I feel ashamed for this, but I neglected to acknowledge the passing of New York Knicks great Dick McGuire.
McGuire, 84, died of natural causes on Wednesday.
For those who do not know, McGuire was a Knicks legend, and still stands third on the team’s all-time assists list (2,950).
A Bronx native, he was a five-time All-Star and led the Knicks to three straight NBA finals from 1951-53. He went on to serve the team as a coach, assistant coach and scout. His No. 15 was retired in 1992 and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame a year later.
His career off the court was just as impactful. He was a part of the Knicks’ organization for 53 of its 64 seasons, doing everything from finding the open man to finding future All-Stars. He was Hall of Famer Walt Frazier and Phil Jackson’s first NBA coach, and was responsible for the drafting of Mark Jackson, who would later pass him on the team’s career assists list.
One of the primary reasons I started this blog was to dig deeper into the game’s past and help bring to light many who were significant to the game as it is played today.
We’re getting into a time and age where it’s easier to forget the game’s pioneers; the people who put basketball on the map in the first place.
McGuire certainly fits that bill. He was such a relevant hoops figure in New York, the mecca of basketball, and his passing, for the most part, went unnoticed.
The fact that he was scout for the Knicks up unto his passing only shows his knowledge of players and how he adjusted his know-how to today’s model of the prototypical player.
That type of career service in a sport that changes yearly is quite incredible.
Rest in peace, Dick. The game is lesser without you.
Paul Pierce. Chauncey Billups. Daequan Cook. Channing Frye. Stephen Curry. Danilo Gallinari.
Those are this year’s NBA All-Star weekend 3-point participants.
Via ESPN.com:
Pierce and Billups will be joined by defending champion Daequan Cook of Miami, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Phoenix’s Channing Frye and New York’s Danilo Gallinari in the All-Star Weekend event on Feb. 13 at American Airlines Center.
Cook, who received an automatic invitation after winning last season’s event, will try to become the sixth repeat winner. He is shooting only 30 percent from 3-point range this season.
Pierce, who ranks third in the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage (.467), has been the field’s most accurate long-distance shooter this season. Frye and Curry also rank among the NBA’s top 10 in 3-point percentage this season.
This is part of why I hate the contest. Pierce boasts a great percentage, obviously, but he is not a 3-point shooter. This contest should be for “specialists”, the best of the best from long range.
I mean, that’s the point, right? Pierce and Billups get a good feel for 3s during a game because they’re successful in the paint and getting 2-point shots early to set up their long-range looks.
They don’t make their living from the 3-point line, and that’s what this contest should be about.
For example, Cook is a legit shooter (albeit, a volume one). Curry is. Frye is, even at his 6-11 height. Gallinari is.
Pierce and Billups? Not so much. They are scorers. When a player is more successful driving to the paint or creating, instead of spotting up from 3 or the outside shot, he should not be in this contest.
So who would I have added? There are tons to choose from.
Cleveland’s Anthony Parker (3 3-pt attempts per game, .447 percentage). Phoenix’s Steve Nash (3.9 attempts, .433). Orlando’s J.J. Redick (3.7 attempts, .414).
Any would have been better choices than Pierce and Billups. I personally would have gone with Nash and Redick.
As a fan of pure shooters, this is the one contest I look forward to during All-Star weekend. And EVERY year, there are deserving names left off for “bigger” names who just so happen to be shooting at a nice percentage that particular year.
It does not make them 3-point shooters, though I imagine the likes of Cook, Curry and Gallinari don’t mind seeing them in the lineup.
This lineup isn’t horrible. But it’s not as good as it could have been, though you can say that every year when it comes to these events, i.e. Nate Robinson in the dunk contest.
Andre Miller scored 52 points against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday
Andre Miller has no hops.
He has no jump shot. His game is as basic as vanilla.
But, he did score 52 points against the Dallas Mavericks. On Saturday. In a win the Portland TrailBlazers desperately needed.
Needless to say, the 52 is a career high for Miller. Even more amazing? He scored 25 points in the fourth quarter and OT of the 114-112 win.
AND … he did this on the back end of a back-to-back. The Blazers lost to the Rockets (!) the night before.
Miller hit 14 of 16 shots after halftime.
“This was one of those nights where I just didn’t stop shooting,” he said. “The other nights when I was hot, I stopped myself by not shooting the ball.”
Now, I was bewildered by this for a couple of reasons. One, Miller is the throwback player. After all, he achieved this feat by taking quality shots, mostly in the paint (22 of 31 shooting). He attempted just ONE 3-pointer (and made it).
He’s a 6-foot guard that makes his living off penetration and post-ups in the paint. He didn’t use sheer athleticism, quicks and a dominant first step.
He used his smarts, know-how and was gritty in his execution.
Well done, Mr. Miller. Nice D, Allas.
Here’s the recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20100130/PORDAL/gameinfo.html?ls=gt2hp0020900692
Along with Bob Ryan, Peter Vecsey, Ian Thomsen, Johnny Ludden, and Jack MacCallum, Dana O’Neil is quickly becoming one of my favorite hoops writers.
