combination of talent and work ethic; Davis is going to be a big time piece to this team going forward.
Team USA will conclude their three-game exhibition schedule at Madison Square Garden in New York, where they will compete against the Dominican Republic on August 20 and Puerto Rico on August 22, before beginning the tournament for real in Spain on August 30.
Father Time is undefeated. As time goes on, people grow older. It’s the nature of the beast and not a single organism can avoid it.
Every decade or so, the NBA is blessed with a brand new wave of talent to take the keys to the car and help the game grow. When the world was unsure if anyone would ever match the aura of Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell as their careers faded, we were gifted Dr. J, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Nobody was ever going to come close to duplicating their greatness, right? Then Michael Jordan came along.
Fast-forward to 2014. LeBron James isn’t half bad, huh? Kevin Durant is knocking on the door, while guys like Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul are in the process of expanding on their remarkable legacies. However, the book on them has yet to be written. They are still building their brand as they put a stamp on their careers before they pass the baton to the generation on deck. Andrew Wiggins? Jabari Parker? Who is next?
Alright, now rewind.
How about that group in between the Jordan era and what we have today? You know, that late-90s, early 2000’s era that succeeded the Chicago Bulls dynasty and gave us reason to maintain our passion for NBA basketball. That generation will always hold a special place in my heart, because as a basketball junkie that was born in the spring of 1989, that’s what I grew up on.
What a great time period for the game of basketball. We watched Phil Jackson mastermind yet another three-peat, while Pop and the Spurs have been competing for titles with the same core for over a decade. We watched the financial aspect of the league skyrocket, thanks to Jordan and the six-month 1998-99 lockout that made every player before them wish they were born 10 or 20 years later. The average NBA salary in the 1997-98 season was $2.16 million, which has practically tripled since in a league where salaries have reached an annual mark up to $30 million. We also witnessed the evolution of the stretch-four, star players maximizing their individuality and the peak of athletic ability throughout the NBA.
Jordan’s [second] retirement marked a monumental time period for the game, and the group that took over featured its own spark of greatness. However, Father Time is catching up to them these days, too, as the majority of them have either walked away from the game or are on their last lifeline. I’m not upset about the talent we have going forward, but it’s difficult to watch all of your childhood heroes on their last breath.
There are only a few players from that generation still getting it done at a high level, such as Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki and [hopefully] Kobe Bryant. Meanwhile, Tracy McGrady was a minor league pitcher for the Sugar Land Skeeters last year. Jason Kidd and Rasheed Wallace are now coaches. Steve Nash is on life support. Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury were relegated to finishing their careers in China. Jesus Shuttlesworth is now just Ray Allen. Yao Ming’s body broke down in 2011, which forced him to retire at age 30, while 2004 NBA MVP Kevin Garnett can hardly stay on the court for 20 minutes out in Brooklyn. Vince Carter is still a solid role player, but he can’t do this anymore. Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Webber are entertaining us every week on NBA TV and TNT, but they can only bless the game in a suit with a microphone these days.
It’s not fair, but it is the inevitable way of life. It is what it is. At this point we’ve just got to accept it and enjoy the electrifying new wave of talent, but it doesn’t mean we have to forget the greatness that came before them. Nostalgia is a jewel.
As they swallow their pride and pass the torch, let’s take a look at what made the leaders of the last generation so special.
THE BIGS
Tim Duncan & Shaquille O’Neal hold their trophy as the 2000 NBA All-Star Game co-MVPs.
