• College Wolf from TWolvesBlog.com
• J.D. Mo from The Bob Boozer Jinx
• Fish from DallasBasketball.com
• Matt from Hardwood Paroxysm
• Jared from Both Teams Played Hard
• Dave from The Dream Shake
• Daniel from LA Ball Talk
• Don from With Malice
• James from Dino Nation Blog
• Mookie from A Stern Warning
• Jonny from The Lakers Nation
• John from Red’s Army
• RockKing from Waiting For Next Year
• Wyn from Canis Hoopus
• Ben from Blazer’s Edge
• Royce from The Thunder World
• Kyle (Me) from Truth About It

Previous Rounds:

• Round 1: Hoops Addict
• Round 2: Upside & Motor
• Round 3: The Dream Shake
• Round 4: Raptors HQ
• Home Base: Brew Hoop

Without further ado, here goes……

Quick Bullets

• 13 different players received votes for Rookie of the Year.
• OJ Mayo and Derrick Rose were the only two rookies that everyone had in their top 5.

Others receiving votes: Brook Lopez (10), Rudy Fernandez (9), Marc Gasol (8), Greg Oden (6), Eric Gordon (6), Kevin Love (4), Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (3), Roy Hibbert (1)

#5 Michael Beasley (12 points)

Developing chemistry with Wade, knocking down shots from everywhere. Needs to learn not to be such a black hole, though. -Matt from Hardwood Paroxysm

#4 DJ Augustin (14 points)

Quickness and good shooting makes Augustin a game-changer in Charlotte. The kid’s a tough assignment, and the ‘Cats look more competitive than they ever have. -J.D. Mo from The Bob Boozer Jinx

#3 Russell Westbrook (30 points)

Could wind up being more important than Durant. Yeah, I said it. -Matt from Hardwood Paroxysm

Like a bat outta hell, Westbrook decided smartly to hit the rookie wall early and then jump straight over it into December and January. Look out. -Mookie from A Stern Warning

#2 Derrick Rose (70 points)

Thrown into the fire when Hinrich went down, he’s kept the Bulls in striking distance of the playoffs. Hinrich’s back to take some of the pressure off and this may mean that the ROY goes to Mayo in the end. But up until this point in the season, no rookie has accomplished more than Rose. -J.D. Mo from The Bob Boozer Jinx

This vote is more subjective, but just watching Rose’s game, I always come away thoroughly impressed and feel like he has the most advanced game of any of the rookies. He’s 2nd among rookies in scoring, 1st in assists, and boasts a solid .467 FG%. -RockKing from Waiting For Next Year

#1 OJ Mayo (79 points)

Efficient, deadly, still learning his teammates. He’s probably going to jump to the other list in a few years. -Matt from Hardwood Paroxysm

Kevin McHale GM mistake # 145,852 -Dave from The Dream Shake

Amazing abilities on the court. He has huge upside potential and it will be interesting to see how far this kid goes. As long as he stays away from dirty agents! -Daniel from LA Ball Talk

Quick Bullets n style="font-size:130%;">

• 24 different players received votes for MVP, in addition to a Quad Tendon (Carlos Boozer’s), a 5-headed monster of Garnett-Pierce-Allen-Rondo-Perkins, and a Jeff Foster (whatever that is).
• 5 players were in top 10 of all participating voters (LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard)

Others receiving votes: Kevin Garnett (14), Devin Harris (9), Shaq O’Neal (8), Paul Pierce (8), Amare Stoudamire (5), Ray Allen (4), Manu Ginobili (3), Vince Carter (3), Chris Bosh (2), Pau Gasol (2), Josh Smith (2), KG/PP/Ray/Rondo/Perkins (2), Yao Ming (2), Kevin Durant (1), Carlos Boozer’s Quad Tendon (1), Jeff Foster (1)

#10 (tie) Danny Granger (18 points)

No, I do not feel bad about this pick. The man is the Jason Bourne of the NBA. He’s killing everyone, and no one knows he exists. -Matt from Hardwood Paroxysm

#10 (tie) Dirk Nowitzki (18 points)

Possessing one of the purest shots in the game, could actually move higher if he wasn’t deserving of the name ‘Irk’. -Don from With Malice

#9 Joe Johnson (19 points)

#2 is #1 in Hotlanta. Josh Smith may bring the highlights, but JJ brings IT every night. -Mookie from A Stern Warning

#8 Brandon Roy (39 points)

Missed time out injured, but make no mistake: Brandon Roy is the reason the Blazers are as good as they are. -Don from With Malice

Don’t go forgetting about this quiet performer. B-Roy’s numbers line up across the board with the best guards in the game and he has led the Blazers well beyond where they should be. -Mookie from A Stern Warning

#7 Chauncey Billups (45 points)

Hard to believe a changing of the guards could make so much difference, but it’s hard to argue with the results. George Karl will find a way to screw things up in Denver. -J.D. Mo from The Bob Boozer Jinx

A natural born leader. The swagger he has brought to the Mile High City speaks for itself. More than the answer, he’s the solution. -Mookie from A Stern Warning

#6 Tim Duncan (60 points)

I opened him up and saw that his Energizer Battery isn’t set to expire until the year 2015. -College Wolf from TWolvesBlog.com

Never underestimate the heart of a champion. I just noted this stat and I don’t know how well documented it is: since 2002-03, in the years the Spurs have won the title, Timmy D has shot 51.9% from the field. In the years they haven’t won, he’s averaged 49.4%. This year he’s shooting 51.5%. With the number of shots he takes, that means a lot. I’m just saying… -Mookie from A Stern Warning

#5 Dwight Howard (106 points)

“Oh, no, Andrew Bynum is the best young center!” “Nuh-uh! Greg Oden is the best young center!” BOOM! “HOWARD SMASH!!!” -Matt from Hardwood Paroxysm

This guy is a beast. Does he make his teammates better? Look at my man Hedo! -Daniel from LA Ball Talk

I’m trying to figure out how he plans on topping last year’s dunks. -Jonny from The Lakers Nation

#4 Dwyane Wade (116 points)

He’s still Ernie Banks. Though the old Cub only wanted to “play two,” while D-Wade wants to “fall down seven times.” -Fish from DallasBasketball.com

His defense has really skyrocketed. He’s taken to the weakside block on the lowpost scorer, and has gotten more aggressive in the half-court trap with his newfound strength and burst of speed. Yeah, some of it is stat padding, but it’s also effective as hell. -Matt from Hardwood Paroxysm

#3 Chris Paul (127 points)

He’s gotten lost because his team isn’t in the 30 win club, but having an outstanding individual season. -Jonny from The Lakers Nation

It seems like every year now you can say “If not for LeBron James, CP3 would be having an all time great season”. 20 points, 11 assists, and 3 steals per game? Not too shabby. -RockKing from Waiting For Next Year

#2 Kobe Bryant (131 points)

Doesn’t it seem like he’s shooting a little less but making a little more? The Drama Queen’s game may be at its finest-ever point. -Fish from DallasBasketball.com

The fact that Kobe has stayed out of headlines proves he has matured. He’s focused and the rest of the league should be scared. -Dave from The Dream Shake

I admit it, I used to be a hater. Now I have nothing but respect — he’s learned to defer to his supporting cast where necessary and is playing more efficiently across the board. -Mookie from A Stern Warning

#1 LeBron James (170 points)

If only because he correctly referred to the “crab dribble” as a “trademark” and not a patent or a copyright. It’s still traveling though. -Dave from The Dream Shake

Crab Dribble or Not He is the King of the Castle -James from Dino Nation Blog

It’s been a while since it has been this clear cut… whatever way you want to cut it. Statistically, team record, flat-out dominance or just raw power — LBJ has got it all. He would have to slow down significantly to lose this award. -Mooki
e from A Stern Warning

I’m sending Eddy Curry after anyone that doesn’t vote for LBJ as MVP. -Ben from Blazer’s Edge

NOW: Pretty, Pretty Charts (ok, not that pretty)

[only includes those who finished in the top 10 (11) for round 5]

Voting Distribution, Places 1-4

Duh.

