ESPN NBA Trade Machine: HOU - LAC - LAL

Houston Rockets

Houston gets the player that they have always wanted.  Houston has been chasing a star for some time now.  Pau can team up on the front line with Samuel Dalembert for a pair of 7 footers.  The Rockets have a lot of depth, but if they want to be playoff contenders they need to continue to look for ways to upgrade the starting lineup.  Luis Scola's defense has reached new lows, but he is still a solid asset on offense.  He also would fit in much better with the Lakers.

Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers have a log jam at the point guard position.  They have Chris Paul, Mo Williams, Chauncey Billups, and Eric Bledsoe.  That is deeper than they need to be.  The place that they are really weak?  The front line.  The front line has absolutely no depth, and Jordan Hill's ability to play both the 4 and 5 will take a lot of pressure of DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffen.  Since the Machine doesn't let you show picks, it seems like the Clippers would be happy to take one of the Morris twins.  Morris is so buried on the Rockets' roster he has had some D-League time.

Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers have big holes in the roster all around their Big Three.  Finding a legitmate point guard and a three point shooter could change this team.  They can play a power forward in Scola that is better suited for the Mike Brown's offense than Gasol.  They also getting the expiring Thabeet deal and potentially some defensive help on the front line.

3...2...1 Takeoff, Rockets Win 6 Straight

The first thing I noticed from Macklin's predictable selection of McGee/Wall about 3 rounds too early was the dunk by McGee.  Granted the dunk made it to YouTube, but what I noticed first was the scoreboard.  Wall and McGee can throw up highlight dunks all day and win 10 games this season.  However, the Rockets were the ones winning that game.  They were the ones that went on to win.

The Rockets have cranked out 6 straight wins with a team that is highly balanced with a surprise rookie starter and the resurgence of the highly efficient Samuel Dalembert.  (If you are one of the three people who actually read this blog, please ignore my Dalembert rant earlier this year.)  The good news for the Rockets are who has helped to hold this team up.

Kyle Lowry is currently 17th in the NBA in John Hollinger's PER stat for Player Efficiency.  He continues to lead the team with scoring, passing, and even rebounding.  As mentioned before, Samuel Dalembert has also contributed on the offensive end with a PER of 21.82, making him the 24th most efficient player in the NBA.  In case you are wondering who is right behind him?  Blake Griffen and Marc Gasol.  Pau Gasol is currently 50th.   Currently only 4 teams have 2 players in the top 25 of PER.  The best team in the west, OKC, actually has three.

The Rockets are also getting a big contribution from Chandler Parsons.  Parsons a 2nd round pick out of Florida has contributed in a similar way as Lowry.  He seems to touch every aspect of the stat sheet.  While he doesn't throw up huge numbers its his knowledge of the game that seems to be the most exciting part about the young player.  It doesn't hurt that he throws up the occasional highlight dunk.

Ultimately, the Rockets could start being a difficult team to handle if they can get the performance they are used to from both Scola and Martin.  Martin has been coming on lately and has a lot to do with the Rockets winning these past 6 games.  Scola on the other hand can't seem to piece it all together this year.  With a logjam at power forward for Houston and little defensive support from Scola, it might be time for the Rockets to consider moving Scola.  There are a number of teams that would be interested in adding a stretch 4 to the roster.  I think the Rockets could get a late 1st round pick for the addition.

If the Rockets can keep getting good support off the bench (not terribly surprising considering their stockpile of deep talent) and added improvement by Kevin Martin and Scola, it wouldn't be terribly surprising to see this team take as high as the 5th playoff spot.

BELIEVE IT AGAIN!!!

John Wall, baby. John Wall.

NBA JAM draft pick 11: Wall/McGee, Wizkids

Not so fast, Thornton. Not quite the start of the only-one-good-player portion of the draft. After all, this is NBA JAM, not the real NBA -- there are only two players, and it's highlights that count more than anything. There's no more obvious pick here than the blazing fast Jimmy Wall and the freakish leaper Javale McGee.

Although they didn't win, the only proof we need was there for the taking in the Wizkid's game against the Rockets yesterday. Wall dropped a career-high 38, and McGee did this:



and together? child, please.