Shaquille O’Neal is more than likely the most dominant physical specimen the game of basketball has ever witnessed. Standing at 7’1″ and weighing in at over 300 lbs., the Diesel playfully destroyed everybody in his path. There was nothing you could do about him 1-on-1 or even with a double-team if he made his mind up to explode to the rim. In fact, the only chance you had of stopping him was to play “Hack-A-Shaq” and hope that he misses all of his free throws. Even then, you can only do that in spurts and he made a lot of those free throws when it mattered most. The Big Aristotle’s one-of-a-kind combination of size, strength, power, athleticism, killer instinct and captivating charisma combined to create a legend that is impossible to replicate. His accomplishments are out of control: four championship rings, three NBA Finals MVPs, 1999-2000 league MVP, 15 All-Star appearances, 14 All-NBA selections, three All-Defense selections and a gold medal from the 1996 Olympics. Those accolades speak for themselves, but the way in which he unstoppably dominated his opponents is something that numbers cannot compute.
The only other big man from this time period that can be mentioned in the same conversation as Shaq is Tim Duncan, the best power forward of all-time. The Big Fundamental is as complete of a player as you could possibly ask for. The fact that the Spurs haven’t missed the playoffs since Duncan was drafted in 1997, and have competed for championships virtually the entire time, is no coincidence. As a long, physically built seven-footer, Duncan is strapped with one of the most complete low-post arsenals we have ever seen, which used to operate at a much quicker rate than what we see these days on account of prime Timmy’s underrated athleticism. He continuously beats you with his skill and when he runs into a physical equal, he breaks them down intellectually all the way to victory as he plays basketball like it’s chess. On top of that, Duncan is one of the most selfless superstars in sports history and carries himself exactly how you would model it in a book. At age 37, he is still in position to add to his five rings and I would write down his individual accomplishments, but I don’t think he would even want it that way.
While we’re speaking on some of the most complete players of all-time, how about a little Kevin Garnett for your ass? The Big Ticket is both one of the most intense individuals you will ever come across and one of the most impressive athletes in NBA history. The seven-footer (6’11” if you ask him) was blessed with elite athletic ability and some of the longest arms you’ll ever see, which combine with his intelligence and work ethic to produce one of the top defensive players of all-time. KG could guard every position on the floor and abruptly covered more ground with one defensive slide than a lot of players can with two. Not to mention, he could handle the ball like a guard, was automatic with his mid-range jump shot and is one of the all-time best passers in the frontcourt. KG epitomizes the word “versatility” and the 2008 champion, Defensive Player of the Year and 2004 NBA MVP has left behind a legacy anybody could respect. His dedication to the game alone is enough to admire. KG’s leadership characteristics are as strong as you could find and he is a walking testament to the notion that if you apply yourself, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!
Chris Webber‘s offensive skill set was cut from the same cloth as Garnett’s, but with a little less spring and more girth to throw around on the block. C-Webb is one of the best ball handlers and passers you will ever see in a big man, and his court vision was that of an over-sized point guard. Especially under Rick Adelman with his dazzling Sacramento Kings squads of the early 2000’s, he dominated the high-post as a facilitator and a lethal scorer that could bury a jumper, back you down or put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. C-Webb played the game for the love of it and that really shines through in the personality he beautifully incorporated into his flare on the court. He never won a championship or an MVP, but make no mistake about the fact that Chris Webber was one of the best players in the NBA for a decade.
If you were to divulge into the depths of NBA history, you would be hard-pressed to find many seven-footers as unique as Dirk Nowitzki. He’s big but he is not particularly athletic, in fact he is slow of foot, yet he can get a clean shot from anywhere on the floor at any time. The high release point on his shot along with his size allows him to almost effortlessly get anything off over the top of most defenders, and his mid-to-high post game is as lethal as anyone’s you can name. He can back you down and create off of each shoulder and if you cut him off, that patented fall-away J is his bread and butter. If you give him any space, there’s a good chance you just gave up a bucket, even out to three-point range, and he’ll stop-and-pop in your grill, too. Dirk is a team-first superstar, a tough competitor, a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, 10th all-time in scoring, the 2006 NBA MVP and most importantly, the 2011 NBA Finals MVP when he lead his Dallas Mavericks to their first championship in franchise history. Dirk will go down as not only one of the best international players ever, but one of the best power forwards to ever play the game.
