Power Rankings: Week 7
1) Vladimir Ducasee (4-2) – A controversial decision has Danny back on top in this week’s power rankings. He overtook the league lead in total points (763.92) with a 149-point outburst against the G-MEN. Only the kicker and defense failed to score in double figures for Big Vlad last week, and they got my vote for #1 this week. Intriguing matchup with the Tomlin Shape-Ups this week (more on them later).
2) Dream Shake (5-1) – They are going crazy throughout Massachusetts that the team with the best record and a three-game winning streak – the team that was ranked #1 last week – is ranked second in the power rankings. It was close, but Will lost the lead in points, and has gotten a little lucky this season, having given up the fewest points of any team.
3) G-MEN (4-2) – The G-MEN put up a respectable 113 points last week, but were no match for Arian Foster and the Vlad’s. They have the fourth most total points (721) and a lineup filled with potential. If Aaron Rodgers has recovered from his concussion, they look like a good bet for the playoffs.
4) Know-Shon? (4-2) – Will Grovs’ squad is as hot as any. Three straight wins have the Know-Shons sitting at 4-2 heading into the Game of the Week against Dream Shake. As long as Kyle Orton stays hot, the Johnsons make this team tough as any.
5) Worilds Greatest (3-3) – A win for this Jekyll and Hyde crew brings the record to 3-3 and right back into playoff contention. Mendenhall and Wallace reap the rewards of Pittsurgh’s return to offensive dominance and lead a balanced, 125-point assault on Dempsey’s squad. A possible make-or-break matchup this week with the RI Bulldogs, also 3-3.
6) #4 Great Teammate (2-4) – The Truth really laid an egg this week in a featured showdown with his rival, Dream Shake. The running game looks strong with Stephen Jackson and Felix Jones, and Rivers is great, but 16 points total from Austin, Housh, Gates, Marcedes and Driver won’t do if EO wants to make a playoff run.
7) Beef Brisket (3-3) – Timmy laughed in the face of those who would doubt him against the Football Jukes. Despite the fact that Jukes featured three players that didn’t play or scored nothing, Tom Brady and Roddy White led the way to the easy victory. A showdown with EO this week looms for the Brisquettes, who will both be in town, setting up a possible in-person viewing battle on Sunday.
8) Tomlin’s Shape-Ups (3-3) – That’s right, Soom and Faj have led this team out of the cellar and into contention. A late touchdown from Heath Miller propelled the Shape-Ups over the R.I. Bulldogs, and now look dangerous going forward. They found a way to win a few games before Big Ben returned, and now they are legit playoff contenders with studs to go with him at WR (DeSean Jackson, Randy Moss) and RB (LaDainian). A big test this week against Danny.
9) R.I. Bulldogs (3-3) – The Bulldogs are in the thick of the playoff hunt, but face a true test this weekend against the Worilds Greatest. With Reggie Wayne and Braylon Edwards on byes, two of Thomas Jones, Nate Washington and Aaron Hernandez will be in the starting lineup, putting lots of pressure on Drew Brees to carry the squad.
10) Softer Knocks (3-3) – The Softer Knocks couldn’t hang with Chris (20) and Andre (23) Johnson last week, but the squad is dangerous at .500. Jamaal Charles is begging KC coaches to let him on the field so he can help out Joe’s team, but they appear to be enormous haters out there. This week’s matchup with Demps is close to a must-win for both of these once-proud franchises.
11) Kiss the Baby (2-4) – It has been a tough year for Demps’ squad, in real life and in fantasy. That’s because they are the same, so when one struggles, so does the other. Except in fantasy he doesn’t have Aaron Rodgers, so when Rodgers does well (22.9 points last week), it’s good for him in real life, but doesn’t help the 2-4 Kiss the Babys. A win against Joe this week, though, and the Champ could be back in business. A side note, Demps has a very appealing mix of young QB’s on his roster (Flacco, Sanchez and Vince Young).
12) Football Jukes (0-6) – It looks like Jukes will be the first candidate to fall out of the race and not remember if we decided to make this league for $50 or $100. A true masterpiece from his squad while he was living the life at college featured three guys with no points, two with byes. Unable to salvage team morale with a win against rival Timmy, the Jukes will count on Romo and MJD to get hurt and guarantee the team the top pick in next year’s draft.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Power Rankings: Week 6
POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 6
A big shakeup in the power rankings for this week is only fitting as we enter RIVALRY WEEKEND!!! The top four teams in the ranking will be playing each other this weekend, a true showdown of titans that could have significant ramifications for next week’s edition…
1) Dream Shake – We have a new leader in the power rankings this week after Will’s squad moved to 4-1 and passed EO for the lead in total points (641-640). Will got monster, 31-point weeks from Hakeem Nicks and Malcolm Floyd on the way to 156 points and a beatdown on Beef Brisket (more on that later). ****MATCHUP OF THE WEEK 1*** with EO the Truth this week.
2) G-MEN – That’s right, Craig and Scott are absolutely en fuego, having won four straight thanks to eight players in double figures last week. This ranking assumes that Aaron Rodgers won’t miss too much time. If he does, then they immediately drop a few spots because their backup is Eli. ****MATCHUP OF THE WEEK 2***** with Danny this week.
3) Vladimir Ducasse – Ray Rice and Matt Forte combined for over 60 points as Danny fought off a challenge from Jukes this week. The Vlads drop in the rankings though because over questions about Dwayne “Big Bust” Bowe and the Houston duo of Schaub and Arian Foster. Also, I have never heard of David Gettis, so that didn’t help.
4) #4 Great Teammate – A second straight win for The Truth makes EO one game from .500 heading into his showdown against Will L. This will be a battle of the top two point totals, and EO will depend on his usual trio of Rivers, Austin and gates to lead the way.
5) Know-Shon? – Will Grovs has been calling for some respect for a few weeks, and he finally gets his due, moving to 5th after a strong performance against the Worilds Greatest. Chris Johnson led the way with 25 points, and his Will’s boy, Kyle Orton, keeps killing.
6) Worilds Greatest – The undermanned Worilds Greatest fell short against rival Know-Shon last week, but they are ready to bounce back. Mendenhall and Wallace look to take off with Big Ben back in the mix, and Michael Crabtree is finally catching passes.
7) Softer Knocks – The Softer Knocks had a terrible week, with THREE non-bye-week players getting ZERO points. He was starting Shaun Hill because Cutler was on a bye, so we’ll give Joe the benefit of the doubt.
8) R.I. Bulldogs – The Bulldogs fought hard against the G-MEN, but even with 28 points from Brandon Lloyd, they fell short. They sit at 3-2, but still have lots to prove against a feisty Tomlin’s Shape-ups this week.
9) Beef Brisket – Brisket had a decent week, but couldn’t hang with the run-n-gun dream shakes. All the pieces are in place, the stage is set, for *****MATCHUP OF THE WEEK, RIVALRY WEEK BATTLE 3***** between Timmy and 0-5 Jukes. Should be a good one.
10) Tomlin’s Shape-Ups – Watch out, the Shape-Ups are moving up the rankings, sitting at 2-3 and eyeing a playoff run. This gritty bunch is taking care of business behind LaDainian Tomlinson and Randy Moss, showing us all that maybe it is best to draft the guys who are most likely to make the Hall of Fame, regardless of age!
11) Kiss the Baby – It really breaks my heart to have to add insult to the Packers/Kiss the Baby’s injury. First Ryan Grant goes down, then Jermichael. Now Demps has to deal with the Worilds Greatest in RIVALRY WEEK MATCHUP #4!!!! You’re going down, El Campeon !
12) Football Jukes – Jukes has this squad right where he wants it. 0-5 heading into Rivalry battle with Timmy, challenging another team to play their bench against him, you can’t question the Jukes’ moxie. It should be a great match, possibly the real game of the week.
A big shakeup in the power rankings for this week is only fitting as we enter RIVALRY WEEKEND!!! The top four teams in the ranking will be playing each other this weekend, a true showdown of titans that could have significant ramifications for next week’s edition…
1) Dream Shake – We have a new leader in the power rankings this week after Will’s squad moved to 4-1 and passed EO for the lead in total points (641-640). Will got monster, 31-point weeks from Hakeem Nicks and Malcolm Floyd on the way to 156 points and a beatdown on Beef Brisket (more on that later). ****MATCHUP OF THE WEEK 1*** with EO the Truth this week.
2) G-MEN – That’s right, Craig and Scott are absolutely en fuego, having won four straight thanks to eight players in double figures last week. This ranking assumes that Aaron Rodgers won’t miss too much time. If he does, then they immediately drop a few spots because their backup is Eli. ****MATCHUP OF THE WEEK 2***** with Danny this week.
3) Vladimir Ducasse – Ray Rice and Matt Forte combined for over 60 points as Danny fought off a challenge from Jukes this week. The Vlads drop in the rankings though because over questions about Dwayne “Big Bust” Bowe and the Houston duo of Schaub and Arian Foster. Also, I have never heard of David Gettis, so that didn’t help.
4) #4 Great Teammate – A second straight win for The Truth makes EO one game from .500 heading into his showdown against Will L. This will be a battle of the top two point totals, and EO will depend on his usual trio of Rivers, Austin and gates to lead the way.
5) Know-Shon? – Will Grovs has been calling for some respect for a few weeks, and he finally gets his due, moving to 5th after a strong performance against the Worilds Greatest. Chris Johnson led the way with 25 points, and his Will’s boy, Kyle Orton, keeps killing.
6) Worilds Greatest – The undermanned Worilds Greatest fell short against rival Know-Shon last week, but they are ready to bounce back. Mendenhall and Wallace look to take off with Big Ben back in the mix, and Michael Crabtree is finally catching passes.
7) Softer Knocks – The Softer Knocks had a terrible week, with THREE non-bye-week players getting ZERO points. He was starting Shaun Hill because Cutler was on a bye, so we’ll give Joe the benefit of the doubt.
8) R.I. Bulldogs – The Bulldogs fought hard against the G-MEN, but even with 28 points from Brandon Lloyd, they fell short. They sit at 3-2, but still have lots to prove against a feisty Tomlin’s Shape-ups this week.