NBA JAM draft pick 10: Rose/Deng, Bulls

This is the beginning of the "I'm not that excited to draft both of these players, but if I have to take somebody it might as well be one good player" section of the draft.  You cannot be disappointed in a pairing with the league MVP.  Let me break down the strategy for how this is going to work.  Deng inbounds.  Then, Deng does whatever he wants because he won't see the ball again.  Rose can run and jump faster and higher than most everyone, so I think I have a good chance.  Much like the real life Bulls, I am going to ask Rose to do this by himself.

NBA JAM draft pick 9: Allen/Garnett, Celtics

I take more 3's in NBA Jam than I dunk it.  That means I need the best 3 point shooter on my team all time.  Sweet Ray, still in the Top 10 in PER for this season despite being 64 years old, will continue to spot up as Garnett gets to take advantage of the fact you can swing your elbows wildly and knock people to the floor. Also, NBA Jam has just blatant pushing.  Is Garnett who he used to be? No.  Is Garnett still in the top 3 scariest dudes to meet in an alley? Absolutely.  (Inside note: The Zone Press would panic and start begging if the Knicks Bill Walker was in the alley.)

For those counting at home, that is potentially the Zone Press' 6th Future Hall of Famer.  Obviously I am better at this than Macklin and Halp.

NBA JAM draft pick 8: Aldridge/Wallace, Trailblazers

OK, kids. Settle down now. Getting a lot of static over here for the Ellis/Curry combo, and I think yall are seriously overemphasizing the I'm-a-big-man-and-don't-have-to-jump-very-high-to-dunk aspect of slamma-jamma basketball. These two are electric -- they can score from anywhere on the floor, and the first Monta crossover is gonna leave STAT with broken ankles to match his turrible knees.

But, on to the next pick. This one is for you, Thornton. These two members of your future West Champions (??!! I still stand by my skepticism) can bring it from anywhere on the floor, and Wallace is as good a leaper as anybody in the league. Exhibits A & B, for your enjoyment:

and those blocks!

NBA JAM Draft Pick 7: Stat and Melo, Knickerbockers

Although the Knicks still haven't quite figured out the best way to utilize their two superstars, there is no doubt that Anthony and Stoudemire are a formidable two-man JAM team. Both are big, athletic forces of nature. When he's hot, Melo can fill it up more quickly than anyone in basketball, and Amare's ability to finish around the rim is world-class.

Little passing, lots of isolation, and the occasional pick-and-roll with two of the league's best finishers?? It may not be working that well on the hardwood yet, but it sounds pretty darn good for NBA JAM.

NBA JAM Draft Pick 6: D12 / Richardson, Magic

Monta Ellis and Steph Curry?? Dmack seems to think we're drafting for NBA Tear Drop or NBA Turnaround Fader. Well, we're not. This is NBA JAM!!

I mean...this pick couldn't be more obvious...right? Okay good. Let the record show that the most dominant big man in the game right now, Dwight Howard, is part of the team taken sixth in the NBA JAM Draft.

Really, this team could be the Orlando Magic towel boy and Dwight Howard--it doesn't matter. Superman is not only a slam dunk champion, but also a 3x Defensive Player of the Year!! But make no mistake: Richardson is no slouch. He's a savvy veteran and 2x Slam Dunk Champion. This combination is scary! Hide the women and children!

Just ignore the music this video is set to...

CELEBRATE, YALL

This is also fun -- I wish the Verizon Center people would play this music every time Jan the Man throws down a jam.

BELIEVE IT

NBA JAM draft pick 5: Ellis/Curry, Warriors

Now that the obvious teams are off the board, I think the combo of Monta and Steph could truly annihilate the competition in NBA Jam. You wanna talk speed? You wanna talk scoring ability from anywhere on the floor? You wanna talk a total disregard for defense? These two have got it all.

NBA JAM draft pick 4: Durant/Westbrook, Thunder

My favorite NBA JAM combo of all time is easily Stockton and Malone.  While Malone was big and jumped and generally wreaked havoc, it was the speedy Stockton that was fun to put into Turbo mode.  I want that again.  Westbrook is running like crazy and only a few guys will be able to keep up.  This team will blast threes even when it makes no sense.  I thought about the Beard of Harden, but Westbrook speedily running past the Speed : 7 of Kobe Bryant was just too appealing.

NBA JAM draft pick 3: James/Wade, Heat

Sometimes, people over think things.  I just picked up arguable 2 of the top 3 most talented players in the NBA.  This line-up is painfully obvious, and that it is why it is painfully the best.  James and Wade finished number 2 and number 4 in scoring last year.  They finished 2 and 5 the year before that. And, they finished 2 and 1 the year before that.  Want to see James on fire?