For a guy who went undrafted, Ben Wallace put together one hell of a career. He was very limited offensively and was never the kind of player you would draw plays for, but he was a rock solid, no-nonsense 6’9″, 250 lbs. who made as much of a defensive impact as anyone in the NBA during his time. In fact, he won four of the five Defensive Player of the Year awards in the span from 2002-2006 and made NBA All-Defense six times. Wallace was also a tenacious rebounder who finished in the top six in rebounding seven times, winning the rebounding title twice in 2001 and 2003. What Big Ben brought to the table terrorized opponents, especially alongside Rasheed Wallace, who’s versatility complemented Ben like the last two pieces of a puzzle. The Pistons made it to the Eastern Conference Finals seven consecutive times from 2003-2009, highlighted by back-to-back NBA Finals appearances and winning the 2004 championship in the Wallace duo’s first year alongside one another.
Yao Ming… what a sad, premature and injury-induced end to his career at age 30. The 7’6″ prodigy had a feathery soft touch, a reliable baby-hook that he could easily get over the top of most competitors and a wide array of low-post counter moves to stack up with his strong work ethic and selflessness as a teammate. It’s too bad he never got a chance to compete deep in the NBA playoffs, because he is one of the most intriguing players in recent memory.
Elton Brand wasn’t too shabby for a 6’8″ power forward, either, and his multiple years of 20/10 averages back that up. That goes for you, too, Zach Randolph. Pau Gasol is still very productive, although not quite at the level he used to do it, and is one of the most versatile bigs I have seen in my lifetime. Antonio McDyess is often forgotten due to his career-long battle to stay healthy, but his run of 18.7 PPG and 9.0 RPG from 1996-2001 was fun to watch. He was very quick for 6’10” and exploded to the rim with the intent to finish above it. At one time, Jermaine O’Neal was one of the best two-way players in the league who was All-Defense level and able to drop 20 on you every night. Who doesn’t miss the Antoine Walker wiggle? Oh, he was one of the best ball handling and passing forwards ever, too, not to mention a three-time All-Star with Boston. As for guys that could flat out get buckets, how about Amare Stoudemire and Shareef Abdur-Rahim? Amare is still kickin’ but in his younger days, he was one of the most viciously explosive players I have ever watched.
THE WINGS
There is only one player in the same class as Shaq and Duncan throughout their generation, none other than Kobe Bryant. The Black Mamba is hands down one of the best and most complete players to ever play the game of basketball, with a borderline flawless set of skills and physical gifts. I know the Jordan comparisons grew stale a long time ago, but it’s tough to dispute the blatant similarities. Kobe is one of the most lethal and creative offensive players in the history of the game. Hell, I don’t need to tell you that, you saw him drop 81 didn’t you? The man is a walking basketball encyclopedia, one of the fiercest competitors to ever compete, tough as nails, an alpha dog with the cold blooded killer instinct we wish every star player had, as clutch as they come, one of the most unstoppable players of all-time with the ball in his hands, an elite defensive player, an MVP, a five-time champion and is forever cemented as a worldwide icon.
Practice? We talkin’ about practice? Say what you want about his attitude or some of the decisions he has made, Allen Iverson had as much talent, heart and toughness as anyone on the court. He was incredible to watch as he blew you away with his second-to-none quickness and speed, continuously created scoring opportunities out of nothing, sported some of the sickest handles in the game and relentlessly sacrificed his body in attack mode regardless of his small frame. The 2000-01 NBA MVP is one of the best “little guys” to ever play. In my opinion, the only player at that size in the same category is Isiah Thomas. Don’t let his size deceive you, Iverson was a stone cold assassin that commanded the rock with the best of them.