Random Posts

• March 9, 2010 -- Josh Howard Update [Correction]
• January 3, 2011 -- Reminder: JaVale McGee Can Get Up
• November 3, 2010 -- From The Other Side: Doug Collins Holds Court

1) The Pistons have gone 9-9 since Iverson has taken the court…..meanwhile, Mr. Big Shot and the Nuggets are 16-4….care to offer any hindsight on the trade?

• Did you like it in the first place?
• Would you do it differently?
• Prior to trading Chauncey, did you seriously think that Detroit had championship material?

Personally I’m not a huge fan of the trade on the hardwood. Chaunce was my favorite Piston, and I’ve never been a big fan of AI’s improv stylings. I don’t believe he fits the team, and it shows on the floor.

The cap space is just too sweet. It’s hard to say if I’d do it differently without seeing who Joe can snag this offseason and next. If only we could have had Mr. Big Shot squeeze Denver for a buyout LOL.

Yes, I did believe the Pistons were a contender before the trade. I think one of the biggest things that helped Boston get by us was Chauncey’s injury against Orlando in the second round. I liked the idea of a bigger role for Tay coming into the season and the continued emergence of Stuckey as a star in the making. I thought we could have used another piece off the bench but didn’t need a major move to be among the final 4.

2) So what’s the deal with Jason Maxiell? Does he no longer find babies delicious? His PER is actually up slightly from last year, but his minutes per game are down from 21.6 last season to 16.9 — I’ve heard rumblings on why he hasn’t been playing more, so what say you?

Michael Curry’s lineup have been in limbo since the trade. Bringing Iverson in has forced Curry to experiment with smaller lineups. The last game against you guys Jason never even came off the bench (along with Amir Johnson and Kwame Brown).

I don’t totally get it. I’m not a fan of small ball or adjusting your team down to the opponent. I say go with your best guys with some in game tweeks.

3) Michael Curry…..is he on the hot seat….or is it at least getting warm?

Curry is supposed to be a defensive guy but our D is not close to being up to par. We’re having outscore opponents in our victories. No more are we a lock up team. He also seems to let a merit system dictate who stays on the court. Guys have to play hard and be accountable but you can’t glue money players to the bench late in games because a member of the bench is hustling extra hard.

Joe likes M.C. personally and professionally, but the Pistons don’t have a reputation of keeping coaches who they perceive to underachieve. I can see them giving him a season to find his wings but if it doesn’t work there’ll be a lot of coaching candidates available and I don’t think the Pistons would be shy about getting a more seasoned upgrade.

4) Trade Rasheed Wallace…..but if not for Josh Howard……then who? What would be your ideal/fair trade? (Assuming that because of Iverson’s last contract year, the trade would be aimed at making a championship run this year…..or is trading Rasheed in any capacity a definite sign that the Pistons are rebuilding?)

Teams are going to want to acquire Rasheed for two reasons. One, if they’re a contender then Sheed can very easily be that x-factor. Two, he’s a big contract that’ll come off the books at the end of the season.

It would have to be a special trade. We can’t give up a highly skilled big unless it’s for a player of a similar ilk and still expect to make a run at the O’Brien.

Thanks again to Jessie of Pistons Nation, be sure and check out their blog for tonight’s game preview and talk about Rasheed Wallace trade rumors.

Related Links:

• Game 2: @ Detroit Pistons – Wizards 109, Pistons 117
• Blogger Q&A: Detroit Bad Boys
• Game 19: vs. Detroit Pistons – Wizards 107, Pistons 94

Random Posts

• April 15, 2009 -- This Is The End
• July 30, 2008 -- Washington Redskins: Where's The Due Diligence?
• March 16, 2009 -- Caron Butler Not Too Hamstrung To Get Down

Flickr tells me that the above picture is none other than Walter Herrmann….and I have to believe it. Something tells me that old school Walter Herrmann would totally have a hair-doo like Guile from Street Fighter only to go with the ‘Fabio’ look we’re graced with today.

So a guy with a pony-tail goes off on the Wizards and everyone becomes a drama queen. I mean just look at the picture….the guy is about to dunk with a ball on f-ing fire! It’s no wonder that Herrmann was hitting trey balls and finger rolls on the Wiz. For all we know, he could be the Argentinian Chuck Norris.

Plus, the dude has been through a TON in his life that not many can imagine. In July 2003, Herrmann lost his mother, younger sister, and girlfriend all in the same car crash. Exactly a year later, he had one of the best games of his career, 38 points and 11 rebounds, in leading Argentina in the South American Championships. After the game, he found out that his father had died of a heart-attack.

So, from a guy who almost quit the game of basketball, but was encouraged not to by his older sister, to starring in the NBA today. If such a game had to happen against the Wizards, then so be it.

Besides….there are many reasons as to why a team loses a game. Some may point to Herrmann….some may point to a small Wizards lineup getting out-rebounded by Detroit…..all valid points. But what I would like to touch upon is the baffling defense of Antawn Jamison. It’s evident that the guy is not quick enough to keep up at times. But he’s a veteran, I expect more from Jamison in terms of positioning himself in the right place, at the right time, as the situation calls.

Quarter 1 Instances:

• Jamison’s man sets a pick, Billups hits an easy two at the elbow. I understand AJ wanting to protect the basket, but it’s not like Chauncey was a couple feet behind the 3-point line….it just took one dribble for him to get to the spot. AJ must deter Billups by leaving less space on screen help…..Chauncey shooting wide-open from the elbow is just as good as a layup.
• Etan Thomas helps on a curl, Jamison picks up Etan’s man….but when Etan’s help is no longer needed, he is wondering around looking for someone to cover. Should Antawn have communicated to Etan to pick up his man, Rasheed Wallace? I don’t know, but I do know that Rasheed was wide open and nailed a trey as a result.
• Jamison doubles Billups off a screen….nothing wrong with that as it seemed part of the Jordan-Ayers game plan….but with Billups fully deterred, we find Jamison wrapped in indecisiveness and entrenched in no man’s land. Detroit finds the open man……buckets.

Not sure these instances can get much more frustrating….gaffes such as these are unexpected from Jamision, and they’ve got to be corrected….I’m just not confident it actually happens. Of course, AJ doesn’t necessarily take the full blame for these situations….maybe Daniels needs to do better at getting over screens, and maybe Etan should be more aware.

Antawn once said this about the absence of Brendan Haywood, “We got accustomed to Brendan being out there and talking. I got accustomed to him telling me where to be at.” Well, AJ, the comfort blanket is long gone, it’s time for you to step your game up.

Well….great…now that I’ve called out the classiest, most consistent Wizard (yay me), below is the best of the best Wizards-Pistons coverage from around the web.