9) Beef Brisket – Brisket had a decent week, but couldn’t hang with the run-n-gun dream shakes. All the pieces are in place, the stage is set, for *****MATCHUP OF THE WEEK, RIVALRY WEEK BATTLE 3***** between Timmy and 0-5 Jukes. Should be a good one.
10) Tomlin’s Shape-Ups – Watch out, the Shape-Ups are moving up the rankings, sitting at 2-3 and eyeing a playoff run. This gritty bunch is taking care of business behind LaDainian Tomlinson and Randy Moss, showing us all that maybe it is best to draft the guys who are most likely to make the Hall of Fame, regardless of age!
11) Kiss the Baby – It really breaks my heart to have to add insult to the Packers/Kiss the Baby’s injury. First Ryan Grant goes down, then Jermichael. Now Demps has to deal with the Worilds Greatest in RIVALRY WEEK MATCHUP #4!!!! You’re going down, El Campeon !
12) Football Jukes – Jukes has this squad right where he wants it. 0-5 heading into Rivalry battle with Timmy, challenging another team to play their bench against him, you can’t question the Jukes’ moxie. It should be a great match, possibly the real game of the week.
Power Rankings: Week 5
Power Rankings: Week 5
Week 5 Power Rankings apologize for not being there in Week 4. There were some great story lines, including the Tomlin Shape-Ups handing EO his third straight loss, the Champ handing Big Vlad his first loss, and the Softer Knocks scoring 156 points as a reminder not to sleep on Joe. Lots has happened since then, though, so here are the newest, updated rankings, compiled by a committee of me…
1) Vladimir Ducasse – That’s right, it’s still Danny atop the rankings. Despite back-to-back losses to the Champ and the surging RI Bulldogs, Danny’s squad still has the second most points, and at 2-2, he is still in the thick of the playoff race. And of course, Ray Rice only has to play the Steelers one more time, so he should improve over last week (when he played them the first time) and the week before (when he was worried about playing them).
2) #4 Great Teammate – EO got his first W, and now finds himself within striking distance of the playoff picture. Some staggering numbers: He has the league lead in points by more than 30, and yet his three defenses continue to give up points at an alarming rate, leading the league in points given up by more than 60 over the next-most-unlucky team. His squad looks to have responded to some aggressive, O’Reilly style punishment he dished out after the 0-3 start.
3) Dream Shake – The Dream Shake is sitting pretty (3-1) in first place after four weeks thanks to balanced leadership from Calvin Johnson, Frank Gore, and some guy named Christopher Ivory, who I have never heard of. Will L is looking to capture this year’s Most Improved Player Award.
4) G-MEN – Craig and Scott just keep on rolling, with three wins in a row after losing Week 1. They face the RI Bulldogs in the week’s ***MATCHUP OF THE WEEK***, hoping to move to 4-1 on the strength of the coolest QB in the league (A-Rodgers), a sick RB tandem in AP and Jahvid Best, and a new X-Factor in Marshawn Lynch after his trade to Seattle.
5) Worilds Greatest – Please, please, no one sleep on the Worilds Greatest. This squad is sitting right where they want to at 2-2 after four weeks. Team MVP tandem Peyton Manning and Austin Collie look to lead the team again in a battle of 2-2 heavyweights (against Know-Shon), while the Steeler Superstars Mendenhall and Wallace take this week to rest.
6) RI Bulldogs – The Bulldogs (3-1) only have 405 total points, good for ninth in the league, but can’t be content with being ranked 6th, especially after three impressive wins in a row. They will have a chance to make a big jump, though, as they face off with another top team, the G-MEN, in the primetime showdown of Week 5.
7) Softer Knocks – Talk about no respect! The Knocks sit at 3-1, with Team MVP Daren McFadden leading Joe’s gritty squadron. This week’s Matchup with the Truth will be a big test for the Knocks.
8) Know-Shon? – Will G’s team has been tough to figure this season. Kyle Orton and Zach Miller led the way over Tomlin;s Shape-ups in Week 4, but didn’t get any help from Andre Johnson, and only 5 points from Chris. An under-the-radar showdown with the Worilds Greatest will be an opportunity for the Knowshons to make a move up.
9) Kiss the Baby – What’s going on with the Kiss the Babies? Solid production throughout the lineup, but no superstars find the defending Champ at 2-2, with a paltry 360 points total (third worst in the league).
10) Beef Brisket – As we all know, Timmy had a tough Week 4. Lost by 1 to the Softer Knocks. Lost Michael Vick the week before Tom Brady’s bye. The Bills lost. Hopefully Santonio Holmes comes back to lead the team over Dream Shake, otherwise the Briscottes risk falling to 2-3.
11) Tomlin’s Shape-Ups – At one point, the Shape-Ups were the unquestioned cellar-dwellers of the power rankings, but no more! Like their team leader, LaDainian Tomlinson, the Shape-Ups have bounced back and look to keep moving up the rankings on the strength of savvy pickups like Peyton Hillis. A Camp Dudley showdown with the Champ this weekend could be a make or break one for this upstart bunch.
12) Football Jukes – It looks like Jukes is angling for draft position in next year’s draft. Sam Bradford has been a pleasant surprise, but Jukes’ hyphenated trio of Maurice Jones-Drew, Mike Sims-Walker and Darrius Heyward-Bey aren’t getting the job done. Facing Big Vlad this, the Jukes are in danger of falling to 0-5.
Week 5 Power Rankings apologize for not being there in Week 4. There were some great story lines, including the Tomlin Shape-Ups handing EO his third straight loss, the Champ handing Big Vlad his first loss, and the Softer Knocks scoring 156 points as a reminder not to sleep on Joe. Lots has happened since then, though, so here are the newest, updated rankings, compiled by a committee of me…
1) Vladimir Ducasse – That’s right, it’s still Danny atop the rankings. Despite back-to-back losses to the Champ and the surging RI Bulldogs, Danny’s squad still has the second most points, and at 2-2, he is still in the thick of the playoff race. And of course, Ray Rice only has to play the Steelers one more time, so he should improve over last week (when he played them the first time) and the week before (when he was worried about playing them).
2) #4 Great Teammate – EO got his first W, and now finds himself within striking distance of the playoff picture. Some staggering numbers: He has the league lead in points by more than 30, and yet his three defenses continue to give up points at an alarming rate, leading the league in points given up by more than 60 over the next-most-unlucky team. His squad looks to have responded to some aggressive, O’Reilly style punishment he dished out after the 0-3 start.
3) Dream Shake – The Dream Shake is sitting pretty (3-1) in first place after four weeks thanks to balanced leadership from Calvin Johnson, Frank Gore, and some guy named Christopher Ivory, who I have never heard of. Will L is looking to capture this year’s Most Improved Player Award.
4) G-MEN – Craig and Scott just keep on rolling, with three wins in a row after losing Week 1. They face the RI Bulldogs in the week’s ***MATCHUP OF THE WEEK***, hoping to move to 4-1 on the strength of the coolest QB in the league (A-Rodgers), a sick RB tandem in AP and Jahvid Best, and a new X-Factor in Marshawn Lynch after his trade to Seattle.
5) Worilds Greatest – Please, please, no one sleep on the Worilds Greatest. This squad is sitting right where they want to at 2-2 after four weeks. Team MVP tandem Peyton Manning and Austin Collie look to lead the team again in a battle of 2-2 heavyweights (against Know-Shon), while the Steeler Superstars Mendenhall and Wallace take this week to rest.
6) RI Bulldogs – The Bulldogs (3-1) only have 405 total points, good for ninth in the league, but can’t be content with being ranked 6th, especially after three impressive wins in a row. They will have a chance to make a big jump, though, as they face off with another top team, the G-MEN, in the primetime showdown of Week 5.
7) Softer Knocks – Talk about no respect! The Knocks sit at 3-1, with Team MVP Daren McFadden leading Joe’s gritty squadron. This week’s Matchup with the Truth will be a big test for the Knocks.
8) Know-Shon? – Will G’s team has been tough to figure this season. Kyle Orton and Zach Miller led the way over Tomlin;s Shape-ups in Week 4, but didn’t get any help from Andre Johnson, and only 5 points from Chris. An under-the-radar showdown with the Worilds Greatest will be an opportunity for the Knowshons to make a move up.
9) Kiss the Baby – What’s going on with the Kiss the Babies? Solid production throughout the lineup, but no superstars find the defending Champ at 2-2, with a paltry 360 points total (third worst in the league).
10) Beef Brisket – As we all know, Timmy had a tough Week 4. Lost by 1 to the Softer Knocks. Lost Michael Vick the week before Tom Brady’s bye. The Bills lost. Hopefully Santonio Holmes comes back to lead the team over Dream Shake, otherwise the Briscottes risk falling to 2-3.
11) Tomlin’s Shape-Ups – At one point, the Shape-Ups were the unquestioned cellar-dwellers of the power rankings, but no more! Like their team leader, LaDainian Tomlinson, the Shape-Ups have bounced back and look to keep moving up the rankings on the strength of savvy pickups like Peyton Hillis. A Camp Dudley showdown with the Champ this weekend could be a make or break one for this upstart bunch.
12) Football Jukes – It looks like Jukes is angling for draft position in next year’s draft. Sam Bradford has been a pleasant surprise, but Jukes’ hyphenated trio of Maurice Jones-Drew, Mike Sims-Walker and Darrius Heyward-Bey aren’t getting the job done. Facing Big Vlad this, the Jukes are in danger of falling to 0-5.
Power Rankings: Week 3
Power Rankings: Week 3
1) Vladimir Ducasse – One week it’s Arian Foster and Matt Fort, the next it’s LeSean McCoy and Matt Schaub over 30 points. MATCHUP OF THE WEEK against the Champ this week.
2) #4 Great Teammate – The Truth may be 0-2, but we can’t penalize him for facing Arian Foster and Jahvid Best in consecutive weeks. That squad has the 2nd most points, and looks to get its first win against the Shape-ups this week.
3) Dream Shake – Dream Shake is moving up the power rankings thanks to balanced attack, led by Frank Gore (32 points) and seven others in double digits. Plays Softer Knocks this week.