As far as raw talent is concerned, Tracy McGrady is in elite territory. T-Mac was a freak athlete, a devastating streak scorer, had the ball on a string at 6’8” with as much shake n’ bake as any point guard, and you just couldn’t guard him 1-on-1; he had it all. Those sleepy eyes don’t do his game justice. When McGrady was in Orlando, there was a window of time where you could legitimately argue T-Mac vs. Kobe, he was that good. The statistical peak of his career came in 2002-03, where he averaged 32.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game on 46% shooting. Not many players in history are able to say they’ve done that, especially with the style and grace that he brought to the game. Then there were those times T-Mac got you jumping off the couch with moments like his self alley-oops off the backboard or the epic “13 in 35” performance. His teams never won in the playoffs, but I don’t have any doubt that T-Mac should have a spot in the Hall of Fame some day.
McGrady’s cousin Vince Carter was pretty incredible in his own right. Although he wasn’t necessarily known as a defensive player, he had a pretty complete game otherwise. His jumper was (and still is) money, he had a good handle, was a terrific shot creator, had the strength to do damage as a rugged post-up guard and he did a great job of creating for his teammates off the dribble. The thing that really jumped out at everyone, of course, was his God-given superhuman freak athletic ability that just made you drop your jaw in awe. When he rose above the rim and displayed his aerial spontaneity, he turned into Vinsanity, Half Man Half Amazing, Air Canada and so on. If you ask me, with no disrespect to Jordan or Dr. J, Vince is the best dunker of all-time, but that wouldn’t even matter if he didn’t have the game to match it. He most certainly did, and was one of the most popular stars of his era.
If you ask me for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, I’ll give you The Truth; Paul Pierce. The 2008 NBA Finals MVP is one of the most complete 1-on-1 scorers of the last 20 years, and he had his fair share of big time clutch performances to cap it off. Pierce was flat out one of those guys you gave the ball to and said “get me a bucket,” and he did it in a wide variety of ways regardless of whether or not he had to adjust himself mid-shot. He was never the quickest but his impeccably endless array of counter-attack moves and wide 6’7″ frame allowed him to pick and choose wherever he wanted to go with the ball. Spot-up threes, hard power-drives to the rack, the ability to finish after contact, a mid-range game that was a nightmare to defend, step-back jumpers from any distance, post ups, pull-up Js with a hand in the face, the ability to put you on a poster, court vision, crossovers, buzzer beaters; you name it, Pierce had it in his game. The man passed Larry Bird in scoring. As his career progressed, he developed himself into a quality leader and defensive player, as well, with a genuine passion for the game. Boston fans will never forget what the 10-time NBA All-Star did for the Celtics from 1998-2013, it was special. The Truth is a future Hall of Famer in the making and one of the greatest players the storied Boston Celtics franchise has ever had.
Pierce’s former teammate Ray Allen has earned his place in history, as well, perhaps most notably as the NBA’s all-time leader in three-point field goals. Don’t get it twisted, though, that’s not all Jesus Shuttlesworth was about. He is one of the best ever in terms of moving without the ball and hitting a spot-up three, but he had a nice handle and some sneaky athleticism in his younger days as well. On top of that, Allen’s late-game heroics never cease to amaze you, from hitting game-winners in Milwaukee all the way to Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals. If you need a last-second basket, there aren’t many players out there that you would rather draw up a play for than Ray Allen. A consummate professional, a true leader, a lights out shooter, a skilled shot creator and a two-time NBA champion, Allen has put himself high on the all-time list of two-guards.
Above, I mentioned how Tim Duncan carries himself with class and selfless leadership, and his teammate Manu Ginobili isn’t much different in that respect. There is something to be said about that core in San Antonio, the Spurs mystique is no joke. Ginobili has been one of the best guards in the league for a decade, yet he is perfectly comfortable with coming off the bench, playing under 30 minutes per game and doing whatever else Pop asks him to do for the betterment of the team. You don’t find too many All-Stars willing to play 27 minutes per game for their career, especially when they are averaging 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists per 36 minutes. He has been an instrumental piece to four of San Antonio’s five championships and his FIBA legacy against international competition is equally impressive, capped off by leading Argentina to a gold medal in 2004. Ginobili is a winner, a menacing competitor and a perfect example to watch for any big-headed kid that struggles with putting his ego in front of what’s important.