————————–

[Detroit keeps firing on all cylinders - The Washington Times]
“They’re a very aggressive, physical team at both ends of the floor. They drive on you, post you up, try to pound the ball inside – their guards and their forwards and their centers. And they hit the boards,” Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. “We got better physically, but we weren’t good enough physically to cover the rebounding edge and stop them.”

[Rotation Situation - Wizards Insider, Washington Post]
I’m sure folks have all kinds of interesting thoughts on last night’s entertaining loss at Detroit, particularly Coach Eddie Jordan’s reliance on a smaller lineup that got the Wizards back into the game and proved effective offensively but also led to a brutal beating on the boards where the Pistons held a 49-23 edge in rebounds and a 28-9 edge in second-chance points.

[Wizards shrink as Pistons win 117-109 - Bullets Forever]
When your best five man unit is Dixon-Young-Butler-Jamison-Songaila, the best case scenario is that they can perform well enough offensively to trade baskets with the other team, because they sure can’t shut them down for an extended amount of time.

[Aftermath Detroit - We're Off to See The Wizards]
Andray Blatche seemed to be benched and not happy about it. He looked like Kwame Brown used to look on the bench which is scary. Songaila got the minutes instead and did what he does best, knock down open shots. Juan Dixon had Songaila open about 10 times, refusing to pass him the ball, then finally doing it once for a layup.

[Wizards Don't Have Answer for Herrmann - The Washington Post]
But Wálter Herrmann? Really? Indeed, the ponytail wearing third-year forward from Argentina, who resembles Fabio, helped the Pistons pull away from the scrappy Wizards for a 117-109 victory at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

[Game #2: Wiz get Herrmannated - Pistons Nation Blog]
Walter was part of a Pistons bench that outscored Washington’s 55-44. Jason Maxiell (11 pts, 7 rbs) attacked the rim like he was still playing for a contract. Kwame Brown showed his former mates his quick first step with a couple knifing moves to the
hoop for the big man. Kwame scored 8 points on 4/4 shooting and would have been given more PT by Coach Curry’s own admission had the Wizards not gone to a small lineup.

[Wins, Wizards and Walter - Need 4 Sheed]
Curry scored a point with me by leaving the hot Walter on the floor the whole fourth quarter when he was getting the job done. Last season that wouldn’t have happened.

[Walter Herrmann is a monster vs. Wizards - Detroit Free Press]
“It’s unbelievable,” Herrmann, who also had seven rebounds and four assists, said of the crowd reaction. “When we play smaller, we play very open. I just feel comfortable. When you play a lot of minutes, you are confident every single game.”

[Herrmann puts on the hurt in Washington loss - Examiner.com]
How could the Wizards lose while shooting over 50% from the field and making only 8 team turnovers over the course of the game? Second-chance points. Detroit out-rebounded Washington on the offensive end 16-5, leading to second-chance point opportunities.

[Wizards Find Encouragement in Defeat - The Washington Post]
Dixon and Young played well off one another during their time together on the floor — particularly during the 31-point second quarter — and also gave the Pistons problems with their quickness in the half-court defense.

[Wizards Win 2nd of 4 Quarters Versus Pistons!! - My Swog is Phenomenal]
One thing I think could help is a lineup change. I know it’s too early now, but I just don’t think what we start out with on the court is going to pan out in the long run until Arenas comes back. I say you can keep Daniels at the point, unless Nick strings together a run of “super duper that was so awesome I need to go to the pooper” games, at which point I would say try the switch, especially if Arenas’ return is delayed. I know it’s not his best position, but I gots to leave Stevenson in at the 2. He’s streaky, I know, but he’s been pretty good on average, and I can take that. Besides, he can’t feel his face. I stick with Caron and Antawn at 3 and 4, but at 5, I really gotta pull Etan Thomas.

Random Posts

• April 12, 2011 -- Wizards and Celtics Get Physical With Blatche and A Big Baby
• October 1, 2009 -- Wizards Training Camp Day 2 Run Down
• March 5, 2010 -- Let’s Get Bucked Again: Wizards vs. Milwaukee

If the Wizards would’ve shot better that 37% against New Jersey, they would have won, right? Yea…..who knows. When it comes to winning and basketball, no two areas are preached more about than defense and rebounding, no matter what pulpit the message is coming from. So against the Pistons, for game blog purposes, I’m going to ignore the offense and concentrate on defense and rebounding. Not all boards are attainable, and you can play great defense and not stop a bulk of an opponent’s shots from going in. That being said, I’m going to attempt to selectively focus on the particularly great or horrendous occurrences in those areas.

Q1

10:48: Ron Thompson mentioned that transition D would be key in the pregame show…here, Billups brings it down the middle in off a Wizards turnover (Etan had great position in the lane, just lost the ball). Amir Johnson comes to screen Antonio Daniels just inside the three point line. Jamison is laying back a little to protect the basket, but there’s just too much space, AJ needs to be closer to help on Chauncey. Billups takes one dribble off the screen and gets an easy jumper on the left elbow. Johnson’s screen was semi-illegal….but this is the NBA. 4-0 Detroit.

10:23: Next time down, Amir Johnson gets called for an illegal screen…..laid his butt into DeShawn.

9:35: Wiz get caught standing and confusing assignments for boxing out….can’t see whose fault it is because of the camera angle, but Prince sneaks for an offensive board and the Pistons get 2nd chance points. 6-3 Detroit.

8:57: Communication – Ball is in Billups’ hand. Pistons run Prince off a couple screens and he curls off the 2nd (set by Amir Johnson) back into the lane. Etan does great in helping on the curl and forces Prince, who received the pass, to pass the ball back to Billups. When Etan helped, Jamison left Wallace to fill the lane and deter the ball from going to Johnson under the basket. With the ball out of Prince’s hands, Etan sinks back into his lane to find his man. Butler also stays in the lane as both Prince and Wallace fade to the top of the arc, so the Wizards have the lane protected with three players in there, but there’s only one Piston around and the ball eventually makes its way to Wallace who hits a three with Stevenson and Daniels running at him. Seems to me that Butler should have stayed with Prince and Jamison should have bumped Etan to Wallace once he switched to Johnson. 10-4 Detroit.

8:06: Good communication in transition D against Detroit…..however, Daniels gets matched up on Johnson. Pistons go to Amir, but Daniels displayed Veteran Swag by drawing a charge.

7:20: Chancey Billups is eating Antonio Daniels’ lunch, dinner, and next morning’s breakfast. He just hit a transition three in Daniels’ face. 15-6 Detroit.

6:15: You hear someone from the sidelines yet, “Maxwell.” I assume it comes from the Wizards bench and whomever probably meant “Maxiell.” Jason sets a ball screen for Hamilton behind the 3-pt. line on the left wing. DeShawn is slow in trying to get over it and Etan hedges out way too much (Hamilton is not a three-point shooter and is immediately looking to pass to the top anyway). Maxiell rolled straight to the basket after the screen. Etan had no chance to recover. Wallace makes a great pass to Maxiell who draws a foul and makes 2 FTs. 20-8 Detroit.

4:07: 20 second timeout, Eddie Jordan. The Pistons are moving the ball as if in mid-season form. The Wizards offense looks horrendous. Daniels looks 10 years old than Billups, even though he’s only 1-year older. And all Gilbert can do from the sidelines is encourage Caron Butler to get the team running more. 27-10 Detroit. Rasheed is killing so much that he asks out of the game…he’s got 8 points already.