4) G-MEN – The G-MEN, aka Jahvid Best, put it on the Truth in Week 2, but they are showing they may be for real. Purple Jesus bounced back with 27 points, and Aaron Rodgers is really cool and good (26 points).
5) Know-Shon – Timmy thinks he should be in this spot. In fact, he dares to suggest that he could be higher, considering he beat the G-MEN in Week 1. Thankfully my input counts too, and I have Will here, considering Chris Johnson got his matchup with the Steelers defense out of the way. Andre is a super-beast and Wes Welker is also killing…Questions about Fav-rah remain.
6) Worilds Greatest – The Worilds Greatests are suffering the consequences of having Steelers on the team despite Mike Tomlin’s commitment to stifling his offense. Questions at running back and receiver make this week’s SHOWDOWN with Timmy’s Beef Boys a defining moment of the young season.
7) Beef Brisket – The Brisquettes are opening some eyes across the league, but let’s be honest…do we really expect Santana Moss and Clinton Portis to approach 30 points, combined, with any regularity? Will rely on team MVP, Mike Vick, in this week’s contest against the Greatests.
8) Kiss the Baby – The Champ drops to the 8th spot in the rankings, but we still have faith. A savvy pickup of Mark Sanchez (New Jersey’s best QB) shows he won’t go down without a fight…Keep riding that Two Tight End Train, Demps!
9) Softer Knocks – The Knocks are enjoying the renaissances of Jay Cutler and Darren McFadden, but are going to need more from Michael Turner and Jamaal Charles (Just Give Him the Damn Ball!).
10) R.I. Bulldogs – The Bulldogs are banking on the passing game, with two Saints and two Colts, but we have questions about Ryan Matthews and Thomas Jones as viable running options.
11) Football Jukes – The Jukes are 0-2, and some in the media are beginning to question if they can ever get over the devastation of losing Montario Hardesty to injury. Maurice Jones-Drew needs to get it going, too.
12) Tomlin’s Shape-Ups – Shape-Ups fans have signs of progress in Week 2, as DeSean Jackson (22 pts) keeps killing it…With almost 99 points, the Tomlins could have beaten a bunch of teams, but they ran into the surging Brisquitos. Peyton Hillis was a nice pickup, hopefully they’ll find an alternative to Derek Anderson…
1) Vladimir Ducasse – One week it’s Arian Foster and Matt Fort, the next it’s LeSean McCoy and Matt Schaub over 30 points. MATCHUP OF THE WEEK against the Champ this week.
2) #4 Great Teammate – The Truth may be 0-2, but we can’t penalize him for facing Arian Foster and Jahvid Best in consecutive weeks. That squad has the 2nd most points, and looks to get its first win against the Shape-ups this week.
3) Dream Shake – Dream Shake is moving up the power rankings thanks to balanced attack, led by Frank Gore (32 points) and seven others in double digits. Plays Softer Knocks this week.
4) G-MEN – The G-MEN, aka Jahvid Best, put it on the Truth in Week 2, but they are showing they may be for real. Purple Jesus bounced back with 27 points, and Aaron Rodgers is really cool and good (26 points).
5) Know-Shon – Timmy thinks he should be in this spot. In fact, he dares to suggest that he could be higher, considering he beat the G-MEN in Week 1. Thankfully my input counts too, and I have Will here, considering Chris Johnson got his matchup with the Steelers defense out of the way. Andre is a super-beast and Wes Welker is also killing…Questions about Fav-rah remain.
6) Worilds Greatest – The Worilds Greatests are suffering the consequences of having Steelers on the team despite Mike Tomlin’s commitment to stifling his offense. Questions at running back and receiver make this week’s SHOWDOWN with Timmy’s Beef Boys a defining moment of the young season.
7) Beef Brisket – The Brisquettes are opening some eyes across the league, but let’s be honest…do we really expect Santana Moss and Clinton Portis to approach 30 points, combined, with any regularity? Will rely on team MVP, Mike Vick, in this week’s contest against the Greatests.
8) Kiss the Baby – The Champ drops to the 8th spot in the rankings, but we still have faith. A savvy pickup of Mark Sanchez (New Jersey’s best QB) shows he won’t go down without a fight…Keep riding that Two Tight End Train, Demps!
9) Softer Knocks – The Knocks are enjoying the renaissances of Jay Cutler and Darren McFadden, but are going to need more from Michael Turner and Jamaal Charles (Just Give Him the Damn Ball!).
10) R.I. Bulldogs – The Bulldogs are banking on the passing game, with two Saints and two Colts, but we have questions about Ryan Matthews and Thomas Jones as viable running options.
11) Football Jukes – The Jukes are 0-2, and some in the media are beginning to question if they can ever get over the devastation of losing Montario Hardesty to injury. Maurice Jones-Drew needs to get it going, too.
12) Tomlin’s Shape-Ups – Shape-Ups fans have signs of progress in Week 2, as DeSean Jackson (22 pts) keeps killing it…With almost 99 points, the Tomlins could have beaten a bunch of teams, but they ran into the surging Brisquitos. Peyton Hillis was a nice pickup, hopefully they’ll find an alternative to Derek Anderson…
Power Rankings: Week 2
Power Rankings: Week 2 (last week ranking)
1) Vladimir Ducasse (1) – He would have beaten two teams (almost three) with his running backs (Arian Foster, Matt Forte) alone. EO gave him about as good a challenge as possible, but it doesn’t appear likely that Danny will lose this year. Game of the Week against Know-Shon this week.
2) Kiss the Baby (2) – He’s still the champ, and if it weren’t for Danny, he’d probably be the top team. Ryan Grant’s injury hurts (literally and figuratively), but we’re sure that Dempsey’s guy has a remedy for it. Looking to go 2-0 against the RI Bulldogs this week.
3) Know- Shon? (4) – A quiet 29 points from Chris Johnson made up for a subpar day from Andre (4.6 points). Wes Welker also chips in for 22 points, begging the question, why did we not pick him before the 4th round? Could make a jump in the rankings against Big Vlad Ducasse this week.
4) #4 Great Teammate (7) – EO jumps up three spots this week thanks to an impressive showing in the Game of the Week against Danny. 139 points as a team thanks to Rivers, Miles, Ochocinco and Gates. Intruiging matchup with the G-MEN this week.
5) Worilds Greatest (5) – Held on to their ranking thanks to late heroics from Peyton Manning (29.32 pts) and Rashard Mendenhall (20.5) and a strong performance from Ahdmad Bradshaw (14.30). Mason Crosby making case for most valuable fantasy Packer with 12 points…to the dismay of kicker-haters named Finkle everywhere.
6) G-MEN (3) – A tough Week 1 loss to the hated rival Briskets drops the G-MEN a few spots. Still dangerous with Aaron Rodgers (14 pts), Purple Jesus (11.60) and rookie superstar, Jahvid Best (18), rumblings around the league report a lack of confidence in the receiving corps and regrets about keeping possible Big Bust, Shonn Greene. Rumored to be considering name change to, “Know-Shonn?”
7) Dream Shake (9) – Hakeem Nicks (27.5) really killed it for the Shakes, so we may be seeing our first trade of the season if Craig can find a way to get in touch with Will. Matt Ryan struggled against the Steelers D (understandable), but very strong performance from the running backs: Pierre Thomas (16), Addai (10) and Frank Gore (11).
8) Softer Knocks (10) – The Softer Knocks lost, but still look fierce, thanks to another monster performance from Jamaal Charles (16.5) and strong starts from Jay Cutler (22.5) and Anquan Boldin (14.5). Definitely a team to watch for.
9) Beef Brisket (11) – Fans in Buffalo are rioting after finding out the Briskets rank 9 in the power rankings. A big win agains the hated G-MEN only moves them up one spot, but they have a golden opportunity to improve to 2-0 this week against the Shape-Ups.
10) Football Jukes (8) – The Jukes take a drop after a tough Week 1. Romo (15) and MJD (12) are good, and Visanthe Shiancoe emerged as possibly Favre’s main target with 15.6 points, but no points for Mike Sims-Walker and questions about Jonathan Stewart are not good signs.
11) R.I. Bulldogs (6) – Behind Brees and Reggie Wayne, the Bulldogs have a lot of questions on their squad as they looks to repeat last year’s success. We know Ryan Matthews should be good, but he struggled in Week 1 and Philip Rivers kept yelling at him, so that can’t be good. The Jets and Vikings struggled on offense, so we have to worry about Percy Harvin and Braylon Edwards. The Bulldogs can make a big statement this week against the Champs.
12) Tomlin’s Shape-ups (12) – It may be a long season for the Shape-Ups, some their namesake, Mike Tomlin, would certainly not stand for. A tough day for the Philly duo of Kolb and DeSean Jackson made it impossible for them to compete in Week 1, and Randy Moss got none of the Tom Brady love, so that needs to change if they are to move out of last place…
1) Vladimir Ducasse (1) – He would have beaten two teams (almost three) with his running backs (Arian Foster, Matt Forte) alone. EO gave him about as good a challenge as possible, but it doesn’t appear likely that Danny will lose this year. Game of the Week against Know-Shon this week.
2) Kiss the Baby (2) – He’s still the champ, and if it weren’t for Danny, he’d probably be the top team. Ryan Grant’s injury hurts (literally and figuratively), but we’re sure that Dempsey’s guy has a remedy for it. Looking to go 2-0 against the RI Bulldogs this week.
3) Know- Shon? (4) – A quiet 29 points from Chris Johnson made up for a subpar day from Andre (4.6 points). Wes Welker also chips in for 22 points, begging the question, why did we not pick him before the 4th round? Could make a jump in the rankings against Big Vlad Ducasse this week.
4) #4 Great Teammate (7) – EO jumps up three spots this week thanks to an impressive showing in the Game of the Week against Danny. 139 points as a team thanks to Rivers, Miles, Ochocinco and Gates. Intruiging matchup with the G-MEN this week.
5) Worilds Greatest (5) – Held on to their ranking thanks to late heroics from Peyton Manning (29.32 pts) and Rashard Mendenhall (20.5) and a strong performance from Ahdmad Bradshaw (14.30). Mason Crosby making case for most valuable fantasy Packer with 12 points…to the dismay of kicker-haters named Finkle everywhere.