“Metta World Peace” or “The Panda’s Friend” (really?) can call himself whatever he wants these days, but the best years of his basketball career will always be attached to his real name, Ron Artest. Forget the crazy, forget Hennessy at halftime and forget the brawl, Artest was one of the best defensive players to ever play the game, set in stone by his four All-Defense selections and 2003-04 Defensive Player of the Year award. Artest was a bully of a post player for a wing and was always a threat to score from the perimeter, too. He was never a huge fan of sacrificing his own offensive talents until he made his way to Phil Jackson and the Lakers, but he left his ego at the door and came up huge in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals to help the Lakers win their second consecutive ring. The guy is out of control crazy, but that doesn’t take anything away from his individual talent when he was at his peak.
Shawn Marion wasn’t too shabby on the defensive side of the ball, himself, and he had super springs with elite athleticism to turn himself into a big time finisher and rebounder, to boot. Latrell Sprewell was a hot head, but he was also a four-time All-Star, an exceptional athlete and one of the most gifted all-around wings for a decade. Michael Finley mirrored Spree’s attributes, perhaps with a more balanced head on his shoulders. Allan “H20” Houston, Michael Redd and Peja Stojakovic are three of the silkiest outside shooters of their time. Andrei Kirilenko, often referred to as “AK47,” was not a go-to scorer but made an impact on each and every aspect of the game. Vince Carter was the most exciting athlete of this generation, but Jason Richardson wasn’t too far behind. A self alley-oop off the glass, finished with a between-the-legs dunk? Get outta here, that’s just unfair. We also can’t go without mentioning stat sheet stuffers like Jerry Stackhouse, Jamal Mashburn and “Big Dog” Glenn Robinson, who were constant threats to drop 20+ every night. Good luck finding more than a handful of players that mastered the art of moving without the ball like former NBA champ Rip Hamilton, as well.
THE FLOOR GENERALS
Everyone wants that prototypical point guard, a floor general that runs the show like he owns it and consistently puts his teammates in the right positions to score.
Jason Kidd was as close to that definition as there is. He did literally everything on the court at an elite level physically, mentally and in terms of leadership. As a strong 6’4″ point guard, Kidd physically outmatched the majority of his competition but also was blessed with as much change-of-direction quickness as anyone smaller. Kidd’s accuracy and showmanship within the art of passing the ball was magical, as the three-time assist leader had eyes in the back of his head and created opportunities for people who didn’t expect one to arise. A walking triple-double threat on any given night, he put up over 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds per game for a decade-plus, was one of the all-time great rebounding guards and was named All-Defense on nine occasions. Kidd also came into the league with a weak perimeter jump shot, but turned himself into the third all-time leader in three-point field goals made. He lead the New Jersey Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003, won a title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 and remarkably boasts an undefeated FIBA record from 1999-2008, highlighted by five gold medals. If you were to construct a list of the top five or 10 point guards in NBA history, Jason Kidd universally holds a spot on anyone’s list. If he’s not there, you need to put the crack pipe down and watch some film.
One thing Kidd never was able to accomplish was winning the NBA’s MVP award, something that Steve Nash did two years in a row in 2005 and 2006. Nash’s career timeline is extremely unique and uncommon, as he somehow seemed to get better once he hit age 30, where he won his first MVP. He broke out in his fifth year in the league and has been named an All-Star eight times since, along with being honored as All-NBA seven times. Nash was an absolute wizard of pick n’ roll basketball, which shined in Dallas with Dirk Nowitzki but didn’t reach its full level of greatness until his return to Phoenix. Amare Stoudemire and Nash’s pick n’ roll game was second to none since John Stockton and Karl Malone redefined the action. Everyone loves the way Nash sets the table and dishes the rock with such pizzazz, but one of the most impressive aspects of his game is the efficiency he has performed at on a consistent level. He holds career shooting percentages of 49% from the field, 42.8% from three-point territory and 90.4% from the charity stripe. Nash is one of the leaders of the “50-40-90” club, a feat he has accomplished five times. Steve Nash is unquestionably one of the all-time great jump shooters, playmakers and point guards in general, for that matter.
