Around the League: Week 4 11/17-11/23

[carey]

Nationally televised games this week.
Monday: Denver @ Cleveland 7:00 EST NBATv, Chicago @ Los Angeles Clippers 10:30 EST NBATv
Tuesday: New Orleans @ Sacramento 10:00 ESTNBATv
Wednesday: San Antonio @ Cleveland 7:00 EST ESPN, Los Angeles Lakers @ Houston 9:30 EST ESPN
Thursday: Los Angles Clippers @ Miami 8:00 EST TNT,Chicago @ Sacramento 10:30 EST TNT
Friday:Cleveland @ Washington 8:00 EST NBATv ,Chicago @ Portland 10:30 EST ESPN
Saturday: Dallas @ Houston 8:00 EST NBATv
Sunday: Charlotte @ Miami 6:00 EST NBATv

NBA News.
NBA reveals Christmas jerseys which are super weird: LINK
Kings file protest against last second Memphis loss: LINK
Wolves are shopping Brewer with Cavs & Rockets interested: LINK
D.A.'s Morning Tip! Featuring a healthy dose of Steve Kerr: LINK

[Cap]

Kings file protest against last second Memphis loss: LINK

Interesting. Not a lot of details in the article, which doesn't describe the grounds for the protest. The league won't vacate the result of a game over a bad call, only over a misapplication of the rules. If the Kings are arguing that Ryan Hollins tipped the inbounds pass but the officials just didn't see it even after consulting the replay, they're SOL.

[Mori Chu]

Kings owner Vivek Ranadive seems to be having his "Sarver" (or to a certain degree, "Cuban") phase of ownership, where he is overly loud/pushy and gets his name in the NBA news a little too often and not always for the right reasons.

[INFORMER]

Oladipo is back!

[Cap]

Eddie Johnson on the seven most underrated NBA players ever.

7. George Gervin
6. Adrian Dantley
5. Alex English
4. Fat Lever
3. Alvin Robertson
2. John Havlicek
1. Scottie Pippen

Mostly EJ's contemporaries, naturally.

[INFORMER]

1. Scottie Pippen

[SDC]

1. Scottie Pippen

he's one of the most overrated, actually.

[INFORMER]

Good thing Aztec isn't a Nuggets fan:

"Every player on our roster is a movable asset," Connelly said. "Certainly you don't want to view players as assets, but there's a part of you in the front office that has to be brutally honest with how these guys are viewed leaguewide. We don't have a guy on the roster we'd have to heavily incentivize to move."

[INFORMER]

The above quote comes from the following article, analyzing the less than desirable state of the Denver Nuggets and their GM, Tim Connelly:

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11865 ... ppointment

Eighteen months later, Denver is getting smoked nightly. It's a 2-7 team with no discernible identity, redundancies all over its roster and a morose, first-time coach who has expressed frustration with the fortitude of his team. Several sources around the league, a few close to the Nuggets, say the organization is "rudderless" under the controls of a young front office, led by general manager Tim Connelly, that has neither the experience nor the savvy to survive in a league whose executive ranks are teeming with predators.

"I'm not sure Tim can do the job," a league power broker, who has known Connelly for years, said. "He's the nicest guy you'll meet, but he's out of his depths, and you saw it with the [Kenneth] Faried mess."

...

General managers are engaged in a 12-month game of poker. They read each other for tells and vulnerabilities and prey on weaknesses. Projecting a lack of confidence or expertise can mark you as the fish at the table.

"There's definitely a lack of confidence when Tim calls," a different exec said. "You can hear it, and it's not even his fault because this wasn't a job he sought out. The s--- hit the fan [in late spring 2013], and he was needed in triage right away. How do you not take the job if it's offered?"

[INFORMER]

From the same article, I thought this was interesting given what Da Suns Fan (and to a lesser extent, ShelC) has said about the Suns:

"Given our lack of [a] superstar or top-30 player, we feel our best chance to be relevant in the Western Conference is with a team that boasts experienced depth, a team that can really make hay with positions 5 through 10," Connelly said.