6) G-MEN (3) – A tough Week 1 loss to the hated rival Briskets drops the G-MEN a few spots. Still dangerous with Aaron Rodgers (14 pts), Purple Jesus (11.60) and rookie superstar, Jahvid Best (18), rumblings around the league report a lack of confidence in the receiving corps and regrets about keeping possible Big Bust, Shonn Greene. Rumored to be considering name change to, “Know-Shonn?”
7) Dream Shake (9) – Hakeem Nicks (27.5) really killed it for the Shakes, so we may be seeing our first trade of the season if Craig can find a way to get in touch with Will. Matt Ryan struggled against the Steelers D (understandable), but very strong performance from the running backs: Pierre Thomas (16), Addai (10) and Frank Gore (11).
8) Softer Knocks (10) – The Softer Knocks lost, but still look fierce, thanks to another monster performance from Jamaal Charles (16.5) and strong starts from Jay Cutler (22.5) and Anquan Boldin (14.5). Definitely a team to watch for.
9) Beef Brisket (11) – Fans in Buffalo are rioting after finding out the Briskets rank 9 in the power rankings. A big win agains the hated G-MEN only moves them up one spot, but they have a golden opportunity to improve to 2-0 this week against the Shape-Ups.
10) Football Jukes (8) – The Jukes take a drop after a tough Week 1. Romo (15) and MJD (12) are good, and Visanthe Shiancoe emerged as possibly Favre’s main target with 15.6 points, but no points for Mike Sims-Walker and questions about Jonathan Stewart are not good signs.
11) R.I. Bulldogs (6) – Behind Brees and Reggie Wayne, the Bulldogs have a lot of questions on their squad as they looks to repeat last year’s success. We know Ryan Matthews should be good, but he struggled in Week 1 and Philip Rivers kept yelling at him, so that can’t be good. The Jets and Vikings struggled on offense, so we have to worry about Percy Harvin and Braylon Edwards. The Bulldogs can make a big statement this week against the Champs.
12) Tomlin’s Shape-ups (12) – It may be a long season for the Shape-Ups, some their namesake, Mike Tomlin, would certainly not stand for. A tough day for the Philly duo of Kolb and DeSean Jackson made it impossible for them to compete in Week 1, and Randy Moss got none of the Tom Brady love, so that needs to change if they are to move out of last place…
Power Rankings: Week 1
Power Rankings: Week 1
Timmy and I put together a ranking of all the teams based on very scientific data analysis. Hopefully we can keep it updated throughout the season, but we also welcome input from others. We may even have a mailbag feature with reaction to the rankings if we receive feedback from other league members. We disagree on the top spot, he believes the Defending Champ should be here, but I have to give it to the Vlad’s. Since I have the Kiss the Baby’s down a little lower, last year’s regular season champ begins as the favorite to win again this year…
1) Vladimir Ducasse – Time and time again he proves to have the insiders knowledge come draft night. Danny’s team has more talent on the bench than most of us have starting. Strong at all positions, with Schaub, Rice, Arian Foster, Brandon Marshall and D. Bowe leading the team into this week’s matchup with rival, EO. Yahoo predicts Big Vlad to win a shootout, 112.51 to 105.7.
2) Kiss the Baby – Until somebody beats the champion… Although I question his Packer-Packed™ strategy, Demps and his Guy finish no lower than second in our initial Power Rankings. He will rely on Joe Flacco and a Green Bay trio (J. Finley, R. Grant and G. Jennings) this season and hope for health from veterans Benson, Gaffney and Ward. Demps may be one of the only teams to use a TE in the flex spot, but with Jermichael and Dallas Clark, he reminds us why he is the Defending Champ. (Week 1 at Football Jukes)
3) G-MEN – That’s right, folks, the G-MEN are in the building with a new name and a fresh young squad. They have the top QB in Aaron Rodgers, three top RB’s in Purple Jesus, Jahvid Best and Shonn Greene, as well as a balanced WR corps of T.O., Maclin and Steve Smith (the one from USC). They open with a stiff test against the grizzly old Beef Briskets, who don’t think they should be ranked this high because the have Eli Manning…bulletin board material! (Week 1 GRUDGE MATCH OF THE WEEK v. Beef Brisket)
4) Know-Shon? – One name, “Johnson.” It’s the Chris and Andre show, but to hold the 4th spot in the rankings, other guys will have to step up. Will has taken one last chance on Mr. Wrangler Favre and hopes that Felix Jones and Wes Welker are ready to produce. (Week 1 at R.I. Bulldogs)
5) Worild's Greatest – True Sleeper of the Year potential. Streakiest team in the league. Can reel off 6 straight wins or have 4 guys roll their ankle at chelsea piers in one week. Peyton, Fitz, Mendenhall, Crabtree, Mike Wallace, and unfortunate Giant on my team, Ahmad Bradshaw. (Week 1 @ Softer Knocks)
6) R.I. Bulldogs – A disspointing preseason ranking for one of last year’s most dominant teams, but we have to ask, how will Tyler fare without two top quarterbacks? Sure, there is only one QB slot, but clearly Brady and Brees played a huge role in last year’s success. A potentially dominant receiving corps of Harvin, Wayne and Garcon will be asked to motivate Braylon Edwards, who seems like he’s pretty weird, and may have an adverse effect on team chemistry. (Week 1 v. Know-Shon?)
7) #4 Great Teammate – Co-Favorite for rookie of the year, EO the Truth heads into his Week 1 Showdown with Danny ready to rock. Philip Rivers, Steven Jackson, Ochocinco, Miles Austin, and C.J. Spiller are all dangerous weapons that won’t be intimidated by the pressure of the ***GAME OF THE WEEK.*** Questionable decision starting Michael Bush as the flex, but we know to expect some erratic decision-making from the rookie owner. From Timmy: “I actually love this roster. If one defense is tough to beat, try 3. FUCK THIS SHIT, TRUTH IS FOR REAL” (Week 1 at Stamford Stadium)
8) Football Jukes –He knows the least about football, and Timmy thinks that helps him in fantasy. Jukes went heavy on Saints, Cowboys and Jags, as well as three players playing on opening night. Colston and Meachem should benefit from the Saints explosive offense, but are two of a bunch of weapons in NO. Visanthe Shiancoe may be the X-factor for Brett Favre, who no longer has Sidney Rice to throw to. Keepers Romo and MJD will be carried on to lead the squad. (Week 1 v. Kiss the Baby)
9) Dream Shake – Tim penalized Will in the rankings for transferring from Conn College, he is one of the favorites for comeback team of the year. He made some bold moves to acquire Frank Gore as a keeper, and is hoping for breakout years from Matt Ryan and Calvin Johnson. A solid core-tet (get it?) of Hakeem Nicks, Malcolm Floyd, Pierre Thomas and Joseph Addai give the Dream Shakes a real chance to move up. (Week 1 at Tomlin’s Shape-Up)
10) Softer Knocks – Softer Knocks look to make it back to the playoffs this year, but face an uphill climb. He considered keeping the Jets defense, but thankfully decided to trade for young stud Jamaal Charles. Charles and Michael Turner provide a strong run game, and Anquan Boldin could be awesome, but Jay Cutler leads to questions at QB. Also, Tim and I both agree you can’t expect to win with three Giants on your team. (Week 1 v. Worilds Greatest)
11)Beef Brisket – There are questions everywhere for the Brisket entering the season. Timmy’s franchise QB, Tom Brady, is in a hit and run car accident while texting spy reports to Belichick. Suspect WR corps behind Roddy White puts extra pressure on Ricky and DeAngelo Williams to carry the load. How does he plan to make it work? “Made a mess of pre-draft moves and looks to be paying the price with lack of depth. 7 WR's on his team = spread offense!” (Week 1 at G-MEN)
12) Tomlin’s Shape-Up – The Shape-Ups are hoping for huge, record-breaking things from Kevin Kolb and DeSean Jackson like Brady and Moss a few years back. If that happens, and Moss is like he was that year, and Reggie Bush plays like he did at USC, and Lee Evans gets traded to a team with a QB, then they might be able to move out of last place in the rankings this year. As Timmy says, “Soom tried and failed in last year's draft, Faja did no better this year. Better collect the $100 before they try to sneak out unnoticed.” Ouch! (Week 1 v. Dream Shake)
Timmy and I put together a ranking of all the teams based on very scientific data analysis. Hopefully we can keep it updated throughout the season, but we also welcome input from others. We may even have a mailbag feature with reaction to the rankings if we receive feedback from other league members. We disagree on the top spot, he believes the Defending Champ should be here, but I have to give it to the Vlad’s. Since I have the Kiss the Baby’s down a little lower, last year’s regular season champ begins as the favorite to win again this year…
1) Vladimir Ducasse – Time and time again he proves to have the insiders knowledge come draft night. Danny’s team has more talent on the bench than most of us have starting. Strong at all positions, with Schaub, Rice, Arian Foster, Brandon Marshall and D. Bowe leading the team into this week’s matchup with rival, EO. Yahoo predicts Big Vlad to win a shootout, 112.51 to 105.7.
2) Kiss the Baby – Until somebody beats the champion… Although I question his Packer-Packed™ strategy, Demps and his Guy finish no lower than second in our initial Power Rankings. He will rely on Joe Flacco and a Green Bay trio (J. Finley, R. Grant and G. Jennings) this season and hope for health from veterans Benson, Gaffney and Ward. Demps may be one of the only teams to use a TE in the flex spot, but with Jermichael and Dallas Clark, he reminds us why he is the Defending Champ. (Week 1 at Football Jukes)
3) G-MEN – That’s right, folks, the G-MEN are in the building with a new name and a fresh young squad. They have the top QB in Aaron Rodgers, three top RB’s in Purple Jesus, Jahvid Best and Shonn Greene, as well as a balanced WR corps of T.O., Maclin and Steve Smith (the one from USC). They open with a stiff test against the grizzly old Beef Briskets, who don’t think they should be ranked this high because the have Eli Manning…bulletin board material! (Week 1 GRUDGE MATCH OF THE WEEK v. Beef Brisket)
4) Know-Shon? – One name, “Johnson.” It’s the Chris and Andre show, but to hold the 4th spot in the rankings, other guys will have to step up. Will has taken one last chance on Mr. Wrangler Favre and hopes that Felix Jones and Wes Welker are ready to produce. (Week 1 at R.I. Bulldogs)
5) Worild's Greatest – True Sleeper of the Year potential. Streakiest team in the league. Can reel off 6 straight wins or have 4 guys roll their ankle at chelsea piers in one week. Peyton, Fitz, Mendenhall, Crabtree, Mike Wallace, and unfortunate Giant on my team, Ahmad Bradshaw. (Week 1 @ Softer Knocks)
6) R.I. Bulldogs – A disspointing preseason ranking for one of last year’s most dominant teams, but we have to ask, how will Tyler fare without two top quarterbacks? Sure, there is only one QB slot, but clearly Brady and Brees played a huge role in last year’s success. A potentially dominant receiving corps of Harvin, Wayne and Garcon will be asked to motivate Braylon Edwards, who seems like he’s pretty weird, and may have an adverse effect on team chemistry. (Week 1 v. Know-Shon?)