Oh by the way, here is my second best player...

NBA JAM draft pick 2: Paul/Griffin, Lob City

I agree with Halp -- who cares about fundamentals here. I wanna see the basketball catch on fire and the hoop shake like it's been electrocuted. Right now we've got 24.7 and 15.2 ppg from these two, to go along with 10.3 boards for Blake and 9.8 assists for CP3, as well as 5 moments per game that make Bill Simmons do this:

Instant offense and a hell of a lot of fun to watch. No question. OK, Thornton, we're ready for your Lowry/Thabeet pick.

NBA JAM Draft Pick 1: Bryant / Bynum, Lakers

First of all, we're talking NBA JAM here boys and girls. We're not running shooters off multiple screens, we're not taking charges, and the only jumpers are wide open 3s when no one is back on D. Everything else is hard in the paint.

Against that backdrop, and considering the season they're having so far, the tandem of Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum is the obvious choice for the ultimate NBA JAM duo. The black mamba gives you the quickness of a guard and the size of a forward. He can defend, he can penetrate, and he can throw down. He creates his buckets, he gets to the rack, and he'll throw the airplane assist from 20 feet above the rim with ease. Oh yeah, he also has the best scowl in the league.

Bynum, a super-athletic 7-footer, is the perfect JAM complement to Bryant, guaranteed to provide plenty of BOOM-SHAKA-LAKAS! He jams, he rebounds, and he blocks shots. You get one of these guys on fire, and Bynum will be a goaltender extraordinaire. On defense, he's got the mean streak to match the mean streets of NBA JAM. Ouch, I'm sorry, J.J.

Case closed. Go Wiz.

- Halp

1st Annual: NBA JAM DRAFT

With three writers pasting completely unqualified opinions on the NBA, we have decided to host the first ever NBA JAM DRAFT.  The rules are as follows: snake style draft, each person will take a team of two from around the league (we eliminated the subs), each team will have a pair of players taken, for example if I take the Lakers, I will take Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy to lead Team Saltine.  If you disagree with our picks, you are probably wrong.

76ers Top John Hollinger's ESPN Stats

Advanced metrics are usually designed to show you thinks that make sense.  In my experience, they are much better served for situations with extenuating circumstances.  Like how good is Jeff Foster in his 14 minutes a game or why isn't Monta Ellis the best player in basketball with all the points he scores.  All in all, advanced metrics to a good job of taking a 3-D game and turning it into 2-D numbers of comparison.  That is why I love seeing the 76ers at the top in Hollinger's rankings.  Very rarely do you see any huge discrepancies between advanced metrics and what you would expect.  If Collins can keep the Sixers playing like a team, I will be the first to hope for more in the playoffs.

We've only just begun...

Greetings NBA Zone Press readers! The moment you've been waiting for has arrived--I am finally authoring my first blog post.

While it seems like only yesterday we were pounding eggnog and wondering why the NBA doesn't start on Christmas every year ("I know I'm not a fan of any of these teams, Mom, but it's the first day of the season!"), the Oklahoma City Thunder already have 10 games in the books.

At 8-2, dmack's pick for the Western Conference Finals shows promise, but how the Thunder deal with the loss of backup PG Eric Maynor (15mpg) and chemistry issues associated with (read: "caused by") their score-first floor general Russell Westbrook will largely determine whether or not the Thunder can make the leap this year.

With the exception of a somewhat lackluster start from Memphis (3-4), who returned core guys (paying Marc Gasol was big) from their exciting playoff run last year and boasts a healthy Rudy Gay to begin the season, the West looks as we thought it would before the season began. To be fair, the Grizz have not had an easy schedule thus far, and can get back to .500 with a win over the Lakers tonight. (By the way, the Lakers may be a little down this year, but if we're talking NBA Jam, how do you not like the Kobe / Bynum combo?? [27.8ppg, 6.8rpg, 5.8apg; 19.6ppg, 15.8rpg, 2.0bpg] Is that not the best two-man NBA Jam team we have right now? If you're saying Lebron / Bosh, just remember that Bosh's mid-range game doesn't exactly translate well in Jam.)

Before I talk about any of the other teams in the league that have actually won games this year, allow me a few words to discuss the ineptitude dressed in red, white, and blue that pretends to call itself a basketball team. I am, of course, referring to my beloved Washington Wizards (0-8), who today suffered a 21 point blowout at home to the perennial cellar-dwelling Minnesota Timberwolves.