She generally writes takeout/feature college basketball pieces for ESPN.com, and I have yet to be disappointed.
Her latest – a story on the the significance of coaching trees in the college basketball fabric – is another gem, where she evaluates and explores the importance of the coaching tree (specifically noting that of Rick Pitino, Tom Izzo, and Herb Sendek) and how it’s become a great deal within college hoops ranks.
A neat look into something that rarely has been discussed, but remains integral in the most passionate level of basketball: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=oneil_dana&id=4857234
Now, to those who know me best, it is known that Utah Jazz wing Kyle Korver is my favorite player in the league.
I’m a huge fan of pure shooters, and there’s no doubt Korver is in the upper echelon in that respect. He has the quickest release in the league.
But, it’s also important to note that his game changed for the better when he arrived in Utah a few years ago. He had to learn how to play defense, seeing that Jerry Sloan abhors anyone who is allergic to that end of the floor.
It’s only right that, against Cleveland last Thursday, the same game that Sundiata Gaines had his memorable night, Korver contributed two awesome highlights that had me smiling with glee.
Enjoy:
Every Monday, there are two must-reads for me: Peter King’s “Monday Morning Quarterback” column on SI.com, and David Aldridge’s “The Morning Tip” column on NBA.com.
Now, I believe Aldridge’s is new. But it’s great. Full of insight, with rankings, thoughts and storylines that only an acute reporter like him can pick up on.
It’s the best pro hoops column today (and if you know of one better, please, do let me know).
This week’s lead is that of Utah Jazz guard Sundiata Gaines, who played the game of his life in the final day of his 10-day contract last Thursday against Cleveland.
Gaines, with Deron Williams ailing because of injury, merely scored nine points, hitting all three of his shots, in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning deep 3 from the right wing at the buzzer.
Great, great story. Inspiring. And Aldridge reviews it beautifully.
http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/david_aldridge/01/18/morning.tip/
Two-time slam dunk winner Nate Robinson will return to defend his championship.
Your 2010 Sprite Slam Dunk Contestants:
6-4 Shannon Brown, L.A. Lakers
6-7 Gerald Wallace, Charlotte Bobcats
5-9 Nate Robinson, New York Knicks
The other contestant will be the winner of a dunk-off between LA Clippers’ Eric Gordon and the Toronto Raptors’ DeMar DeRozan.
My pick is Wallace, although I’m also tempted to go with Brown. Both can fly. It’s tough to choose. But, for now, I’m gonna have to side with Wallace.
I’m really not impressed with either Gordon or DeRozan. But, who knows. They may surprise.
As long as Robinson doesn’t win, I’ll be a happy man.
Mike Fratello
www.mikefratello.com
This Web site is devoted to all-things basketball. Mike Fratello, the former head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers and the current analyst for TNT, talks all things basketball.
There are cool things on the site. Blogs, features … video diagrams of Fratello explaining specific intricacies of the NBA game.
He goes over fundamentals, has a Week in Review, et cetera. Pretty cool stuff. Getting inside the mind of a professional basketball coach is hardly anything a true fan would turn down.
Anyway, check it out. For those demanding a more introspective look in the game, it’s definitely worth the time. It’s definitely something I’ve bookmarked.
www.mikefratello.com.
Initially, I was never a fan of Rockets 6-6 center Chuck Hayes.
I mean, undersized post players are great stories – considering their work ethic, determination, etc. – but, long term? No, thanks.
But over the past three years that Hayes has been a Rocket, I’ve begun to study his game. Why, I wondered, is this guy getting heavy minutes for a contending team?
He can’t shoot. He can’t handle the ball. There are times when he struggles to finish layups. Where is the attraction?
And then I saw it. The way he defended pick and rolls. The way he boxed out. His great base that practically makes him immovable in the paint.
The mind-shattering screens. The sharp passes on cuts. The fact that, no matter what his size, he was never taken advantage of in the paint.
Chuck Hayes is the King of Intangibles. And for a stat-and-number geek like GM Daryl Morey, that makes him irreplaceable.
As others have caught on, so has the national media.
Check out this great piece from the New York Times, essentially analyzing Hayes’ effectiveness in the land of the giants: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/sports/basketball/14rockets.html?ref=basketball
It’s surely a sight to see, and definitely something to appreciate. I used to never be a fan of Chuck Hayes. Now I’m his biggest.
Chuck Hayes is the epitome of hard work, defensive know-how and a willingness to embrace doing the little things that never show up in the stat line.
The NBA definitely needs more of him.
Great, great, GREAT story on ESPN.com about the stereotypes of Native Americans and their struggle to find a place in college basketball.
Dana O’Neill does a great job reporting, and the story is intriguing, as it focuses on a NAIA program in Kansas that gives hopes for Native Americans looking to escape their poverty-stricken reservations in hope for a brighter and better future.
The story, a must-read: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=oneil_dana&id=4821534