This isn't just an issue of overlapping skill sets. There's no perceptible pecking order here, not one guy whose production and presence stands decidedly above the others. Unless there's a coyote in a spur-adorned jersey running around the building or Larry Brown has caught lightning in a bottle in suburban Detroit, this dynamic tends to create internal conflict, with each player feeling as if he's the guy.

[Shabazz]

Some Anthony Davis stuff. He's 3rd in the league in points and rebounds and 1st in the league in blocks and steals. He's also got a 37.1 PER, which would rank 1st all time over a full season.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

Good thing Aztec isn't a Nuggets fan:

"Every player on our roster is a movable asset," Connelly said. "Certainly you don't want to view players as assets, but there's a part of you in the front office that has to be brutally honest with how these guys are viewed leaguewide. We don't have a guy on the roster we'd have to heavily incentivize to move."

You are absolutely right!!!

But it is not coincidence that the players are reacting by keeping it as a business as well. There is no point on going the extra mile with the obvious risks for your career, for an organization that treat you like this.

[LazarusLong]

Eddie Johnson on the seven most underrated NBA players ever.

7. George Gervin
6. Adrian Dantley
5. Alex English
4. Fat Lever
3. Alvin Robertson
2. John Havlicek
1. Scottie Pippen

Mostly EJ's contemporaries, naturally.

I'd have to ask for context on these ratings. Havlicek was universally acknowledged as a pain in the ass by players and coaches, and that was said with respect. He was Manu with better defense.

George Gervin also was a pretty big deal in his playng days.

And yeah, Scottie Pippen wasn't underrated. Especially by Scottie, himself.

Robertson played under the radar, yes, most definitely. He's one of only four NBA players to record a quadruple-double.
Fat Lever also largely unheralded.

[LazarusLong]

Some time ago I mentioned that Memphis would be an underwhelming team, especially offensively.

It's early in the season, but the Grizz have been a quiet, unasuming juggernaut. They are not flashy; they just take advantage of turnovers and grind opponents down into submission with great defense and an efficient offense where everybody carries a bit of the load. Right now, they may be the best team in the NBA.

[Ring_Wanted]

I put them in the next tier after SAS and OKC. Solid is the word that defines the Grizzlies. NBA Marc Gasol is one of my favorite players, and they don't have any apparent flaw besides health/age. You can point at their SF rotation, but basically every team in the L has a position that is held by committee. They are doing more than fine, and that's with Carter sucking. If they got creative and acquired say Jeff Green, they could become a monster.

[LazarusLong]

Again, it's early, but Courtney Lee is on pace for his best season. He's been solid money for Memphis.

[Charlie Smithy!]

Eddie Johnson on the seven most underrated NBA players ever.

7. George Gervin
6. Adrian Dantley
5. Alex English
4. Fat Lever
3. Alvin Robertson
2. John Havlicek
1. Scottie Pippen

Mostly EJ's contemporaries, naturally.

I'd have to ask for context on these ratings. Havlicek was universally acknowledged as a pain in the ass by players and coaches, and that was said with respect. He was Manu with better defense.

George Gervin also was a pretty big deal in his playng days.

And yeah, Scottie Pippen wasn't underrated. Especially by Scottie, himself.

Robertson played under the radar, yes, most definitely. He's one of only four NBA players to record a quadruple-double.
Fat Lever also largely unheralded.

Question about havlicek (obviously, I never saw him play).

When I heard kobe passed hondo on the all time FGA missed list, I was shocked. Was havlicek really that much of a chucker in his day?

[Cap]

Hondo played 16 seasons, missed very few games (averaged 79.4 games played per season), was a volume scorer, and shot .439 for his career (which wasn't bad for the era in which he played).

[Ring_Wanted]

Again, it's early, but Courtney Lee is on pace for his best season. He's been solid money for Memphis.

Yep. His acquisition is one of the most underrated moves from last season. He was mediocre for the C's, maybe because he tried to do too much creation (although he is not absolutely incapable of that), but he is exactly what Memphis needs, and his 3pt % so far is absurd.

[Mori Chu]

Good for Memphis. I've been rooting for them for years. Hope we get to see them in the WCF instead of the Clips, Thunder, or other usual suspects.