A Case For Hoops

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A Case For Hoops

Saturday, July 6, 2013 Sliding Doors

In an alternate universe, James White won this years DunkContest. In fact, in that world, hed bechampion three times over.
In this world, he is an NBA Champion.Not bad for someone who has played only 44 regular season games in 3 yearsspent with 3 NBA teams. Sadly, however, forthose who followed his exploits over the years, he is not a Slam Dunk Champion.
A review of his bio at NBA.comreveals that White is a formerMcDonalds All-American who never quite reached his potential incollege. He was drafted with the 31^st pick by the PortlandTrailblazers in 2006 (or, to put it nicely, he was the 1^st pick ofthe 2^nd round of the draft).But was immediately traded to the Indiana Pacers who proceeded to waivehim even before the 2006 season started. He then got picked up by the SanAntonio Spurs for the 2006-2007 season but played only 6 games with them. Whilehe did not play a single game in the playoffs, he did get a ring, as the Spurswon the NBA championship for 2007.
White did not play in the NBAduring the 2007-2008 season, but re-surfaced again in 2008-2009 with theHouston Rockets where he played a grand total of 4 games. After 3 years awayfrom the Association, he won a spot with the New York Knicks this season, andhe has now played 34 games. And this is how, nearly 7 years after he gotdrafted in the NBA, he was finally picked to be a participant in the dunkcontest.
As numerous YouTube clips will show you,White isnt called Flight for nothing. His specialties: (a) running the length of thecourt, taking off from the free throw line, and dunking the ball with twohands; and (b) running the length of the court, and doing a between the legsdunk also from the free throw line. Soeveryone, and their mother, picked him to win this year.
There were a few nagging doubts. Somesaid, whats new? Jordan already dunked from the free throw line. And Dr. Jbefore him. Heck, even BrentBarry did that in 1996. Moreimportantly, because he did not enjoy much success in his first stints in theNBA, White joined this years dunk contest at 30 years old, and yes, he was theoldest participant ever.
But you see, there is anitty-bitty difference between the dunks made famous by MJ and Dr. J, and theone Mr. White did as his first dunk. Dr. J dunked from the free throw line withone hand. MJ took off from the free throw line but did a double clutch beforedunking with one hand. James White showedup with 10 stewardesses, took off from the free throw line and dunked withboth hands. Perhaps because he missed the first time, the achievement waslost on the judges and White only got a score of 45. It doesnt take a geniusto figure out that dunking with two hands perse requires a higher vertical leap and a higher degree of difficulty. Doing that while taking off from at (or closeto) the free throw line is worth at least50 points in my book, more so if you consider that a contestant gets 30points for missing every attempt. In an interviewafter the event, he admitted that he had the between the legs dunk ready if hemade it to the finals, and that for his other dunk, he planned to take offfrom the top of the key. But he didntget the chance.
And so, down the drain it went,Mr. Whites dream of winning the dunk contest. And with it, perhaps his onechance to truly make it in the NBA and get that nice contract, like that otherformer Slam Dunk champion Gerald Green, who recently parlayed his success asthe NBA Slam Dunk Champion into a 3-year US$10 Million contract. White had, toparaphrase Whitney, his one moment intime, and the ball (and all opportunities) just kept slipping from his hands.
The reality is for every GeraldGreen, there are countless James Whites.The NBA has 30 teams, which can keep a maximum of 15 players on theirroster. Thats 450 players total, and every year 60 more players get draftedand even more try out for these 450 roster spots. White, at 30, is a journeyman, one of those players on the fringes of ateams roster, the first to be let go when new blood comes in. He is undercontract only for this season, and he has played less than 7 minutes per gameon the average. Worse, his performanceat the dunk contest has been called a flop.