7) #4 Great Teammate – Co-Favorite for rookie of the year, EO the Truth heads into his Week 1 Showdown with Danny ready to rock. Philip Rivers, Steven Jackson, Ochocinco, Miles Austin, and C.J. Spiller are all dangerous weapons that won’t be intimidated by the pressure of the ***GAME OF THE WEEK.*** Questionable decision starting Michael Bush as the flex, but we know to expect some erratic decision-making from the rookie owner. From Timmy: “I actually love this roster. If one defense is tough to beat, try 3. FUCK THIS SHIT, TRUTH IS FOR REAL” (Week 1 at Stamford Stadium)
8) Football Jukes –He knows the least about football, and Timmy thinks that helps him in fantasy. Jukes went heavy on Saints, Cowboys and Jags, as well as three players playing on opening night. Colston and Meachem should benefit from the Saints explosive offense, but are two of a bunch of weapons in NO. Visanthe Shiancoe may be the X-factor for Brett Favre, who no longer has Sidney Rice to throw to. Keepers Romo and MJD will be carried on to lead the squad. (Week 1 v. Kiss the Baby)
9) Dream Shake – Tim penalized Will in the rankings for transferring from Conn College, he is one of the favorites for comeback team of the year. He made some bold moves to acquire Frank Gore as a keeper, and is hoping for breakout years from Matt Ryan and Calvin Johnson. A solid core-tet (get it?) of Hakeem Nicks, Malcolm Floyd, Pierre Thomas and Joseph Addai give the Dream Shakes a real chance to move up. (Week 1 at Tomlin’s Shape-Up)
10) Softer Knocks – Softer Knocks look to make it back to the playoffs this year, but face an uphill climb. He considered keeping the Jets defense, but thankfully decided to trade for young stud Jamaal Charles. Charles and Michael Turner provide a strong run game, and Anquan Boldin could be awesome, but Jay Cutler leads to questions at QB. Also, Tim and I both agree you can’t expect to win with three Giants on your team. (Week 1 v. Worilds Greatest)
11)Beef Brisket – There are questions everywhere for the Brisket entering the season. Timmy’s franchise QB, Tom Brady, is in a hit and run car accident while texting spy reports to Belichick. Suspect WR corps behind Roddy White puts extra pressure on Ricky and DeAngelo Williams to carry the load. How does he plan to make it work? “Made a mess of pre-draft moves and looks to be paying the price with lack of depth. 7 WR's on his team = spread offense!” (Week 1 at G-MEN)
12) Tomlin’s Shape-Up – The Shape-Ups are hoping for huge, record-breaking things from Kevin Kolb and DeSean Jackson like Brady and Moss a few years back. If that happens, and Moss is like he was that year, and Reggie Bush plays like he did at USC, and Lee Evans gets traded to a team with a QB, then they might be able to move out of last place in the rankings this year. As Timmy says, “Soom tried and failed in last year's draft, Faja did no better this year. Better collect the $100 before they try to sneak out unnoticed.” Ouch! (Week 1 v. Dream Shake)
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Clipper-Spurs in Mexico City
Some thoughts on the first televised Clippers preseason game, against the Spurs in Mexico City:
Energy -- The Clippers came out with great energy on both ends. Led by Blake Griffin's activity all over the court and on the glass, they got stops on defense and executed on the fast break. When they got into the half court against San Antonio's zone, they moved the ball crisply -- again, led by Griffin -- for open shots. Chris Kaman and Griffin combined for 29 boards, and their effort might have yielded more had they not been facing Tim Duncan and DeJuan Blair. The team shot 49% from the floor in the first half.
In the third quarter, the Clippers shot 4 for 19, to let the Spurs back into the game they eventually lost. Turnovers (22) and lots of missed jumpers from guys like Foye and Cook (more on them in a minute) were to blame for a loss that illustrates the fine line between harnessing the team's energy and allowing it to take you out of a game against a team like the Spurs.
New Guys (Vets) -- The trio of Foye, Gomes and Cook combined to shoot 3 for 20. They got most of the minutes for their roles, at the expense of DeAndre Jordan, (seven minutes) Al-Farouq Aminu (four), and Eric Bledsoe (three). Foye was aggressive in looking for his jumpshot off screens, which was short most of the night. He will likely be the first guard off the bench, but his minutes should go down as Baron Davis gets back into shape. Tonight, he was actually taking many shots similar to the ones Baron was (smartly) passing up.
Gomes didn't shoot well, but he was taking open threes, and we know he will be at least a decent 3-point shooter (37% last two seasons). He is a smart player and should be a perfect fit in the starting five. Cook really looks to shoot, and tonight he was actually pretty active on the glass (five rebounds) and took two charges. In general, I'd rather see DeAndre Jordan than Cook, and especially in the preseason. Tonight, D.J. did what D.J. does, and really, what we hope he can do consistently. He went 3 for 3 from the floor, all dunks, and only committed one foul in his seven minutes. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to see what he could do in more extended minutes.
New Guys (Rookies) -- It would have been nice to see Aminu more. His development has to be a priority, and I'd imagine he would benefit more from playing than watching Rasual Butler shoot 13 times. Then again, Rasual hit six of 10 threes, so maybe Vinny Del Negro wanted Aminu to watch and learn. There is also something to be said for trying to win games, preseason or not, and Del Negro may simply feel that Butler gives him a better shot. Bledsoe has been hurt and Baron is still coming back from surgery so Foye's big minutes make sense.
Baron Davis -- Baron took two shots-- two!-- both made threes, in about 16 minutes of his first game action this preseason. He passed up plenty of looks that he may have taken, but the result was seven assists and true floor leadership. After his opening basket, long-distance alley-oop to Blake, he looked like a man truly energized by his high-flying teammate, eager to feed the beast. He had already developed an impressive rapport with Kaman last season, but Griffin and a more assertive Gordon give Davis a bounty of appealing options on every possession. If he can stay healthy and continue to play with the discipline he showed tonight, the Clippers offense could be dynamic.
Blake Griffin -- Tonight's line was 13 points and 17 rebounds against one of the best young big men in the league (Blair) and Tim Duncan. His presence is the reason why you would be silly to dismiss the potential of this team, even coming off of a 29-win season. They may have to win 50 games to make the playoffs in the crowded West, but close games tend to go to the team that plays winning basketball consistently, and Griffin leads a core of Gordon, Kaman and Baron that is capable of doing that. It's what Del Negro means when he talks about playing the right way, a team that battles for rebounds, finishes possessions on defense and makes the extra pass. A huge improvement is not impossible if this team can stay healthy.
Health is the operative word and, frankly, watching him play, it seems like it's going to a constant state of held breath. He does things that I have never seen, and it's hard not to think about how often he subjects himself to injury with the amazing physical moves me makes.
Eric Gordon -- A cool 23 for Eric Gordon, on a night in which he struggled from three but found a way to carry the load offensively. He got to the line for 12 free throws, and was as assertive as we have hoped for, finding a variety of ways to score coming off his big summer with Team USA. In an ideal situation, he may be the Clippers'"third option" on offense, with Baron Davis as a distributor working through Kaman and Griffin. But the beneficiary of that system would be Gordon, with more room to work on the outside than he has enjoyed yet in his first two seasons.
Energy -- The Clippers came out with great energy on both ends. Led by Blake Griffin's activity all over the court and on the glass, they got stops on defense and executed on the fast break. When they got into the half court against San Antonio's zone, they moved the ball crisply -- again, led by Griffin -- for open shots. Chris Kaman and Griffin combined for 29 boards, and their effort might have yielded more had they not been facing Tim Duncan and DeJuan Blair. The team shot 49% from the floor in the first half.
In the third quarter, the Clippers shot 4 for 19, to let the Spurs back into the game they eventually lost. Turnovers (22) and lots of missed jumpers from guys like Foye and Cook (more on them in a minute) were to blame for a loss that illustrates the fine line between harnessing the team's energy and allowing it to take you out of a game against a team like the Spurs.
New Guys (Vets) -- The trio of Foye, Gomes and Cook combined to shoot 3 for 20. They got most of the minutes for their roles, at the expense of DeAndre Jordan, (seven minutes) Al-Farouq Aminu (four), and Eric Bledsoe (three). Foye was aggressive in looking for his jumpshot off screens, which was short most of the night. He will likely be the first guard off the bench, but his minutes should go down as Baron Davis gets back into shape. Tonight, he was actually taking many shots similar to the ones Baron was (smartly) passing up.
Gomes didn't shoot well, but he was taking open threes, and we know he will be at least a decent 3-point shooter (37% last two seasons). He is a smart player and should be a perfect fit in the starting five. Cook really looks to shoot, and tonight he was actually pretty active on the glass (five rebounds) and took two charges. In general, I'd rather see DeAndre Jordan than Cook, and especially in the preseason. Tonight, D.J. did what D.J. does, and really, what we hope he can do consistently. He went 3 for 3 from the floor, all dunks, and only committed one foul in his seven minutes. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to see what he could do in more extended minutes.