3:40: It’s getting sad. Jamison is forced to double help Billups off a ball screen, but it’s not a hard double….Jamison just hangs around a couple seconds, but does nothing that will deter Billups. Etan picks up Jamison’s man. Caron is stuck with both Prince and Kwame Brown….Butler sticks with Prince who heads to the block and Brown goes to the right elbow. Jamison is just wondering around looking for someone to get…but it’s too late, Billups finds Brown who hits the jumper. Caron tells Etan that he was supposed to get Kwame, but all of this is on Antawn Jamison. 29-12 Detroit

2:48: Blatche replaces Etan.

It’s hard to concentrate on rebounds…..but Steve Buckhantz relays that the Wiz are getting out-done 12-1 on the boards so far.

1:53: Nick Young checks in for Stevenson.

0:58: Kwame comes down the lane, essentially does a swim move on Blatche and positions himself right inside the inner half circle. Blatche can’t get around Kwame and there’s nothing he can do. Brown gets an easy inside bucket on Andray. 31-19 Detroit.

0:40: Dominic McGuire checks in for Butler.

0:05: Giving Andray Blatche Credit: He out-works Brown for an offensive board but can’t nail the fading turnaround J with the seconds ticking down.

The first ends and the Wizards are only down 10, 31-21.

Q2

Antawn, Dominic, DeShawn, Andray and Nick to start.

11:40: Kwame gets Andray bad with a jab step right and lefty drive all the way to the hoop….from the 3-point line!! 33-21 Detroit.

11:00: Seriously? Kwame gets the ball again near the top of the arc. Andray kinda, sorta, not really, tried to go for the steal on the pass…..gets out of position and Kwame drives it right down the Wizards’ throat. 35-23 Detroit.

10:31: Darius Songaila comes in for Jamison. Etan comes in to save Blatche.

9:18: Something good on D. Songaila doubles Stuckey off a ball screen…something which must be part of the game plan when defending ball screens at the arc….but unlike Jamison, D-Song is aggressive….bothers Stuckey….who dribbles around, but Nick Young sticks his nose in the lane to deflect a pass out of bounds with 4 seconds on the shot clock. Of course, the Pistons score off the out-under. 39-28 Detroit.

Offensive Interruption: Monumental Air Folks….this kid, wow. Did Walter Herrmann get dunked on? HELL YES.

Butler checks in for Etan (joins D-Mac, who has been silent, Songaila, Young, and Stevenson).

7:42: McGuire gets caught silly on a mini pump-fake….but McDyess missed the jumper.

6:57: McGuire with a nice block on a Stuckey drive….made sure to keep from the body contact and stretched his arm out to the ball……but the Pistons get the ball and Herrmann nails a trey. 47-30 Detroit.

Juan Dixon and Jamison in for McGuire and Stevenson….and Songaila is playing aggressive defense….how can Wizards fans not like that?

I Wonder: How long until Young takes DeShawn’s starting spot? Or do we like his scoring off the bench? Young is play very well by the way….9 points off the bench so far.

The Dixon-Jamison-Butler-Young-Songaila lineup is working well…..9-0 Wizards run. 47-39
Detroit.

4:20: Another instance of good D. The Wiz force a 24-second violation on Detroit. Young, Songaila and Dixon make this unit more active.

3:52: Jamison and Dixon double Billups after a McDyess ball screen. Songaila hustles to cover the screener (who is also the closest pass option) at the top of the arc, and Billups is forced into a turnover…the 11th for the Pistons.

2:50: Note: I just had my first out loud clap of joy on the season…..Nick Young hustles to save the ball from going out of bounds on offense….the ball eventually ends up in Juan Dixon’s hand who drives the lane and scores the layup on three Pistons. 13-0 run. 47-43 Detroit.

2:20: My 2nd out loud clap moment….Jamison’s trey cuts it to 47-46. Michael Curry 20-second timeout. On this 16-0 run, the Wizards have gotten MUCH better shots.

1:33: Can we stop wondering (or at least curtail) why Eddie Jordan likes Songaila so much? First of all, Nick Young is working very hard to keep up with Richard Hamilton. Butler and Jamison double Prince off a ball screen. Songaila runs to the spot to cover Jamison’s man, Jason Maxiell, and jumps the passing lane to get a steal.

Funny Gilbert Moment: Rip Hamilton travels….Gilbert immediately jumps off the bench before the ref has a chance to blow the whistle. The ref, Bill Kennedy, specifically looks in Arenas’ direction and yells, “I got it” twice before making the call.

Wow…the half ends and the Wizards are up 52-51 after being down 17 with 7 minutes left to play in the 2nd. The offense clicked….and the defense improved….not even making me write a paragraph breaking down a bad instance. The key in my opinion? Antonio Daniels was not in the game and Juan Dixon did a great job to bother Chauncey Billups and keep him under wraps.

Key Stat: The Wizards have managed to take care of the ball….so at least the early bad offense was able to get off shots…..Detroit with 15 turnovers, Wizards with only 4.

Q3

11:50: Stevenson gets caught bad on a screen (set by Wallace) and curl by Hamilton. Either Stevenson was trying to draw a foul (Wallace didn’t move), or Jamison did not make him aware that the screen was coming. Either way, Jamison didn’t recognize that he needed to help on Hamilton (I mean damn, he was curling right into the paint) and Rip got an easy layup. 53-52 Detroit.

Can’t Do Nuthin’ Bout It D: Rasheed just hit a couple back to back fading jumpers….that’s why he’s good and that’s why he scored 8 points in the first 8 minutes of the game…..can’t do nothing ’bout that.

9:52: Butler chucks up a jumper from the corner (who does he think he is…Gilbert Arenas?). Pistons easily run in transition…Chauncy and Rip are good. 8-2, run 59-53 Detroit.

AAAAAAnd I just completely ruined it for myself. You accidentally hit one wrong button and somehow your DVR goes “live” and jumps you to a point in the game where the outcome has been determined and you accidentally see what happens when you were watching the game at your own pace. F-ing great. The blog from here on out may be different…

9:07: Rasheed doing Rasheed things…missing another fading J from the corner, but drawing the foul on Etan Thomas. He then talks trash to Etan, I imagine it went something like, “Take those politics, bitch,” or “I gotta poem for you, ‘There once was a man from Nantucket, biiiitch.’”

8:28: Man, I’m l beginning to think that Jamison is just a bad, bad defender (double bad). The ball goes to ‘Sheed for a short corner fade again….thankfully he missed this time. But the Pistons have stopped moving the ball on offense to take advantage of Jamison trying to guard Wallace.

7:52: Pistons have gotten away with moving picks all night long. Why does refereeing in the NBA suck so much? I was watching the league pass the other night…can’t remember which game it was, but I do know a super star call when I see one. You think with the Donaghy scandal that they’d be trying to improve in all aspects. I think people are more fans of good basketball than they are of the refs making sure the offense gets an advantage.

7:11: It’s like DeShawn is always intentionally getting caught up on screens with his upper body….trying to draw a charge. Just stay with your man and get through them. Is that too much to ask, Lock Smith?