I absolutely fell in love with the way Gary Payton played the game. Sure, he was a big 6’4″ guard that could run your offense, dominate the pick n’ roll, attack the paint off the dribble, knock down a jumper, dominate smaller opponents on the block and control the ball as if he were ambidextrous, but that’s not even what does it for me. The way in which he approached the game is something any coach wishes they had on their roster. GP took the court with a ruthless defensive mentality, with the intent to smother and completely lock down whoever his assignment was. He didn’t earn his nickname, The Glove, by accident. In fact, Payton is the only point guard to ever win the Defensive Player of the Year award, and he got up in your grill with some attitude, too. One of the best trash talkers to ever step on the hardwood, Payton demoralized the competition both physically and vocally simultaneously, and it wasn’t an act. He brought it every night and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013 because of it. I don’t see a reason to leave him off the list of the all-time top 10 point guards.
Tony Parker is still going strong at age 31 and producing some of his best basketball over the last few years, but he was thrown directly into the fire of San Antonio’s budding dynasty in 2001. From a tentative rookie constantly in Greg Popovich’s doghouse, Parker has transformed himself into an All-Star, a four-time champion and a Finals MVP. That jumper has come a long way since then, too, hasn’t it? His blazing speed sets him apart from the majority of his peers as he is exceptional at knifing through the lane and weaving in and out of seems in the defense to score, and he is one of the best finishers the game has to offer. For a guy that has never shot the ball well enough to take more than one three-point attempt per game, he is mighty efficient and has routinely lead all guards in field goal percentage. The book on Parker’s legacy still has some unwritten pages in it, as he still looks to have multiple high-level years ahead of him, but he is certainly in the upper echelon of his generation.
Chauncey Billups was one of the most important ingredients to Detroit’s seven-year run to the Eastern Conference Finals alongside his complementary supporting cast in Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince. Mr. Big Shot brought home the MVP trophy when they took out Shaq and Kobe’s Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals, and they were just one game away from repeating in 2005. Billups was a pure two-way point guard that ran the offense beautifully, brought it on the defensive end and was able to take over 1-on-1 when his number was called upon. I’ll go out on a limb and note that it is safe to say the Celtics, Raptors, Nuggets, Magic and Timberwolves regret giving up on him so quickly throughout the first five years of his career. Without Chauncey running the show, Deeetroit basketbaaall may never have been resurrected.
It was fitting when the composers of the NBA Street Series’ Ankle Breakers, Vol. 1 DVD chose Stephon Marbury to host it, because he has snapped quite a few ankles himself. Just ask Yao if you need a reference. Throughout his prime years for the Timberwolves, Nets, Suns and Knicks, Starbury put himself in elite category with production of 20.6 points and 8.3 assists per game from 1996-2005, a time period he accumulated two All-Star appearances and lead the league in assists (2003-04). Of all of the New York point guards everyone likes to talk about, Marbury is comfortably up in the top section of the list. Although he doesn’t have any hardware to stack up next to his stat lines, Starbury was as talented as they come and extremely fun to watch.
Speaking of fun to watch, Steve Francis and Baron Davis were human highlight reels on foot. They were strapped with don’t-blink quickness, handled the ball like no other and brought a serious street ball flavor to the way they went about their business. These guys were big time athletes with enormous ups, too, put on display by Francis’ 2000 Slam Dunk Contest performance and Baron Davis’ baptizing of Andrei Kirilenko. Francis may never have structured his all-around skill set into a winning brand of basketball, but the three-time All-Star had serious game and averaged 20 points, six rebounds and six assists per game through his first six years in the league. B-Diddy was no cupcake, either, making two All-Star appearances and putting up 20 points and eight assists per game through a seven-year span.
