Pennyroyal “T”

By Jeremy Graham

If Sheed Was Anything, He Was Great For
Basketball: Stern's New Rules Would Have
Robbed Us Of The Entire Sheed Experience

“Don’t go away mad, just go away!” Oh wait, don’t go away either. You just might get T’d up for it. I know, act like a robot. That seems to be the only way to not get a technical foul in today’s NBA. But what happens if the referee thinks that acting like a robot is disrespectful to the game? Well then you are screwed. Don’t you think that suppressing your emotions and acting like a robot is disrespecting the game? I think it is. These men have played basketball their entire lives. They have given their sweat, blood and tears for it and now have a corporate “fat cat” telling them they cant even express themselves in a time of frustration. How wack is that?

Human emotion is the driving force in human beings. It's simple: they have led to bloody confrontations that have taken many lives. Now in “the heat of the battle” you want these men to suppress human emotion with only a split second to think. It can't be done. I am not talking about allowing the players to complain and complain like they have previously but a player should be able to show frustration, anger and a little bit of passion without facing a technical foul and a fine.

How Exactly Is Hiring Strippers To Get Down To
Their Underwear "Respecting The Game" David?
Or Is It Really Just A Respect For The Coffers Rule?

Just the other night Nate Robinson got a tech for merely hanging his head... the worst I have ever seen. Worst tech call I should say. It is up there with Duncan in 07 getting ejected for laughing on the bench. Lets break it down: Nate had just checked into the game and on the first play he fouled a cold jump shooter in Eddie House sending him to the line. A terrible way to entrance and Nate knew it. He hung his head in "self" disappointment he was immediately called for a tech.

He didn't approach the referee. He didn't say anything. Just completely and utterly disappointed in himself because he let his team down. For that he receives a tech plus fine and gives the other team an additional point with the ball. This could have proven costly to the Celtics had the Heat not stunk it up. Not only was the call terrible, the referees swallowed their whistles in the same game when Lebron was much more vocal. Reggie and the booth did not seem too happy with the call and were themselves vocal on the broadcast.

Do I think players should be given free reign on complaining and crying to refs? Absolutely not! This league is full of primma donnas. The new rule could be great for the league if used properly. The respect for the game rule should only come into play when a player vocally challenges the ref about the call in question. I am all for open dialogue between zebras and players about calls as long as the talk is civil. If a player comes whining, actually showing disrespect, rather then asking why, then go ahead and T up the whiney baby.

Another Way To Respect The
Game: Steal The Team Of A
Dedicated Fan Base And Give
It To A Friend For His City

There is no disrespect in asking a ref why he called what he did, and there is no disrespect in being frustrated with a call or upset with yourself. I know the refs like to take over games and become the focal point but even they can’t be happy with handing out T’s like they were prophylactics in the armed services circa 1944.

The only person disrespecting the game right now is David Stern. Instituting these, for lack of a better term, wussy rules is ruining the game that everyone knew and
loved. Calling techs, slowing the game down, having players shoot even more free throws is no way to create more fans. It could even turn the die hard fans away from the game. There is a reason that people hate the end of close basketball games. No one wants to watch free throw after free throw, it can be a grind.

Animated players are rather entertaining however and anything is better than free throws. Could you imagine if these rules were around with Dennis Rodman? We would have probably missed the career of the greatest rebounder ever because he would be getting ejected from every game due to his antics. If David Stern truly loves this league and the game of basketball he will do away with this rule ASAP and instead of trying to squash players pointing out how much refs stink, maybe make some rules that actually improve their performance instead of merely hide reactions to it.

Talent = Skill + Ability: The Battle Of The Steves (and Tyreke Evans)

Evans And Francis' Careers Are Mirror Images Thus Far

By: The Pest

Who's more talented... Tyreke Evans or Stephen Curry?

If you go by the evaluation of the NBA in general last year, it's Evans in a landslide which garnered him ROY honors. But is it the case?

It depends on perspective. If you consider 'right now' Evans was able to overwhelm Curry on the basis of his athletic ability, raw stats and highlight plays. If it's career based, and you picture yourself looking back at the year 2010 when they're getting ready for the Hall Of Fame, your perspective changes. Those who ranked on ability are most likely to be laughing at themselves, and those ranking on skill are most likely going to be saying 'told ya so'.

Allow me to demonstrate. The year is 2002, lets look back and compare two points, Steve Francis and Steve Nash.

Francis was electric. He dunked on people's heads. His nickname was "Franchise". He made highlight reels nightly. Nash was probably the 2'nd or 3'rd (and some may say 4th) best player on a pretty good Mavs team that won 57 games. Here are their 02 stats:

Francis: 21.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 42%, 35% from 3, 77% from the line, 3.9 TO, 3.0 PF

Nash: 17.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 7.7 APG, .6 SPG, 48%, 45% from 3, 89% from the line, 2.8 TOs, 2.0 PF

Francis Liked Playing With Yao So Much,
He Decided To End His Career Playing In China
For A Team Called The Ducks

If you were to say that Nash was the better player, was going to have a better career and much more a lock for the HOF, people would have ridiculed you. If you pointed out that Nash had an array of honed skills that were far superior to Francis, that he was more effective while scoring only marginally fewer points and more assists people would say you were just making excuses and that Nash, while good, was just an inferior player, he didn't have the same talent. (It should be noted that Nash's defence was rarely brought up until he was the best player on a truly GOAT level offensive team).