Asked what he thought about the Wizards on his podcast last March, my man Tony K. responded along the lines of: "The Wizards? I like them at about a 10 seed right now in the tournament." Even a 10 seed in the NCAA tournament may be generous so far this year given the lack of discipline and effort the Wizards have shown. Let's just say that I'm glad the North Carolina Tarheels, who possess NBA height and talent, aren't on the schedule. While I concede that "mediocre" is the worst thing a team can be in the NBA, you can't tell me that the Wizkids (average age: 25) are just going to continue collecting lottery picks and then one season they'll rattle off 50 wins. It doesn't work that way.

The real story in the East, or non-story depending on how you look at it, is how dominant the Miami Heat have been, even with Dwyane Wade sidelined. As a longtime Lebron-naysayer, it isn't without regret that I agree with Thornton: the Miami Heat are going to win it all this year. Bron Bron is putting up NBA2K12-on-rookie numbers right now: 30.1ppg (60.1%fg), 7.6rpg, 7.6apg, 2.0spg. Granted, I don't have any "advanced metrics" in front of me, BUT ARE YOU KIDDING ME BRONNIE??

It's a small sample size so far, but Lebron is putting up those 30 a night while only attempting a 3-point shot about once every three games. He's not settling for his chicken-wing (not really but kinda, right?) jumper, but instead playing with his back to the basket more and getting to the stripe for 8 out of 10 a game. He's also passing phenomenally, not just out of double teams, but in the flow of the offense. He's ninth in the league in assists, and gee would you look at that, the Heat are first in the NBA as a team with 24.6 a game. Oh crap. Many are starting to wonder if Lebron is actually better with Wade out of the lineup. We'll see, but methinks not.

Anyways, that's all I have for now. I'm going to try to write a post at least once a week. I may focus on a particular team or a particular player from time to time, and I'll usually try to sprinkle in my overall thoughts on the league.

Until next week (or maybe a Wizards win), happy 2012 and enjoy the hoops.

- Halp

Wizards vs. Magic: A Retrospective Quarter-by-Quarter Video Analysis

First Quarter--ORL 31, WAS 14:

http://youtu.be/HmyQDH_PSC4?t=1m20s

the Wizkids did an awesome job pretending to be asleep/and/or/zombies during the first quarter. the Magic never saw it coming

Second Quarter--ORL 56, WAS 38:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZUybtXSkNY

this quarter the Wizkids were like, "look, we're a basketball team! but sometimes we don't really know the rules to basketball. but look, I kept the ball out of the little orange circle thing!"

Third Quarter--ORL 83, WAS 60:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJWSm13LBh8

this quarter, Andray Blatche was like Deion Sanders, Nick Young was like the backup dancers, Flip Saunders was like all of Deion's bizarre suits, John Wall was like the fake money, and the Magic were all like, "WTF are they thinking," just like the producers of this video

Final--ORL 103, WAS 85:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH6ImzZurtM

this video is a rhetorical metaphor for the prospects for the rest of the Wizkids season

stay tuned for the next Wizards Retrospective Video Anaylsis, in which I try to think of a video for the game in which the Wizkids decide not to show up at all.

Portland Trailblazers Beat Thunder at Home

It appears that the projected Western Conference champion, Oklahoma City Thunder, need to just focus their attention on becoming the Northwest Division Champions.  Last night Portland beat the Thunder in Oklahoma City 103-93.  Kevin Durant was held to 8-26 shooting on the night, as Portland's rough and physical team was able to keep most of the Thunder largely in check.

This is where the secret lies with this team.  The Trailblazers have a big strong team, but occasionally check out on defense.  I would like to see this team turn into absolute defensive stoppers.  The Trailblazers are close to the model of the championship Pistons from only a few years ago.  They don't necessarily have any one great player, but they have strong talent and will all over the floor.  If they can adopt the same tough attitude, then Zone Press will look pretty smart for putting them in the Finals this year.

Indiana Pacers Go Deep

Just a quick note from the Pacers 108 -94 win over the Nets.  The Pacers had 10 guys score at least 7 points.  They also had 10 players play over 14 minutes, and played 11 players total.  Leading the way was second year shooting guard Paul George with 21 points in 37 minutes.  This is what I was expecting to see with this team.  Granted, there is better competition than the Nets, but a mix of playing time and Paul George making the jump could be the beginning for Larry Bird's Pacers.