Isn't that the guy that Brandon Jennings said would never make it in the NBA? Too soft? Too slow? Where is Jennings now? He scored like 48pts that one time and disappeared. The NBA is so weak now. The fundamentals are horrible. The Heat shot 26 of 40 from the FT line last night. Really? European players are often more mature, more responsible, and more well-rounded over all.
Not just his shooting, which was pretty damn good. 11 points and 11 assists by the 4th quarter. He's responsible for 33 points going into the 4th. His passes are sick, no one really knows when they're coming, and they're always spot on. He's like Nash 2.0 but just more fluid. Not only that, he never looked tired and his team was absolutely clueless without him and all of them have played together before. Now I say all of that to say...fuck Rubio, D. Rose still beat that ass.
Why you gotta hate on my boy Ricky? As a Wolves fan do you know how long it's been since I've seen watchable basketball? Do you realize the 2nd best PG play I've seen in my team's entire history was from Sam Cassull? Do you have any idea what it's like to have one's first real exposure to basketball be Stephan Marbury running the point? Compared to what I've always seen watching Rubio play is like watching an entirely different sport. Edit: Oops, just saw your other post. It's just as well, since I don't think I could talk about Rubio without coming across as a hysterical flaming homosexual anyway.
Let's not dump on NBA play this year. These guys are playing a shitty condensed schedule with 9 games in 8 nights, and travel where you don't really rest. Overall, I really like the players in the league. I'm more excited for next year than this year.
This isn't a Lockout issue. This has been going on for years. Coaches are babysitters, not educators. These guys figure they know everything because they get paid a lot of money. Can anybody hit a mid range jumper besides Tim Duncan? It's either a 30' chuck or a dunk. Thats why European players are valuable. They actually have skills outside of put my head down and barrel my way to the basket so they call a foul and I make 1 of 2 from the line if I'm lucky. Pick and roll basketball is effective, but boring. It's the Option offense of basketball.
Who are you watching? Are you watching Kobe Bryant or Derrick Rose? Are you watching Carmelo Anthony or Chris Paul? Are you watching Kevin Durant or Dirk Nowitzki? All of those guys play hard every night. Do some of them take games off? Yeah. But there are a lot of players busting their asses and having exciting games. But overall, European players aren't better than American players. If they were, then we wouldn't have gotten gold on the world stage right?
Have you ever seen Stephen Curry shoot? There are videos online breaking it down, and I swear I get half a chubby every time I watch them. They make me want to go out and take 1,000 jumpers a day, only the gym is far and I'm lazy. There is no way the level of talent in Europe is better, overall. Also, citing a couple games where a team shot 66% from the line as evidence that Americans can't shoot is silly. As for the "put my head down" comment, I'd say Lebron is probably one of the worst offenders. He's stronger and faster than everybody else. He's also one of the best passers in the league, plays tough defense, and runs the court better than any player in Europe. Or America, for that matter. I don't think you know how far 30' is. I know I'm rambling, now, but god, what about Chris Paul? Rip Hamilton? Carmelo? Lots of other people who score effectively by hitting mid range shots? WHAT ABOUT JIMMER!
Get this. I looked it up. Out of 129 qualified NBA players, 101 are shooting free throws at 70% or better. Out of 160 qualified Euroleague players, 111 are shooting free throws at 70% or better. The NBA is shooting markedly better as a group -- AND that includes Ricky Rubio, currently clocking in at 69%. I'm not sure why you're so obsessed with free throws, but there it is.
But one thing has remained remarkably constant: the rate at which players make free throws. Since the mid-1960s, college men’s players have made about 69 percent of free throws, the unguarded 15-foot, 1-point shot awarded after a foul. In 1965, the rate was 69 percent. This season, as teams scramble for bids to the N.C.A.A. tournament, it was 68.8. It has dropped as low as 67.1 but never topped 70. In the National Basketball Association, the average has been roughly 75 percent for more than 50 years
That's just it. He ended up playing at Davidson because he wasn't a freak athlete. I stopped going to watch my (Mid-major) college team play because it isn't fun to watch 40 minutes of 1-on-5 with 4 guys watching. American players are more athletic, but the European players get where they are based on strong fundamentals. LeBron is the perfect example. His success is almost entirely built on the fact that he might be the greatest pure physical athlete the earth has ever seen. But is he going to be the best player in the league when he's 32 and guarding 20-year-olds?
That's simply not true. Also, the fact is, Stephen Curry was a first round pick, and is American, and is one of the best shooters in the world. And a counterargument to the idea that no Americans have fundamentals. JIMMER!
Not if he doesn't develop a rec league, back to the basket game like Kobe did once he started to slow down.
This Mavs-Lakers game is the ugliest game I've seen in a long time; 57-56 Mavs with 7:03 left in the 4th. Mavs shooting 35/17/50 FG/3P/FT while the Lakers are shooting 34/0/71. They could build a house with all the bricks that are getting thrown up.
Someone needs to bitchslap Dirk if he's going to keep acting like a petulant little kid after play stops.
I feel terrible for the New Jersey Nets. Brian Scalibrini is looking good early game on him. Man if you guys knew how biased Stacey King was calling these games your brains would implode. It's to the point where I can't watch national telecasts of the game because I start shouting "WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU FUCKING GUYS ON?" at my TV/Announcers. I present to you, the UPDATED Stacey King Soundboard <a class="postlink" href="http://www.nba.com/bulls/stacey-king-soundboard.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.nba.com/bulls/stacey-king-soundboard.html</a>
Boston held Orlando to 25% FGs in a 31 point 87-56 beat down. No Rondo, no Jesus Shuttlesworth, no Pietrus, no Wilcox.
I don't have NBA League Pass. Is Jimmer playing? Has he been decent or good? I can look-up stats but that's boring.