Gilbert Arenas was not a pure point guard by definition, but he was as productive as they come in his prime. Agent Zero was an All-Star for three consecutive years from 2005-2007, where the lethal sniper averaged a combined 27.7 points and 5.7 assists per game. Sam Cassell always brought a smile to everyone’s face, as the former All-Star point guard and three-time NBA champion put his sense of humor and unique personality into his crafty, well-rounded game. Mike Bibby never made an All-Star team but he put together an excellent run throughout the first 10 years of his career, knocking down a plethora of big shots in the playoffs and averaging over 16 points and six assists a night. Nick Van Exel and Damon Stoudamire were lightning quick, herky-jerky creators with the ball that really turned a lot of heads in their heyday. Van Exel always had the eye of the tiger in crunch time and Stoudamire even dropped 50 one night. Andre Miller was one of the best table-setters of his time and an elite fast break orchestrator that lead the league in assists in 2001-02. Terrell Brandon never played on any championship contending teams during the prime of his career in Cleveland and Minnesota, but the 5’11” pick-and-roll maestro was a two-time All-Star and a pure point guard that didn’t let his lack of size stop him from making a big time impact. He may not have been the best point guard of the generation, but Jason Williams was perhaps as entertaining as anyone as he put crowds on their feet with his And-1 level ball skills and flare, especially in his early days as a Sacramento King. If you’re ever bored and just sitting around at home, it is never a bad decision to watch highlights of J-Will’s best no-look passes and crossovers. From leaving GP in the dust to no-look passes with his elbow, you won’t be disappointed.
This time period also marked the final runs of some of the most illustrious careers of the last 20 years. For example, who expected Michael Jordan to come out of retirement for a second time to join the Washington Wizards? He wasn’t quite the same, but the man still gave us vintage flashbacks like this and this, scoring over 20 points per game while knocking on the door of age 40. Some argue that it was wrong to make people watch him at a lesser degree of ability, but how can you knock the GOAT for his passion for the game? It would have been sweeter if those Wizards teams earned a postseason appearance, but individually, not a bad encore, Mike. Not bad at all.
We watched Alonzo Mourning fight to close his career as a champion and expand on his legacy until he physically could no longer, while Reggie Miller cemented his 18-year Indiana Pacers career by remaining relevant until age 39, where he still put up 15 points per game. Dikembe Mutombo gave us both sides of the spectrum, as the 2001 Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Star through 2002, but he was still waving that finger in NBA arenas as a backup until age 42. Vlade Divac made his NBA debut in 1990 and is best classified with the decade following, but he didn’t earn his first and only All-Star appearance until 2001 and was a big part of those remarkably selfless Sacramento Kings teams under Rick Adelman.
Grant Hill‘s stint from 1994-2000 is one of the most impressive individual primes we have ever seen, and a continuous string of bad luck with injuries made sure he never returned to that form again. Yet and still, after those days were behind him we were gifted an opportunity to watch him persevere through 12 more years of NBA basketball. Hill’s return to the All-Star game in 2005 was special and one of those things that made you say “he deserved it.”
The early part of the new millennium also gave birth to the new wave lead by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and a comforting list of other big names that will make their own mark on the game as we move forward. These guys are far from finished, but their beginnings were just as exciting as anything in the midst of this era we’re reflecting on.
The league is in good hands, but man, those guys were so fun to watch. I’ll always go back to this group every now and then and I will never forget how they made me feel as a basketball fan on the come-up. NBA TV’s Hardwood Classics, old DVDs and YouTube are great sources to satisfy your inner basketball junkie, but watching their careers blossom in real time was something that an old tape simply cannot duplicate.
In 10-15 years, we’ll be saying the same thing about our favorite players and teams from today. Even then, you can bet your bottom dollar that I’m going to make sure my future children know who Shaq, Kobe, Duncan, KG, A.I. and those guys were.