But take comfort, for as someone onTwitter said [o]nly getting to watchJames White in a dunk contest at 30 is akin to only getting to see Sabonisfinally at 31 in the NBA. So, whatever happens, Flight, well always have YouTube.
*This article was published last 26 February 2013 at thePinoy Beat Writers section of NBA Philippines.**By File:Wizards vs Knicks.jpg: Keith Allison derivative work: Chrishmt0423 [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsPosted byMegat11:10 PM1 comment: Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest Tuesday, April 30, 2013 Seize the Day



Most people want to go the US to pursue the American dream. Me, I just want to watch the Lakers at StaplesCenter before Kobe Bryant retires.

Last December, I had the chance to do just that. For reasonswhich felt valid then, I did not. I rationalized that Kobe (my favorite Lakersince Magic Johnson) was under contract until the 2013-2014 season and couldvery well play a few more seasons after that. Plenty of time, I told myself.
A few minutes after shooting back-to-back threes to erase a six point deficit in the fourth quarteragainst the Warriors, Kobe tried to drive past Harrison Barnes and fell. Itlooked like his leg just gave out on him. He shot two free throws to tie thegame and limped out of the court to a standing ovation from the faithful atStaples. The Lakers went on to win, sansKobe.
After the game, the Lakers beat writers started tweetingthat Kobe might have torn his Achilles and if so, that would mean the end ofhis season.
I was disconsolate.And that was before I saw this video of his post-game interview:


As any long time Lakers fan will tell you, Kobe doesnt missmany games. He injures a finger on his shooting hand, he shoots with his left.Or figures out ways to shoot despite the crooked finger. He injures his nose orany part of his face, he wears a mask. Dahntay Jones intentionally steps underhim and injures his ankle, hes back after a few games. He injures his knee, hegoes to Germany in the off season and comes back better than ever.
But after this injury? He knew he couldnt play because hecouldnt even walk.
In the wake of Chauncey Billups Achilles injury last year, Kevin Peltonof Basketball Prospectus did a study of players who injured their Achillesand the list isnt long:
Jonas Jerebko *Dan Dickau *Elton Brand * DeSagana Diop *Laron Profit *Sam Vincent *Mehmet Okur *Gerald Wilkins *Isiah Thomas *Dominique Wilkins *Jerome James *Chauncey Billups
The only success story, according to Pelton, is DominiqueWilkins who got injured at 32 but still managed to make it to two All-StarGames after recovering from the injury. The others were never the same again.In fact, Isiah Thomas retired at 32 after suffering this injury.
This game made me realize how fleeting an athletes life is.It seems only yesterday that Kobe and Shaq were leading LA to 3 titles in arow. Now, Kobe is 34. And hes played 17seasons (actually, the equivalent of 20 seasons, if you count the playoffs andthe Olympic games). He has also hinted at retirement recently.
My wish is for Kobe to be allowed to leave the game on hisown terms. Not gingerly limping away while being supported by Robert Sacre. Notin the 80^th game of his 17^th season when the Lakersplayoff hopes hang in the balance.
Come back strong, Kobe. Father Time owes you a few morerounds. Your fans want the chance to say a proper goodbye. I want the chance to see you play in Staples.
And from now on, I promise never to put off doing something because there's time. Because sometimes, there may not be.
P.S. I'm not sure if this is a real Nike ad (the video part, I mean), but it's pretty good. Be back soon, Kobe.


Photo taken during Kobe's 61-point game at MSG.
Credit to luzer / C. J. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigluzer/3252320838) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsPosted byMegat12:24 AMNo comments: Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest Wednesday, March 20, 2013 Ricky Rubio and the Art of Passing