Do you ever get the feeling that Nick Young is just a goofy lil’ dude when he talks? I mean, I’m glad he’s been getting serious on the court, but I keep expecting him to bust out into a convo about Nickelodeon. Aaaand they just showed him yawning on screen……and he’s sitting next to a 12-year old girl in a Pistons uniform. Odd.

Side Note: Etan Thomas likes to hit, or kick, the ball far away after he dunks.

5:36: Damn Jamison again. He and Stevenson clearly are supposed to switch on an off-ball screen set by Wallace for Hamilton….at least I assume that since Stevenson immediately sticks with Wallace. Jamison seems to want to stick with Hamilton, but for some reason, turns his back on his man…doesn’t see Hamilton fade…..and gets stuck too far away from him in the paint. Essentially, instead of opening his body to see ball and man, he turns his back, Hamilton gets separation, and hits a mid-range J. 68-82 Detroit.

Should I be glad that Rodman kicked a cameraman now? I mean, those effs (I meant to say the word fucks) sit too close to the court. As sensitive to injuries as I (Wizards fans) am, we don’t need to see Etan Thomas roll his ankle on a damn cameraman’s foot.

More Rasheed fade in the corner….this time on Songaila. Although, I will say, D-Song forced him to take a shot much further out than Jamison was able to.

Steve Buckhantz and Phil Chenier get on the Pistons for artificial noise….oh please…the suckiness of the Verizon Center crowd doesn’t give the Wizards an excuse to do the same thing on the artificial noise front.

4:10: Jamison and his partner in defensive crime, Antonio Daniels, are at it again. Wallace pick. Daniels doesn’t know it’s coming or can’t get over it. Jamison isn’t close enough to cover. Hamilton mid-range jumper. 72-66 Detroit.

Stevenson does get credit for possessing the ability to score in bunches. 72-68 Pistons.

Comcast likes to show random shots of Caron Butler winking.

2:14: Well, the Wizards finally double on that ‘Rasheed in the short corner posting up on Jamison’ thing…..except the passer, Walter Herrmann, cuts and Butler leaves his man so soon that a helping Songaila could never be expected to leave his man and get in front of Herrmann in the paint. Easy pass. Easy bucket. And 1. 77-70 Detroit.

1:52: McGuire, Young, and Dixon check in…Jamison and Songaila remain. (you know, that lineup that did well earlier save Jamison for Butler).

Stuckey made such a nice move to end the 3rd, I had to watch it several times. Very top of the arc: takes a slow dribble 3 feet beyond the 3-point line…hesitates right and steps hard to the right…dribbles right, plants the right foot and goes behind his back to the left at the FT line. Nick Young, instead of shuffling his feet to the side, plants with his left foot, but steps backwards with his right. Stuckey gains the edge to the left , power dribble, and Debos his way to a layup with 00.6 seconds left on the clock. End of the 3rd, 81-76 Detroit.

Q4

D-Mac, Jamison, Songaila, Young, and Dixon remain. No McGee sighting….and I’m okay with that.

A minute and a half goes but until Caron checks in for Jamison.

Both teams pick it up with some aggressive D to start the 4th.

9:37:
Well, this is where D-Song’s lack of athleticism gets him in trouble. The Wiz show a man-to-man full court press off a made FT. Antonio McDyess acts like he is going to hang around but sees there is no Wizard down the court and takes off. It only takes Songaila a split second to react and get this feet moving. But he is no where near fast enough to keep up. Easy pass…..transition points….And 1. Songaila should not have allowed McDyess to get in front of him like that. 89-83 Detroit.

8:25: Great individual play by Dixon….he gets caught behind Maxiell on a high pick and roll (shouldn’t have happened), but when the Pistons go inside to Maxiell, Dixon slaps it out of his hands, and saves the ball from going out of bounds to Jamison (who just checked in for McGuire).

Of course, the next couple of possessions for Detroit, Rodney Stuckey bodies up the smaller Dixon and gets two straight layups. 94-88 Detroit.

5:27: Rip Hamilton gets Young with a vet move…..off the ball, Rip heads to the baseline off a Rasheed Wallace screen. Young does well to get over the screen, but really gets into Hamilton as he stops. Rip plants and attempts to change direction and essentially “runs” into Nick, and flops his arms back. The ref is right there and calls Nick for his 4th foul. Pistons are in the penalty, Rip nails both, 100-92 Detroit.

The thought about Young starting over Stevenson crossed my mind earlier……but now, the fact that DeShawn hasn’t been on the court peaks my curiosity.

3:40: Bad turnover….Wallace deflected a cross-court Daniels pass attempt to Butler….Pistons run. Songaila, Jamison and Daniels don’t really have a plan to cover the various Pistons in transition. Walter Herrmann is open for three (that dude is killing!) and Detroit goes up 105-96…..big swing.

2:59: Herrmann is hitting finger rolls in the paint…..good lord. 107-98 Detroit.

I can’t be sure…..but I think Pistons fans are chanting…’Over….rated.”
I’m baffled as to why.

1:20: The defense is moving, but the guy who was supposed to rotate out to Walter Herrmann, Nick Young, ignores the hot hand. Billups gets penetration and Herrmann is wide open for three. 112-102 Detroit.

0:45: Tayshaun’s long arms get a tap and Detroit gets the offensive rebound. Wizards foul Billups. 114-105 Detroit.

The Wiz fight until the end, but the final outcome is 117-109 Detroit Pistons.

ESPN.com Box Score.

The bad stat: Getting out-rebounded 49-24.

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[UPDATE]: Check my answers to the questions of Detroit Bad Boys

1) Over the summer, Joe Dumars said that no one was ‘untouchable’ and then did not make any major moves. How satisfied were you with what the Pistons did in the off-season coming into this year?

At first I was disappointed, but once it became apparent that Amir Johnson was going to start and Rodney Stuckey was expected to average 25-30 minutes, I got excited. Not a lot of team can undergo a youth movement while staying in contention, but I think the Pistons have a chance to pull it off. I’ve been dying to see Johnson get a fair shake the last two years and Stuckey looked like a future All-Star at times in the playoffs, so if all the pieces come together, it’ll be like the Pistons added two impact players to their rotation without giving anything up.

Plus, I’m not completely convinced the roster will look the same come playoff time. With Rasheed Wallace on the verge of free agency and Rip Hamilton potentially opting-out, Dumars will be taking a lot of calls at the trade deadline. Maybe something falls in his lap, or maybe he looks at the team and decides it’s a little younger and a little deeper than last year and sits tight. Anything can happen.

2) Was Kwame Brown worth the risk? How much faith/expectations do you really have in him?

A lot of fans were upset at his signing, which I didn’t really understand. I think there was this feeling of anticipation all summer waiting for a big trade that never happened, and so when his arrival was announced, it was like, “wait, that’s it?” But objectively speaking, it’s hard not to like his contract: two years, $8 million is chump change for serviceable big men, especially since he might opt-out after one year.

The fact of the matter, though, is that he’s only going to play against some of the league’s bigger centers — he’s fifth in the pecking order rotation behind Rasheed, Amir, McDyess and Maxiell. He’s just another big body to throw out there as needed; there’s no other expectation on him to do anything. If the Pistons face Orlando again in the playoffs and he can lean on Dwight Howard for 15 minutes a game, he’ll live up to his contract. There really are no other expectations.

3) Knock on wood….(as a Wizards fan/blogger dealing with injuries, I must ask this)…..but of Billups, Wallace, and Hamilton, who would the Pistons miss the most should one get hurt for an extended period of time?