New Guys (Rookies) -- It would have been nice to see Aminu more. His development has to be a priority, and I'd imagine he would benefit more from playing than watching Rasual Butler shoot 13 times. Then again, Rasual hit six of 10 threes, so maybe Vinny Del Negro wanted Aminu to watch and learn. There is also something to be said for trying to win games, preseason or not, and Del Negro may simply feel that Butler gives him a better shot. Bledsoe has been hurt and Baron is still coming back from surgery so Foye's big minutes make sense.
Baron Davis -- Baron took two shots-- two!-- both made threes, in about 16 minutes of his first game action this preseason. He passed up plenty of looks that he may have taken, but the result was seven assists and true floor leadership. After his opening basket, long-distance alley-oop to Blake, he looked like a man truly energized by his high-flying teammate, eager to feed the beast. He had already developed an impressive rapport with Kaman last season, but Griffin and a more assertive Gordon give Davis a bounty of appealing options on every possession. If he can stay healthy and continue to play with the discipline he showed tonight, the Clippers offense could be dynamic.
Blake Griffin -- Tonight's line was 13 points and 17 rebounds against one of the best young big men in the league (Blair) and Tim Duncan. His presence is the reason why you would be silly to dismiss the potential of this team, even coming off of a 29-win season. They may have to win 50 games to make the playoffs in the crowded West, but close games tend to go to the team that plays winning basketball consistently, and Griffin leads a core of Gordon, Kaman and Baron that is capable of doing that. It's what Del Negro means when he talks about playing the right way, a team that battles for rebounds, finishes possessions on defense and makes the extra pass. A huge improvement is not impossible if this team can stay healthy.
Health is the operative word and, frankly, watching him play, it seems like it's going to a constant state of held breath. He does things that I have never seen, and it's hard not to think about how often he subjects himself to injury with the amazing physical moves me makes.
Eric Gordon -- A cool 23 for Eric Gordon, on a night in which he struggled from three but found a way to carry the load offensively. He got to the line for 12 free throws, and was as assertive as we have hoped for, finding a variety of ways to score coming off his big summer with Team USA. In an ideal situation, he may be the Clippers'"third option" on offense, with Baron Davis as a distributor working through Kaman and Griffin. But the beneficiary of that system would be Gordon, with more room to work on the outside than he has enjoyed yet in his first two seasons.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Draft Thoughts
NEL Network live coverage has started and it's already getting really interesting.
-Mike Mayock has mentioned a key theme, which is quarterbacks. Sam Bradford is expected to go first to St. Louis. After that, Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy and almost certainly Tim Tebow will factor prominently in the story of the draft. Seattle (6 and 14) and San Francisco (13 and 17) both have two picks in the top half of the first round and both have "needs" at quarterback. If Clausen slips past 17 -- past teams like Jacksonville, Cleveland, Oakland, Buffalo -- there are a ton of trade possibilities that will come into play.
-Corey Chavous also makes a great point about Offensive Tackles emerging, again, as a potential theme, especially in the first round. Russell Okung and Trent Williams are being talked about as early as the second pick with Detroit, and although they will likely be available for the Redskins at number four, they appear to be top options at a premium position. Brian Bulaga and Anthony Davis, among others, will garner attention from the Chiefs' pick at five on, so that begs the question of which players will move up after those guys are off the board. It's such an important position for teams, and the record has shown a high success rate for tackles taken at the top of the draft compared to those taken later.
Wide Receivers
Dez Bryant Watch will be on in full force tonight. If he is as good as they say he is, it has to be worth watching where he goes. To most he's a top talent at least in the same category as Michael Crabtree last year. Crabtree was considered to be among the top few in terms of ability, but he fell to the Niners at 10. Bryant has been talked about for most teams in the first round, so I'm really interested to see what happens. A team that considers him a superstar WR could surprise and take him early, or he could be available when the Steelers pick at 18.
Craig's Thoughts
-Would hate if the Giants take Jason Pierre-Paul at 15. In his words:
"i will be furious if we take Pierre. please god no. i have no interest in drafting an end that high who doesnt' play both ways. i just pray the dolphins take him. cause if he is there, i think they may pull the trigger. i know but i think they like him just under spiller and mcclain. i would rather take iatupi, move up, or bck. back."
-Mike Mayock has mentioned a key theme, which is quarterbacks. Sam Bradford is expected to go first to St. Louis. After that, Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy and almost certainly Tim Tebow will factor prominently in the story of the draft. Seattle (6 and 14) and San Francisco (13 and 17) both have two picks in the top half of the first round and both have "needs" at quarterback. If Clausen slips past 17 -- past teams like Jacksonville, Cleveland, Oakland, Buffalo -- there are a ton of trade possibilities that will come into play.
-Corey Chavous also makes a great point about Offensive Tackles emerging, again, as a potential theme, especially in the first round. Russell Okung and Trent Williams are being talked about as early as the second pick with Detroit, and although they will likely be available for the Redskins at number four, they appear to be top options at a premium position. Brian Bulaga and Anthony Davis, among others, will garner attention from the Chiefs' pick at five on, so that begs the question of which players will move up after those guys are off the board. It's such an important position for teams, and the record has shown a high success rate for tackles taken at the top of the draft compared to those taken later.
Wide Receivers
Dez Bryant Watch will be on in full force tonight. If he is as good as they say he is, it has to be worth watching where he goes. To most he's a top talent at least in the same category as Michael Crabtree last year. Crabtree was considered to be among the top few in terms of ability, but he fell to the Niners at 10. Bryant has been talked about for most teams in the first round, so I'm really interested to see what happens. A team that considers him a superstar WR could surprise and take him early, or he could be available when the Steelers pick at 18.
Craig's Thoughts
-Would hate if the Giants take Jason Pierre-Paul at 15. In his words:
"i will be furious if we take Pierre. please god no. i have no interest in drafting an end that high who doesnt' play both ways. i just pray the dolphins take him. cause if he is there, i think they may pull the trigger. i know but i think they like him just under spiller and mcclain. i would rather take iatupi, move up, or bck. back."
-"what if San Fran takes dez? i would love it." I would love it too. Again, if he is as good as they say he is, he cold be a huge pick for almost any team.
More to come I'm sure from Craig Peter King Mel Kiper Todd McShay Kubie...
Steelers Thoughts
Ed Bouchette likes Maurkice Pouncey, C/G from Florida, for the Steelers at 18. I am inclined to hope that doesn't happen because I think that there should be better values at that point in the first round. I have developed a serious passion for the top corners in the draft (Joe Haden, Kyle Wilson, Devin McCourty and Kareem Jackson), and would love to see the Steelers take one of them.
Trading back and taking him would suit me, as would, of course, trading Ben Roethlisberger and getting more top picks in this wonderfully fruitful draft.
More to come I'm sure from Craig Peter King Mel Kiper Todd McShay Kubie...
Steelers Thoughts
Ed Bouchette likes Maurkice Pouncey, C/G from Florida, for the Steelers at 18. I am inclined to hope that doesn't happen because I think that there should be better values at that point in the first round. I have developed a serious passion for the top corners in the draft (Joe Haden, Kyle Wilson, Devin McCourty and Kareem Jackson), and would love to see the Steelers take one of them.
Trading back and taking him would suit me, as would, of course, trading Ben Roethlisberger and getting more top picks in this wonderfully fruitful draft.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Sports Guy and The Clippers
I was asked this today by a friend who follows the NBA more closely than anyone I know:
The answer, of course, is that the Clippers aren't playing better since Mike Dunleavy resigned as head coach. As of Thursday, February 25, they are 3-5 since Kim Hughes took over, and, like was generally the case during Dunleavy's tenure, the team has been competitive when healthy, and lost when not. With that one question, though, I have been inspired to write everything I can think of pertaining to Bill Simmons and the Clippers. It's been a long time coming.
What started with me getting fired up about another misconception credited to the ingnorance of Simmons quickly turned to amazement at just how powerful this man is. His primary skill is the ability to relate to such a wide variety of people, not his knowledge of sports. That is not to say that he doesn't have above-average experience watching and writing about sports, but so do many other people, and yet no one else elicits such praise in the field. Men, women and children from all kinds of backgrounds have made him America's most-read sportswriter, and for that he deserves a lot of credit. But with that, I believe, he has inherited a responsibility to his readers that, with regards to the Clippers, he has neglected in favor of progressing his agenda as an entertainer.
He cares much more about pop culture than I do, as evidenced by his penchant for comparing things in sports to The Wire and Jersey Shore, but I'm going to stay away from that right now. His general style is not for me, particularly his tendency to diminish the importance of bloggers despite having started as one himself. But here I will concentrate on his bizarre and often factually inaccurate, yet largely accepted, take on my Clips.
Bill Simmons is not a Clippers fan.
He is from Boston, is a fan of the Celtics. The fact that his whole "Sports Guy" schtick with ESPN plays great with a pair of Clippers season tickets in L.A. is fine, but it doesn't make him an authority on the Clippers. That Paula Duffy of the Sports Examiner calls him a "long-suffering Clippers season ticket holder," is exactly the kind of B.S. (no pun intended) that endears the man to his loyal readership as such. More on Paula Duffy later.
As a de facto authority, however, based on his immense popularity and the frequency with which he muses about the Clips, he will almost certainly open up any discussion about the team with a comment about Mike Dunleavy. His critiques of Dunleavy span from his merits as a coach and G.M. to his wardrobe. I am no fan of personal jabs when discussing actual people and events, especially when not provoked. Simmons apparently has no problem taking such shots, though, so I'll concentrate on the facts.
Dunleavy as G.M.
In her piece from this past summer, Duffy references a feud between Dunleavy and Simmons, in which Simmons, "used Twitter to express more thoughts, piling up the facts and the stats to prove that Dunleavy is also a poor excuse for a general manager." I don't use Twitter, and a quick attempt to locate such Tweets was unsuccessful, so I will have to assume that the "facts" and "stats" that Simmons used to "prove" that Dunleavy is a "poor excuse for a G.M." are simply incorrect.
Even among his most adamant detractors as a coach, you will find many, if not most, find it difficult to quibble with his record as G.M. Since taking over for Elgin Baylor before the 2008 season began, Dunleavy has done the following:
-Sign Chris Kaman
When the Clippers signed Kaman to a five-year, $55 million extension the 2006 (second round playoffs) season, Elgin Baylor was technically the general manager. Dunleavy, however, was the man who made it happen. The deal that Kaman signed will pay him far below his market value as an All-Star center through the 2011-2012 season.