Nowadays, its all about pointguards who score see for example, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving.
I like the other kind, the pointguard whose main goal in life is setting up his teammates, making the rightpass. More particularly, I like those who treat passing as an art.
To illustrate theres JohnStockton, who holds the NBA record for the most assists. He is one of thegreatest players ever but he was a fundamentally sound basketball player who passed the way he played. Thus, forthe most part, he dished out the basic chest pass, or bounce pass. Nothingfancy, but it worked.On the other side of the spectrumis Magic Johnson. Equally effective, but the pass itself made you gasp out loudand clap no-look passes, one-hand-length-of- the-court-off-the-dribble-passes, alley oops. In other words, Magic made passingcool.
Ricky Rubio is from the MagicJohnson school of point guards. Sadly,he plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves which means you wont see much of himon Philippine TV. Worse, he got injured midway through his rookie year lastyear. But, in the 41 games he played, he averaged 8.2 assists per game. To putthat in perspective, that ranked him 6^th in the league last year, behind only Rondo,Nash, CP3, Calderon and D-Will.
This season, he only startedplaying last December 15 but is slowlybut surely rounding into form. In the 13 games the Wolves played last February, he logged 10 or more assists in 8 games. In those 13 games, he averaged 12.7 points and 9.4 assists. And he iswhy the Wolves are must-see-TV on NBA League Pass.
You see, Ricky Rubio doesnt justpass the ball to his teammates. He dribbles between his legs and makes a behindthe back pass. He gives no look passesin transition. He passes the ball throughthe legs of opposing players right into the hands of teammates who donteven realize, until that precise moment when the ball reaches their hands, thatthey are wide open.
The Wolves have been ravaged byinjury this season. Instead of Kevin Love and Andre Kirilenko, Rubio has beenforced to play with Michael Gelabale, Chris Johnson and Greg Stiemsma. (Yes,feel free to join me in saying Who?)Imagine if he actually had good teammates who wont fumble the ball orget hit in the face by his passes due to sheer surprise.
One of these years, and for thesake of Wolves fans, David Khan, theWolves GM, may manage to surround him with great teammates. Or maybe not. Khanis not really renowned for his managerial acumen. This is the same person who picked Jonny Flynn instead of Steph Curry in the 2009NBA draft, and Wesley Johnson instead of DeMarcus Cousins or Greg Monroe in 2010.He also inexplicably decided to offer a multi-year contract to Darko Milicic,now out of the league, and managed to offend Kevin Love by offering him only a4-year contract (instead of the maximum 5-year deal allowed by the current CBA)with an opt out clause prior to the 2015-2016 season which he will surelyexercise.
And so, as an 80s kid and a lifelong Lakers fan, Ill root for Rubio to go to the Lakers in 2015 and take his place as the point guardwho, like Magic Johnson before him, will bring Showtime back. Consider this Rubioscontract with the Wolves will expire after the 2014-2015 season.Coincidentally, that is also the season when Steve Nashs contract will expire.And right now, the Lakers have no one under contract for that season. (To beaccurate, the Lakers could have Dwight Howard under contract by then - godforbid. But that is another story waiting to be told).
And Rubio should be a Laker. Hecant be anything else. Else, like the Spurs Tony Parker, he will end up agreat player on a not-so-popular team who does not get the accolades hedeserves. And frankly, that would be a disservice to the art of passing, in this age of players who think that only scoringand dunking will get you on Sportscenter.

Credits: Photo by Joe Bielawa (Flickr: DSC_0301-MN v DET)
[CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsPosted byMegat1:30 AMNo comments: Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels:Magic Johnson,Ricky Rubio Sunday, March 17, 2013 Could the Lakers trade Kobe?