I have a lot of faith in Stuckey’s potential, but Billups is the straw that stirs Detroit’s drink. He’s one of the elite point guards in the NBA and has a knack for stepping out to hit a big three-pointer when needed or finding the open man, neither of which Stuckey can do yet on a consistent basis. Maybe an injury to Billups where Stuckey is force-fed into taking on that role would expedite his development and have long-term benefits, but strictly speaking in terms of wins and losses now, losing Billups would be the most costly.

Thanks again to Matt of Detroit Bad Boys. Be sure to check out a recent interview that he had with former Piston, James “Buddha” Edwards.

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I got a preview/run-down of all (some) things Wizards here. Laters.

Also, check out the Bullets Forever game thread for comments.

Previously on Ready to Die.

Wizards vs. Pistons Game 30: Stuck with the fat girl at the dance as DC got blown 106-93. Detroit had 33 bench points, was 11-22 from three and had 23 assists to 10 for Washington. Bad all around.

Wizards vs. Pistons Game 68: This will be known as the Gilbert Arenas hissy-fit game. The Wizards won 95-83 and made Detroit look very un-Detroit. This discovered picture of Rasheed Wallace was the most important piece of the night.

Quarter Uno

Richard Hamilton is back in the lineup for Detroit….and I’m betting that the Pistons have also heeded the warning which Dallas gave to their NBA colleagues with their 1st round playoff exit last year. Meaning Rip, having missed the last 5 games (and 8 of 9), is going to make the Lock Smith put in some work tonight because Detroit needs to be in a playoff rhythm.

11:56: AJ gets a bucket within 4 seconds off a good Brendan Haywood opening tip. The Wizards often seem to get the quick early basket.

10:30: Prince 3….Butler doesn’t recover from a screen fast enough….nagging injuries prevent nimbleness.

Arli$$…or Robert Wuhl, is in the booth at the Nationals game. Don’t worry, the volume is down. But Arli$$ the show, aside from pro athlete cameos and the relatively attractive Asian, was rather mediocre. I won’t call it flat-out terrible, but it lacked a kick.

8:47: Beautiful follow tip by Jamison is succeeded by a Rasheed Wallace trey, 9-9 game. Some slashing gets tempers flared in the Caps game as DC holds the 2-1 lead over Philly with 10 left in the 2nd — Caps get a power play out of it.

A timeout occurs at 5:53 with the Wizards up 12-9. While the offense has been far from crisp, it has been semi-effective….considering that the Wiz have the lead. The team has benefited from the activity of Jamison and Haywood, they have 5 boards together while the Pistons have 4 as a team.

Before the Wiz can come out of the timeout, the Philly Flyers knock down two very quick goals. They are up 3-2.

5:53: Gilbert makes his entrance into the game. What does this mean for tomorrow night’s match with the Sixers? Not sure….but you can read what Ivan Carter has to say about it. How ’bout I study Gilbert Arenas’ shot selection?

4:53: Gil starts out by setting up Andray blatche…who quickly forgets his two-hands on the ball lesson that Kirilenko gave him long ago. He gets blocked by Ratliff when he should have finished or at least gotten the foul.

3:37: Gil gets a double dribble called against him as Detroit has ratcheted up their D since the timeout….Rasheed gives him a thanks and a pat on the head before the Pistons continue their 9-0 run on the other end.

Uh oh…the Flyers have scored again. 4-2 with 4:38 left in the 2nd period.

2:18: Meanwhile….the Pistons are increasing their offensive ball movement. Chauncey Billups three in the corner. Evidently, I missed a Gilbert 3-point attempt (and miss) on the previous possession. His only shot so far. 23-14 Detroit.

0:00: The first ends with the Tayshaun Prince missed a three that was hotly contested by our Gilbert Arenas. 23-19 Detroit is the score. The biggest issue is: Detroit has hit 2 more 3s, 2 more FTs and has doubled the Wizards up on assists, 6-3.

Quarter Dos

The Nats and Braves are still scoreless.

11:28: Gilbert misses a jumper early in the shot clock. Let’s call that a bad attempt. He was open a step or so inside the 3-point line, but I’d rather open jumpers be taken more within the offense.

10:36: Arenas dribbles around and the Pistons kind of watch him….open layup, points scored. That’s a good shot. 25-23 Pistons.

10:01: Gil checks out and Roger Mason AKA ‘whatever‘ immediately fires and misses a trey. It’s getting testy in the Caps game again.

9:27: Roger Mason misses another three. Not exactly the time for the Wizards to neglect the paint on offense….especially when the Pistons keep getting inside dunks.

Damn, they keep taking about DeShawn’s consecutive starts at 247 (every game update from Steve Buck)…..but The Prince is clean ahead at 352.

6:00: The Pistons, or their bench, seem to want it just a little bit more…I mean, they are playing just a little harder. I’m sure the Wizards want the game. But Rodney Stuckey has provided a quick 4 off the bench while Jason Maxiell is pulling down 7 points and 3 boards. 38-28 Detroit lead.

4:16: Right now, as he nails 2 FTs, Caron Butler has 6 points on 1-4 from the field. It’s safe to say that he needs to assert himself in the offense a little more. 43-34 Detroit.

3:08: Haywood does
n’t even bother getting in the face of Antonio McDyess as he hits that baseline shot that he nails ALL THE TIME! Scouting report BTH? 45-36 Detroit.

2:30: Pistons have to take the ball out of bounds with 1 second on the shot clock….McDyess can’t get the shot off in time. A prime example of why tenths of a second are needed on the shot clock in the NBA, and college. Speaking of clocks, this is pretty damn interesting (Jason Kapono warning).

0:00: The half ends as Caron Butler limps around the court…trying to do anything and guard anyone….looks like a bum right knee. Not sure what happened, but it doesn’t look promising.

The sole bright spot: the Wiz were able to fight back into the game thanks to some defense. After getting down 13, it’s 47-42 Pistons. DC trails 19-17 in total rebounds but commands the 6-4 lead on offensive boards. Also in the 2nd, the Wizards nailed 7 FTs to only 2 for Detroit. Wizards bench? A whole 9 points (5 Andray, 2 Gil, 2 Songaila) — while the Pistons bench is contributing 22 to the cause. Jamison and a “quiet” Stevenson lead with Wiz with 11 points apiece, no one for Detroit has broken double figures (Maxiell leads with 9).

In other updates….I saw goal #3, but missed #4, both by Mike Green, to tie the Caps with the Flyers at 4-4. The Nats are down 1-0 in the top of the 8th.

Quarter Tres

Caron update…he bumped knees with a dude but is back on the court.

10:13: A couple minutes into the quarter, Phil Chenier comments that Caron seems to be favoring the right leg.

GOAL CAPS! Alex O breaks his playoff cherry with aggressive D and a steal of the puck leading to a nail in the net. 5-4 lead for the Caps…very big. How ’bout it Cristobal? Can you hold down the net?

8:08: At the first timeout, the Pistons have powered their way to a 7-0 run and a 56-44 Detroit lead. Detroit has benefited from speed up the court.