-Draft Eric Gordon (7th pick, 1st round) and DeAndre Jordon (5th pick, 2nd round).
After scoring over 16 points a game as a rookie, Gordon has firmly established himself as one of the top young players in the league. His status as part of the team's core in unquestioned. As successful as Gordon has been, it may be Jordan who turns out to be the steal in that draft. Very few big men have as much potential as DJ, and at 21, his coaches and many around the league have already seen that he is developing ahead of schedule. In fact, Dunleavy recently felt comfortable trading Marcus Camby during one of his best seasons, as everyone understood the benefit of giving more minutes to Jordan. Tough to question either of these Dunleavy acquisitions.
-Sign Baron Davis
The source of much consternation from Clippers fans thanks to unrealized expectations thus far, Davis is perhaps the essence of Simmons' misplaced critique of Dunleavy. Coming off of a year in which he averaged nearly 22 points and eight assists, while playing all 82 games, Dunleavy inked Baron to a five year contract worth about $65 million. Many questioned the length of the deal, but if Davis played anywhere near his career level for even a majority of the contract, it appeared a deal worth making. Coupled with Clippers owner Donald Sterling's reputation for not spending money, Dunleavy appeared to have made another move to benefit the franchise. But in the 2008-09 season, Davis floundered. After the season he would admit that his attitude was not what it should have been. Simmons will accredit this to Coach Dunleavy, but more on that in a bit.
-Acquire Marcus Camby
In the summer of 2008, Dunleavy traded a conditional second round pick to the Nuggets for Marcus Camby. The Nuggets will literally get nothing for losing Marcus Camby last summer. Mike Dunleavy got one and a half seasons of elite play out of Marcus Camby for nothing.
-Trade for Zach Randolph, Trade Zach Randolph
These moves, to me, show why Mike Dunleavy is, in fact, a terrific general manager. He traded my least favorite Clipper, Tim Thomas, and Cuttino Mobley, who retired with a heart condition, for Zach Randolph and his huge contract. In return, Randolph put up 21.9 points and 9.4 rebounds as a Clipper, lifting the team to a few wins along the way. In the off season, Dunleavy then traded Randolph and his supposedly untradeable contract to the Grizzlies for valuable cap space. In fact, Simmons himself said of the initial acquisition: "he blew any chance they had for a superstar in the Summer of 2010 by dumping Cuttino Mobley’s corpse and Tim Thomas’ corpse to New York for Zach Randolph." Nice "facts," Simmons!
-Acquire Craig Smith, Sebastian Telfair, Rasual Butler
Another vintage Dunleavy move, adding these three to the team allowed the Clips to compete in 2009-10 -- which they did, when healthy -- without committing any money past this season. Both Smith and Butler have been invaluable to the team, providing key contributions to more than a few victories this season. Telfair was moved at the trade deadline in a deal that cleared about $5 million from next season's cap and also netted Drew Gooden. Again, none of these players will be on the Clippers' books as they head into the off season.
It's worth noting that after the trade deadline, many were quick to accept Dunleavy's moves as a concession of the season in a vain attempt to gain cap space to lure a top free agent, one that would be unlikely to sign anyway. The moves, however, have actually made the team better for the rest of this season. Drew Gooden, Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw have exceeded any reasonable estimate of what Marcus Camby, Al Thornton and Sebastian Telfair would have provided for the Clips this year, and none of them are on the books after the season. In the likely event that none of the worthy free agents signs a max deal with the Clippers -- because there are about seven teams vying for four guys -- they find themselves with three players who could contribute to a Western Conference contender around a healthy Blake Griffin.
All this talk of cap space and this off season are not a mistake. They are a testament to the plan that Dunleavy has followed since he took over. In this rendition of Simmons making something up and proclaiming it "fact" last season, he claims Dunleavy has "no plan whatsoever." Well, Bill, it looks like a year later, he did have a plan, and it's still right on course. He has convinced Sterling to pay deserving players (Kaman, Davis and Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley before them) and has surrounded them with a young core that most G.M.'s outside of Oklahoma City would die for. Over the past two years, he has acquired players who could help win in the short term, while positioning himself beautifully to compete for the top free agents on the market this summer. Sounds like a plan to me.
What's most troubling about Simmons' critique of Dunleavy as G.M. is that he applauds the situation the team is in now. He has talked on end --per usual -- about the possibilities for guys guys like Lebron James to come to the Clips, but somehow doesn't grasp that Mike Dunleavy is the man who created such an enviable situation.
Dunleavy as Coach
It's tough to begin discussing Mike Dunleavy as a coach. In 1991, his second year as a head coach, he took the Lakers to the NBA Finals. In 1999 he was named the NBA Coach of the Year with the Blazers. For these purposes, though, I'll focus on his stint with the Clippers. And Bill Simmons' obsession with his nearly seven year tenure in that position.
For many, a coach's performance can be simply calculated by measuring his or her number of wins versus losses. In some cases, postseason success is weighed more heavily than others. With the Clippers, Mike Dunleavy has won 215 games and lost 326. As Simmons will have you know, not many coaches get to coach for almost seven seasons with a team while losing 60% of his games.
I tend to think that measuring a coach's influence may be more difficult than counting wins and losses, considering how much depends on the players themselves. But in assessing Simmons' most common criticisms of coach Dunleavy, we find even more inconsistencies.
The most recent issue that Simmons cited was Dunleavy's inability to maximize Baron Davis' talent. Davis, who captured us all with his play during the 2007 playoffs, signed a free agent contract with the Clippers, only to begin complaining about Dunleavy's offensive system soon after arrival. It is of this situation that I take a completely opposite opinion than Simmons.
Of the Davis signing and his ensuing displeasure, Simmons wrote this:
Many will talk about the notion that Davis wanted to run, while Dunleavy wanted to slow things down. Simmons will obviously support this. It's not true. Both in comments, and on the sideline, Dunleavy implored the team to run. They actually did so at a rate above the league average, with a pace factor of 92.1, good for 13th out of 30 NBA teams. The problem for the team was not that Dunleavy's system held Baron back. In fact, he may not know it, but Dunleavy's half court system that is designed to exploit matchups is actually better for Baron. It may not be as fun to work a little for a good shot, but it's pretty clear that Baron is far more efficient when posting up smaller guards or running a high pick and roll with Kaman than he is taking jump shots off the dribble. The biggest problem for the 19-63, 2009 Los Angeles Clippers was that Baron was bad.
The other problem for the '09 Clips was that they weren't healthy. There it is, the "H" word. Dunleavy detractors, like Simmons, laugh in the face of health. To many, it's as simple as wins and losses, but to accept that logic would be like taking pitchers' win-loss records as sole indicators of performance.
In 2007, Elton Brand turned in yet another season in which he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds. In 2008, he missed all but the year's final eight games thanks to an off season achilles injury.
In 2008, Chris Kaman averaged nearly 16 points and 13 (!) rebounds per game. In 2009, he played in only 31.
During those two seasons, Dunleavy's worst two as coach, he was without one of his two best players each one. Without those two together, the team had little chance to thrive. But thrive it had, only two years before, when the team came within a game of the Western Conference Finals on the strength of Kaman and Brand dominating the paint.
Any reasonable person would look at the situation and decide that the injuries were certainly the exception, and the players and the system were the rule. Occam's Razor, of course, begs that we accept the hypothesis with the fewest assumptions. Well, Dunleavy showed that his system, with his players healthy, worked.
This season, contrary to what Simmons will have you believe, was more of the same. The same ignorant Dunleavy bashing, but also the same injury story. When his starting five of Baron, Gordon, Butler, Camby and Kaman started together, they were among the league's best. They notched big-time wins over the Lakers, Nuggets, Celtics and Thunder, and largely fought 'till the end even when undermanned.
With Simmons and the Clippers, the act as grown tired. The lies, frankly, aren't doing anyone any favors. I guess I should mention at this point that I could not have been happier to see Dunleavy vacate the coaching job for full-time concentration on the front office, but that's merely because I believe fundamentally in the separation of the two positions. Whether they would have won more games with another coach over the past few seasons is debatable, but I can't imagine many fans would trade a few W's last season for the chance to see Blake Griffin play in a Clippers jersey next year.
Do you feel like he (Bill Simmons) was somewhat right about Dunleavy now that they are playing better or is it just health?
The answer, of course, is that the Clippers aren't playing better since Mike Dunleavy resigned as head coach. As of Thursday, February 25, they are 3-5 since Kim Hughes took over, and, like was generally the case during Dunleavy's tenure, the team has been competitive when healthy, and lost when not. With that one question, though, I have been inspired to write everything I can think of pertaining to Bill Simmons and the Clippers. It's been a long time coming.
What started with me getting fired up about another misconception credited to the ingnorance of Simmons quickly turned to amazement at just how powerful this man is. His primary skill is the ability to relate to such a wide variety of people, not his knowledge of sports. That is not to say that he doesn't have above-average experience watching and writing about sports, but so do many other people, and yet no one else elicits such praise in the field. Men, women and children from all kinds of backgrounds have made him America's most-read sportswriter, and for that he deserves a lot of credit. But with that, I believe, he has inherited a responsibility to his readers that, with regards to the Clippers, he has neglected in favor of progressing his agenda as an entertainer.
He cares much more about pop culture than I do, as evidenced by his penchant for comparing things in sports to The Wire and Jersey Shore, but I'm going to stay away from that right now. His general style is not for me, particularly his tendency to diminish the importance of bloggers despite having started as one himself. But here I will concentrate on his bizarre and often factually inaccurate, yet largely accepted, take on my Clips.
Bill Simmons is not a Clippers fan.
He is from Boston, is a fan of the Celtics. The fact that his whole "Sports Guy" schtick with ESPN plays great with a pair of Clippers season tickets in L.A. is fine, but it doesn't make him an authority on the Clippers. That Paula Duffy of the Sports Examiner calls him a "long-suffering Clippers season ticket holder," is exactly the kind of B.S. (no pun intended) that endears the man to his loyal readership as such. More on Paula Duffy later.