Imagine if you are Mitch Kupchak,the General Manager of the Lakers.
On one hand, you have Kobe Bryant,34 years old and making US$27 Million a year. After this season, he is undercontract for 2013-2014, when he is projected to make roughly US$30 Million a year. He will also turn 35 years old before thatseason starts.
In a perfect world, thehonourable thing to do is to let Kobe play out his contract and offer him a1-year deal for 2014-2015 for anywhere between US$20-30 Million with theunderstanding that that deal would be renewed as long Kobe wants to play. This,after all, is the player who gave you 5 championships and who, at 34 years oldand on his 17^th season, is still an MVP candidate and one of themost popular players in the NBA. On top of the 5 rings, his resume isimpeccable: more than 30,000 points, 2008 MVP, 2 Finals MVP, 10 All NBA First team selection, 9 All Defensive Team selection, 15 All Starappearances and that great 81-point game.
On the other hand, you have Dwight Howard, 28 years old, with anexpiring contract. You need him to sign a long-term deal to be the face of theLakers post-Kobe. Hollywood needs stars, and Howard is one even if his play hasbeen less than stellar this season due to the season-ending back surgery he hadto undergo last year. However, despite the fact that he is playing with 4 AllStars and future Hall of Famers, this season has been nothing short ofdisastrous. He obviously doesnt like Mike DAntonis system, and inexplicablyrefuses to play pick and roll with Steve Nash, the greatest pick and roll pointguard the league has seen in years. Instead, Dwight wants to be in the postwhere, incidentally, Kobe is most effective.He also wants the touches that Kobe gets, which demands have reducedKobe to a facilitator-type of player. The Lakers, cognizant of the need to makeDwight happy, have turned Steve Nash into a spot-up shooter and Kobe into apoint guard.
But could the Lakers go furtherand trade Kobe to appease Dwight and let him know that he is now the man forLos Angeles? Or should the Lakers just cross their fingers and have Dwight andKobe play out their uneasy truce for the 2013-2014 season and then opt to notre-sign Kobe instead?
Flashback to 2004 the Lakershad just lost to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals. Shaquille ONeal was 32years old, had a year left on his contract and wanted a contract extensionwhich would pay him US$30 Million a year. Kobe was 26 years old, and had just exercisedan opt-out clause in his contract allowing him to sign with any team.
Faced with the choice between anaging superstar whose salary demands would negatively affect the teams chancesto lure good players and a player at his prime, almost, if not more popular,with a lower salary, the Lakers choose Door B: Kobe. And it was the rightchoice at the time.
Now, nearly 9 years later, the Lakers arefaced with the same choice. There are, however, some obvious differences.
First, Kobe has a no-trade clause which Shaq did not have then.This means the only way Kobe can be traded is if he agrees to the trade. As along time Kobe fan, I am almost sure that the only places he would agree to betraded to would be New York or Chicago. Or he could stay in LA and go to theother team. The Knicks arent feasible (I think) because they have Carmelo, butthey have boatloads of money so whos to say. Im not sure if Derrick Rose andKobe would work, and Chicago has, historically, refused to pay luxury tax, sothat may not work either. The Clippers need a decent shooting guard, but DonaldSterling is a cheapskate and he will need a lot of money over the summer to payCP3, so thats not happening either. So its gotta be Brooklyn or bust.
Second, Dwight isnt in the same league as Kobe popularity-wise. Infact, nowadays, he is one of theleast-liked players in the league. Winning, however, will cure all ofthat as Kobe and LeBron can attest. So if the Lakers start winning sans Kobe,all will be well in Lakerland.
Third, Dwight is at best, 70% of what he used to be, athletically.He does not have the same hops and explosiveness. Worse, his excellent play hasalways depended on his athletic ability. Can the Lakers be sufficiently assuredthat Dwight will regain this by next season? And even then, is he really anall-time great that you can build on, or merely a great complementary player?
Good luck weighing all of this,Mitch Kupchak. Youre going to need it this offseason.


Credits: Photo by luzer / C. J. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigluzer/3251490989)[CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsPosted byMegat7:13 PMNo comments: Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestLabels:Dwight Howard,Kobe Bryant,Los Angeles Lakers,Shaquille ONeal HomeSubscribe to:Posts (Atom)Other Published Articles"Betamax and Basketball" in Pinoy Beat Writer - NBA Philippines"Last Hurrah" in Pinoy Beat Writer - NBA Philippines"Sliding Doors" in Pinoy Beat Writer - NBA PhilippinesTotal PageviewsBlog Archive 2013(4) July(1)Sliding Doors April(1) March(2)About MeMegI grew up a fan of the Showtime Lakers of the NBA and the Jaworski-led Ginebra teams of the PBA. As a kid, I got my hands on a few old issues of Sports Illustrated and thought that was how all sportswriters wrote. I was wrong.While I've gone on to do more grown-up things, I thought now would be a good time to start writing about something I love. Here goes nothing.View my complete profileMy Blog ListTaguig CitizenA Turntable Story6 years agoLucille Karen's WorldPalette for Nature7 years ago

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