MVP chants are starting at the Verizon Center…..And the Caps are able to survive the mad dash from Philly as Ovechkin gets a couple hits in contribution (ever wonder why Alex O attends so many Wizards games? His daddy’s baby momma was a 2-time Olympic gold medal winner in basketball). A little more testiness between the two teams after the final horn but it’s all good in the District as the Caps take the 1-0 series lead. Oh yea, the 76ers lost to the Pacers tonight as well. Nice work lovin’ brothers.

6:01: Meanwhile….the Wizards are on the verge of making it ugly. Lack of proper decisiveness on offense….34% from the field doesn’t help. Nick Young checks in to join Gilbert Arenas at the guard spot. Let’s hope they can provide an offensive spark. Down 61-47, they need something.

Nats update: still down 1-0, but it’s the top of the 9th and the Braves have the bases loaded with Gilbert Arenas’ jersey number outs.

4:55: The Pistons are looking like who they are….a #2 seed and the Wizards are looking like who they are… a team which would not make the playoffs in the Western Conference. Nothing doin’ as Washington has been outscored 19-6 in the 3rd, 66-49 lead for Detroit.

4:15: It’s hard to believe that the Wizards have no one who can handle Jason Maxiell — who has 16 points off the bench by the way. (uhh…Andray Blatche anyone?) Oh yea, to go along with his 4th foul (3rd in the 3rd Q) Jamison goes to the bench with 4 3rd quarter points for a total of 15.

How can it get so ugly this quick? Nick Young is taking and missing bad shots……Caron Butler can barely jump with that knee injury. At this point, I would not be surprised if both he and Gilbert say out tomorrow against the Sixers.

3:04: Richard Hamilton easy bucket….Nick Young miss….Rip baseline jumper……Buckhantz is starting to use words like “disarray” and “nightmare” – Happy Friday everyone, 75-52 Detroit.

2:06: As I find out that Cleveland lost in addition to Philly, Tayshaun Prince puts a dunk in the can. 77-52.

Quite a fancy show going on here. Need 4 Sheed is creaming in his headband right now.

0:04: Thanks to a ‘who cares’ Nick Young three……the deficit ain’t as bad at 81-55 to end 3 quarters.

Quarter……awww efff this.

The fact that M.A.S.H. is now on DC20 means that the Nationals have lost (ends up 3-0, but I wasn’t paying attention to the end). The presence of this old-tymey show also can’t be a good sign for the Wizards.

10:42:…I’m still watching, but the drinking has increased, as has Jason Maxiell’s continuance to drain his weasel on Wizard heads. 87-63 Detroit.

Insult on top of injury…..or is it the other way around? Regardless, DeShawn Stevenson is out for the rest of the game with a bruised tail-feather. No word if he will be dancing later.

For the hell of it: 36-16 points in the paint advantage for Detroit. That’s not an advantage, that’s rape.

8:51: Are you serious? Jason Maxiell continues to hit step-back jumpers like Pro-Active on Haywood’s facial. Yup, he’s got a career high of 20 points.

Steve Buckhantz refers to an impending Wizards loss tonight as “no harm, no foul” since Philly and the Cavs lost (but Toronto won) — nice one, a-hole. Me to myself: angry much?

8:01: Andray Blatche just threw up the most lazy, uncalled for under-handed shot that I would be pissed if I saw at an 8th grade girls game. He then commits a silly foul and Jason Maxiell crams an emphatic dunk. What? There’s still 8 minutes left in this game??

Thank god the replacements are on the floor: Mason, McGuire, Blatche, Young and Pecherov.

Wizards Sideline Bench Shot: Yup, everyone looks pretty peeved….but good ol’ Gil can manage some smiles…..probably because he knows he’s on TV. Am I being unfair?

Steve Buckhantz: “Like Ben Wallace, Maxiell’s favorite hobby is building model cars.” Tonight, he built a model turd and left it under Eddie Jordan’s seat.

So the young players are in…are they working on the offense? Nope. They are working on 1-on-1 moves.

Quick Fact…..Lindsay Hunter holds an NCAA record for most 3s launched in a college game….26 against Kansas. (tha
nks to Stevie Buck).

3:50: The Wizards are resorting to playing grab-ass with Jason Maxiell in an attempt to keep him away from the basket.

Gilbert is signing autographs while sitting on the floor…not even the bench. What a guy.

0:52: The Jason Maxiell show continues…….Tomorrow, he is going to wake up and realize that this wasn’t a dream.

On a related note (to the game ending) there is torrential rainfall in DC. I can hear women and children screaming outside of my apartment on 16th Street. 102-74 Detroit Pistons.

I auspiciously hoped for something to build upon, but I ended up with the same Wizards inconsistency. Oh well (a common quote), at least they are in the playoffs. Hopefully, the disaster tonight will lead to a much better effort tomorrow night against the Philadelphia 76ers.

nba.com stuff

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According to common sense (and working within the current flawed voting system for starter — that’s for another post), here is how it should go in the East for the 2008 NBA All-Star game.

Let’s start with the givens, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James will be the starting forwards. KG leads all players with 1,527,963 votes and LBJ is second overall with 1,294,019.

The fans are right here, Garnett and James are putting up great numbers for great teams and they should both start at forward. No arguments.

At center, Dwight Howard is also a lock to start. He’s more than doubled up Shaq’s 2nd place 466,292 votes. Thumbs up to the fans on Howard, thumbs down for Shaq being number two. (Thank god, it’s about time Shaq missed an All-Star game — there is no way the coaches can select him, is there?)

Guards: here is where the fans go bad. It looks like Dwyane Wade is going to get the starting nod. He leads east guards with 777,764; Jason Kidd is second with 559,333. The fact that D-Wade has missed 7 games, has been inconsistent, is averaging 4.5 turnovers per game and his team, the Miami Heat, has the worst record in the east convinces me that D-Wade should be out of the starting lineup, in the least. Vince Carter is about 100 grand behind Kidd, and I don’t see him catching up. And I’m just “okay” with Whitesnake Kidd starting.

Knowing the starters, here is who the Eastern Conference All-Star reserves should be:

1 >> Caron Butler – I’m gonna mention how John Hollinger thought Caron’s ceiling was last year, an All-Star year, by naming Butler to his All-Decline team. Boy was he wrong. Here are Tuff Juice’s per game numbers, with change from last year in parens: PTS: 22.1 (+3.0), STL: 2.2 (+0.1), AST: 4.5 (+0.8), REB: 6.9 (-0.5), FT% 88.1 (+1.8), 3P% 40.0 (+15.0), FG% 49.9 (+3.6). He only goes down in rebounds, probably because Brendan Haywood decided to show up this year. And right now, Butler has made 14 more 3 pointers than he did all of last season. Unquestioned All-Star

2 >> Paul Pierce - He’s playing great, his team is dominating, and most importantly, he has shown a quality of unselfishness to admire because of what he put up with in the past and how he is easily deferring, at times, to KG and Ray Allen now. Paul Peazy always puts up solid rebound (5.4) and assist (4.9) numbers to go along with his 21.5 points per game.

3 >> Chauncey Billups – Are the Pistons really slept on if everyone is jumping on their bandwagon? Same ol’ Chauncey — 17.3 Points, 7.5 Assists, 1.3 Steals, only 2.2 Turnovers — put him in the game.

Here is where it get’s tough. 4 spots left. Billups is a PG and Butler and Pierce are both small forwards who can play the two, Pierce more so than Butler. So, let’s say you need two more big forwards who can get you rebounds, a true multi-purpose swing man and another guard. Note that centers are not even in the discussion after Dwight Howard. Rasheed Wallace is the only one on the ballot who can be in the convo, but I’m grouping him with the big forwards.