As a de facto authority, however, based on his immense popularity and the frequency with which he muses about the Clips, he will almost certainly open up any discussion about the team with a comment about Mike Dunleavy. His critiques of Dunleavy span from his merits as a coach and G.M. to his wardrobe. I am no fan of personal jabs when discussing actual people and events, especially when not provoked. Simmons apparently has no problem taking such shots, though, so I'll concentrate on the facts.
Dunleavy as G.M.
In her piece from this past summer, Duffy references a feud between Dunleavy and Simmons, in which Simmons, "used Twitter to express more thoughts, piling up the facts and the stats to prove that Dunleavy is also a poor excuse for a general manager." I don't use Twitter, and a quick attempt to locate such Tweets was unsuccessful, so I will have to assume that the "facts" and "stats" that Simmons used to "prove" that Dunleavy is a "poor excuse for a G.M." are simply incorrect.
Even among his most adamant detractors as a coach, you will find many, if not most, find it difficult to quibble with his record as G.M. Since taking over for Elgin Baylor before the 2008 season began, Dunleavy has done the following:
-Sign Chris Kaman
When the Clippers signed Kaman to a five-year, $55 million extension the 2006 (second round playoffs) season, Elgin Baylor was technically the general manager. Dunleavy, however, was the man who made it happen. The deal that Kaman signed will pay him far below his market value as an All-Star center through the 2011-2012 season.
-Draft Eric Gordon (7th pick, 1st round) and DeAndre Jordon (5th pick, 2nd round).
After scoring over 16 points a game as a rookie, Gordon has firmly established himself as one of the top young players in the league. His status as part of the team's core in unquestioned. As successful as Gordon has been, it may be Jordan who turns out to be the steal in that draft. Very few big men have as much potential as DJ, and at 21, his coaches and many around the league have already seen that he is developing ahead of schedule. In fact, Dunleavy recently felt comfortable trading Marcus Camby during one of his best seasons, as everyone understood the benefit of giving more minutes to Jordan. Tough to question either of these Dunleavy acquisitions.
-Sign Baron Davis
The source of much consternation from Clippers fans thanks to unrealized expectations thus far, Davis is perhaps the essence of Simmons' misplaced critique of Dunleavy. Coming off of a year in which he averaged nearly 22 points and eight assists, while playing all 82 games, Dunleavy inked Baron to a five year contract worth about $65 million. Many questioned the length of the deal, but if Davis played anywhere near his career level for even a majority of the contract, it appeared a deal worth making. Coupled with Clippers owner Donald Sterling's reputation for not spending money, Dunleavy appeared to have made another move to benefit the franchise. But in the 2008-09 season, Davis floundered. After the season he would admit that his attitude was not what it should have been. Simmons will accredit this to Coach Dunleavy, but more on that in a bit.
-Acquire Marcus Camby
In the summer of 2008, Dunleavy traded a conditional second round pick to the Nuggets for Marcus Camby. The Nuggets will literally get nothing for losing Marcus Camby last summer. Mike Dunleavy got one and a half seasons of elite play out of Marcus Camby for nothing.
-Trade for Zach Randolph, Trade Zach Randolph
These moves, to me, show why Mike Dunleavy is, in fact, a terrific general manager. He traded my least favorite Clipper, Tim Thomas, and Cuttino Mobley, who retired with a heart condition, for Zach Randolph and his huge contract. In return, Randolph put up 21.9 points and 9.4 rebounds as a Clipper, lifting the team to a few wins along the way. In the off season, Dunleavy then traded Randolph and his supposedly untradeable contract to the Grizzlies for valuable cap space. In fact, Simmons himself said of the initial acquisition: "he blew any chance they had for a superstar in the Summer of 2010 by dumping Cuttino Mobley’s corpse and Tim Thomas’ corpse to New York for Zach Randolph." Nice "facts," Simmons!
-Acquire Craig Smith, Sebastian Telfair, Rasual Butler
Another vintage Dunleavy move, adding these three to the team allowed the Clips to compete in 2009-10 -- which they did, when healthy -- without committing any money past this season. Both Smith and Butler have been invaluable to the team, providing key contributions to more than a few victories this season. Telfair was moved at the trade deadline in a deal that cleared about $5 million from next season's cap and also netted Drew Gooden. Again, none of these players will be on the Clippers' books as they head into the off season.
It's worth noting that after the trade deadline, many were quick to accept Dunleavy's moves as a concession of the season in a vain attempt to gain cap space to lure a top free agent, one that would be unlikely to sign anyway. The moves, however, have actually made the team better for the rest of this season. Drew Gooden, Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw have exceeded any reasonable estimate of what Marcus Camby, Al Thornton and Sebastian Telfair would have provided for the Clips this year, and none of them are on the books after the season. In the likely event that none of the worthy free agents signs a max deal with the Clippers -- because there are about seven teams vying for four guys -- they find themselves with three players who could contribute to a Western Conference contender around a healthy Blake Griffin.
All this talk of cap space and this off season are not a mistake. They are a testament to the plan that Dunleavy has followed since he took over. In this rendition of Simmons making something up and proclaiming it "fact" last season, he claims Dunleavy has "no plan whatsoever." Well, Bill, it looks like a year later, he did have a plan, and it's still right on course. He has convinced Sterling to pay deserving players (Kaman, Davis and Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley before them) and has surrounded them with a young core that most G.M.'s outside of Oklahoma City would die for. Over the past two years, he has acquired players who could help win in the short term, while positioning himself beautifully to compete for the top free agents on the market this summer. Sounds like a plan to me.
What's most troubling about Simmons' critique of Dunleavy as G.M. is that he applauds the situation the team is in now. He has talked on end --per usual -- about the possibilities for guys guys like Lebron James to come to the Clips, but somehow doesn't grasp that Mike Dunleavy is the man who created such an enviable situation.
Dunleavy as Coach
It's tough to begin discussing Mike Dunleavy as a coach. In 1991, his second year as a head coach, he took the Lakers to the NBA Finals. In 1999 he was named the NBA Coach of the Year with the Blazers. For these purposes, though, I'll focus on his stint with the Clippers. And Bill Simmons' obsession with his nearly seven year tenure in that position.
For many, a coach's performance can be simply calculated by measuring his or her number of wins versus losses. In some cases, postseason success is weighed more heavily than others. With the Clippers, Mike Dunleavy has won 215 games and lost 326. As Simmons will have you know, not many coaches get to coach for almost seven seasons with a team while losing 60% of his games.
I tend to think that measuring a coach's influence may be more difficult than counting wins and losses, considering how much depends on the players themselves. But in assessing Simmons' most common criticisms of coach Dunleavy, we find even more inconsistencies.
The most recent issue that Simmons cited was Dunleavy's inability to maximize Baron Davis' talent. Davis, who captured us all with his play during the 2007 playoffs, signed a free agent contract with the Clippers, only to begin complaining about Dunleavy's offensive system soon after arrival. It is of this situation that I take a completely opposite opinion than Simmons.
Of the Davis signing and his ensuing displeasure, Simmons wrote this:
Simmons claims that Dunleavy did something to Baron Davis. Other than giving him $65 million, I'm not sure what Dunleavy did to Davis that is so objectionable.
Forget that he spent $65 million on Baron Davis this summer — a player who only thrives in a specific type of freewheeling system — then saddled him in a half-court offense with two centers and about 500 plays. Well done. Way to know your personnel, Mike. Maybe that’s why, within five games, poor Baron was regarding you with the same contempt that somebody’s wife would have if their husband showed up at 7 in the morning reeking of booze and cigarettes and wearing the previous day’s clothes. He couldn’t be more bummed out. It’s not possible. You did this to him.
Many will talk about the notion that Davis wanted to run, while Dunleavy wanted to slow things down. Simmons will obviously support this. It's not true. Both in comments, and on the sideline, Dunleavy implored the team to run. They actually did so at a rate above the league average, with a pace factor of 92.1, good for 13th out of 30 NBA teams. The problem for the team was not that Dunleavy's system held Baron back. In fact, he may not know it, but Dunleavy's half court system that is designed to exploit matchups is actually better for Baron. It may not be as fun to work a little for a good shot, but it's pretty clear that Baron is far more efficient when posting up smaller guards or running a high pick and roll with Kaman than he is taking jump shots off the dribble. The biggest problem for the 19-63, 2009 Los Angeles Clippers was that Baron was bad.
The other problem for the '09 Clips was that they weren't healthy. There it is, the "H" word. Dunleavy detractors, like Simmons, laugh in the face of health. To many, it's as simple as wins and losses, but to accept that logic would be like taking pitchers' win-loss records as sole indicators of performance.
In 2007, Elton Brand turned in yet another season in which he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds. In 2008, he missed all but the year's final eight games thanks to an off season achilles injury.
In 2008, Chris Kaman averaged nearly 16 points and 13 (!) rebounds per game. In 2009, he played in only 31.
During those two seasons, Dunleavy's worst two as coach, he was without one of his two best players each one. Without those two together, the team had little chance to thrive. But thrive it had, only two years before, when the team came within a game of the Western Conference Finals on the strength of Kaman and Brand dominating the paint.
Any reasonable person would look at the situation and decide that the injuries were certainly the exception, and the players and the system were the rule. Occam's Razor, of course, begs that we accept the hypothesis with the fewest assumptions. Well, Dunleavy showed that his system, with his players healthy, worked.
This season, contrary to what Simmons will have you believe, was more of the same. The same ignorant Dunleavy bashing, but also the same injury story. When his starting five of Baron, Gordon, Butler, Camby and Kaman started together, they were among the league's best. They notched big-time wins over the Lakers, Nuggets, Celtics and Thunder, and largely fought 'till the end even when undermanned.
With Simmons and the Clippers, the act as grown tired. The lies, frankly, aren't doing anyone any favors. I guess I should mention at this point that I could not have been happier to see Dunleavy vacate the coaching job for full-time concentration on the front office, but that's merely because I believe fundamentally in the separation of the two positions. Whether they would have won more games with another coach over the past few seasons is debatable, but I can't imagine many fans would trade a few W's last season for the chance to see Blake Griffin play in a Clippers jersey next year.
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