Judging by the stats, who do you go with?

Big Forwards:

Player A: 19.7 PTS, 4.0 AST, 6.1 REB, 2.3 3P made per game

Player B: 18.2 PTS, 2.4 AST, 5.2 REB, 2.6 3P made per game

Player C: 21.8 PTS, 1.5 AST, 10.8 REB, 1.7 3P made per game

Player D: 12.6 PTS, 2.0 AST, 7.0 REB, 1.4 3P made per game, 1.4 BLK, 1.3 STL

Player E: 20.3 PTS, 2.2 AST, 9.2 REB, 0 3P made per game, 1.2 BLK

Points aren’t everything, but it easily stands out that two among this group (C & E) are averaging over 20 per game. And one of those two, Player C is averaging 10+ rebounds per game. The only other player I know in the East averaging at least 20 and 10 is Dwight Howard. I’m taking player C — and that player is….Antawn Jamison. We will come back for the 2nd forward.

The Swingers:

Player F: 19.2 PTS, 4.7 AST, 5.7 REB, 1.2 3P made per game, 0.7 BLK, 2.1 STL

Player G: 17.2 PTS, 3.5 AST, 8.1 REB, 3.1 BLK, 1.9 STL

Player H: 24.5 PTS, 2.7 AST, 4.5 REB, 0.4 BLK, 0.9 STL

Player I: 20.1 PTS, 3.1 AST, 5.3 REB, 1.1 3P made per game, 0.9 BLK, 2.1 STL

Player H is immediately eliminated. I like his 24.5 points, but he’s just not filling it up in the other categories like the other players. Good-bye Richard Jefferson.

Among the other three, the Points, Assists, and Steals are pretty close. But look at Player G, he’s averaging 8.1 rebounds AND 3.1 blocks. Let me also add that Player G’s team is above .500 — Player F‘s team is below .500 and Player I‘s team is below .400. I’m taking G.

Josh Smith, welcome to the All-Star team — Gerald Wallace (Player I) and Andre Igoudala (Player F), we might see ya next year.

The Guards:

Player J: 21.3 PTS, 4.8 AST, 5.4 REB, 1.5 3P made per game, 0.9 STL

Player K: 18.9 PTS, 3.1 AST, 4.0 REB, 2.5 3P made per game, 1.0 STL

Player L: 18.2 PTS, 4.5 AST, 3.3 REB, 0.9 3P made per game, 1.0 STL

Player M: 23.4 PTS, 3.8 AST, 4.9 REB, 1.9 3P made per game, 1.1 STL

Player N: 22.1 PTS, 5.5 AST, 3.8 REB, 1.9 3P made per game, 0.9 STL

Player O: 18.9 PTS, 2.8 AST, 5.1 REB, 2.9 3P made per game, 1.3 STL

Doesn’t get any easier. Ok, I’m going to go ahead and throw out the guard among this group with the worst FG%. Player N is shooting 41.5% this year. And that player would be Joe Johnson. Sorry J-Square, your Hawks are doing well, but you don’t make the cut.

Player O is shooting .435 on FG and his team record is even worse at .367. Sorry Jason Richardson, the NBA is not ready for a Charlotte Bobcat All-Star. Not you nor the inconsistent Raymond Felton, who didn’t even make the first cut.

Ok Celtics fans, let’s get this over with….you already have two All-Stars in KG and Paul Pierce. You have a contender in Bean-Town and should be thanking your lucky stars, with Kevin McHale’s picture in the middle of the largest star. You should not expend energy trying to get all of the Boston 3 Party on the All-Star team…I’m talking to you Tommy Heinsohn. Ray Allen is a nice complimentary piece at this point in his career, but he is not an All-Star, especially when he’s shooting 42.6% from the field – his career worst. Take a seat Player K.

Well…if you throw out Player K, then you have to throw out Player L.

Sure, why not? Player L is Richard Hamilton. And I almost hate to eliminate him since the Pistons are playing so well…..let’s just call him another innocent victim of a balanced offense. Although, Hamilton is leading this group of guards, shooting 49.3% per game. Oh well, everyone can’t be happy. Besides, to me, Hamilton will always be a complimentary piece and not a star.

So who do you take between Player J and Player M? Even though M’s team is not doing too well this year, 12 wins to 19 losses, I’m taking him because he’s a pure left-handed shooter who is putting up a career high in assists and very close to a career high in rebounds. Welcome to the All-Star team Michael Redd. Vince Carter, take a seat.

Once again, Vince Carter is putting up solid numbers. He is even second in FG% among this group of guards with 46.1%. However, I’m tired of a quitter being on the All-Star team.

Here’s your All-Star team so far with one spot left:

Starters:
Dwight Howard
Kevin Garnett
LeBron James
Dwyane Wade
Jason Kidd

Reserves:
Caron Butler
Paul Pierce
Chauncey Billups
Antawn Jamison
Josh Smith
Michael Redd

So let’s go back to the forwards who are left and learn something about them.

Player A: 19.7 PTS, 4.0 AST, 6.1 REB, 2.3 3P made per game

Player B: 18.2 PTS, 2.4 AST, 5.2 REB, 2.6 3P made per game

Player D: 12.6 PTS, 2.0 AST, 7.0 REB, 1.4 3P made per game, 1.4 BLK, 1.3 STL

Player E: 20.3 PTS, 2.2 AST, 9.2 REB, 0 3P made per game, 1.2 BLK

Player D, I’m sorry, but you are going to have to fall victim like Richard Hamilton. Put it this way Rasheed, maybe you’ll have a chance to buy yourself another championship belt at the end of the season.

Player A and B both play on the same team, a division leader that’s 22-12. If you had to eliminate one of them, it would be Player B. Go enjoy your money Rashard Lewis.

So it’s between A and E. By now you’ve figured out that Player A is Hedo Turkoglu and Player E is Chris Bosh. I know what you are thinking. How could I ever put Hedo on the All-Star team over Chris Bosh?

Here is how:

Yes, the Toronto Raptors are doing well. They would have home-court advantage with the 4th seed if the playoffs started today. But the Orlando Magic, they are doing much better. Everyone knows that after making the playoffs last year, the Raptors would be an up and coming team. The Magic…they’ve pretty much come out of nowhere. Howard is a beast — and I had him pinned for a super breakout year, that’s why I selected him in several fantasy drafts. And we know what Rashard Lewis can do. I’m still not sure who is the greatest X-Factor for the Magic this year, Stan Van Gundy or Hedo Turkoglu…but since I’d rather not see Stan Van Ron Jeremy in shorts, Hedo makes the team. He’s been the go-to guy for Orlando, shooting from the outside when needed, with 38.5% from 3-point land. But also being the guy who drives to the basket for a needed bucket in many instances. I’d never thought I’d see the day where Turkoglu had the ball in an iso situation at the end of games.

So, Chris Bosh, your campaign videos have been cute and all, but sorry kiddo, better luck next year.

Your 2008 Eastern Conference All-Stars

Starters:
Dwight Howard
Kevin Garnett
LeBron James
Dwyane Wade
Jason Kidd

Reserves:
Caron Butler
Paul Pierce
Chauncey Billups
Antawn Jamison
Josh Smith
Michael Redd
Hedo Turkoglu

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