Looking back now though it's difficult to tell what was thicker, the irony or the heads of those laughing. Francis retired at the age of 30 and was not seriously considered an elite player after the age of 27. Almost 10 career year after this Nash is putting up a career in scoring, just came off a career season leading the 4'th best offense of all time (only surpassed by Magic's showtime Lakers, Bird's Celtic's and MJ's Bulls) with no HOF players on his team... well, except him, because he's cemented himself as a first ballot HOF player.

Where was this evident in 2002 though? You can see the difference in their 'skill stats'. Nash only played 34.6 MPG to Francis' 41.1 meaning that /36 his per game totals were even closer/better.

Nash shot much better from the field (6%), 3 (10%) and the line (12%) indicating he had wildly better shot mechanics which was also evident by watching the many bricks Francis put up when he wasn't close to the cup.

As a ball handler/passer Nash also commits far fewer TO's (over 1 less) a game which is highlighted even more by the fact that as a pass first point guard who got more dimes, Nash made many more risky plays a game dishing to his teammates, and when he was not passing most likely had the ball in his hands running a play.

Francis got more steals but this is more then partly due to his willingness to gamble for them and Nash's religious devotion to never gambling. This discipline is reflected in Nash's much foul rate too as he's not trying to make up for plays he's counted himself out of.

The result is obvious. People under rate skills and over rate natural ability. Francis is putting his feet up on the couch to watch 36 year old Nash is putting up career highs... and he has been for 6 years.

Evans Will Have A Blue Career Without A Jumper

Lets look again at the modern day Francis/Nash of Evans/Curry. Notice the parallels? Evans made sports center like crazy last year and was electric as one of the most athletic guards in the league. But Curry has game that will be effective with or without his athleticism. Tangible skills that are going to carry him through a Hall Of Fame. Evans is a low skill one dimensional player who gets 73% of his field goals directly at the rim, not to mention is only effective scoring with one hand. (note the graphic on the side).

Curry is a high skilled multi-talented player who finishes at the rim with nearly identical effectiveness yet only relies on it for 28% of his field goals. The other 72% come from all over the court including 3 pointers which I don't have to tell you, count for more.

I'll Let Curry's 'Rookie' Shot Chart Have The Last Word

Who's more talented? If you're a student of the game and think about players in terms of careers instead of sports center highlights, I think it's almost obvious Curry wins. Evans might be able to make it on ability for now but it won't last if he doesn't learn how to play more like Curry. Evans can get there, but without remarkably improving his game he will be 'disenFranchised' out of the league in 10 years because he frankly lacks talent. Talent he needs to be a truly great player.

Curry does not need to change his game in the slightest. He's already there. It's so common to misconstrue that athleticism supersedes skill in the talent equation but it's quite the opposite. Curry stands to be a better player at 33 then he is now. Improving at a normal gradual pace his talent will be swishing 3's right into the Hall Of Fame.

But you could see that even before Curry played a minute in the NBA. Observe.

The Semi-Complete List Of Shaq Getting Dunked On

Shaqtus Made A Living Doing This

By: The Pest

Lets be honest about Shaquille O'Neal for a moment. He is easily one of the most dominant, powerful and ridiculous forces the NBA, or any sport, has ever seen. I personally think Dream is the superior center, but Shaq is not a poor choice if you're talking about his pure and absolute peak.

Speaking to hard core Shaq fans though will oft yield this argument for Shaq as a defender.

Have you ever seen shaq get dunked on or someone take him one on one and punish him like he did to everyone else? Shaq has never been dunked on.

Maybe not often, but I've heard it enough times from enough people to write an article about it. I think it's crazy. It's the NBA. Everyone dunks. Everyone gets dunked on. Even Shaq. So sure to generate mass unpopularity, here is the complete list of you tube dunks over Diesel. Admittedly, Shaq didn't get dunked on much, and since he played nearly his entire career before You Tube, even fewer exist in that medium.

Now, for this no one dunks on Shaq claim. I don't know where his fans get this. Here's a short collection, and these are only the ones that make it to you tube. PS: If anyone has more clips please send them along and we will gladly include them with credit.

Bynum dunks on Shaq's pride: 

Funderburke/Robinson:

 

Derrick Coleman Just Posterizes Him:

 

Rueben Patterson Does The Same: 

 

Elton Brand:

 

Zo:

 

Arvydas Sabonis:

 

Howard dunks on Shaq's floppy pride ("Like an elephant gun took him down"):

 

 

Jason Terry:

    

Jordan:

 

Webber:

 

 Vlade Divac: Now after that sweet pass you might say "yea, Divac was afraid of Shaq", But no, watch THIS clip, when Divac retaliates after a blatant non-call when Shaq was getting bailed out by officials (edit: My mistake here, Vlade just goes by Shaq on the dunk over Walker. Got them mixed up cuz of the title of the vid and Walker's 52 being similar to Shaq's 32 from the rest of his career. But he was 34 in LA of course. But I'll leave this dunk in just for it's pure sweetness. :) )

 

You know, after watching that Divac dunk, I really don't think Shaq's fans can ever say no one has ever dunked on him again. Vlade, sometimes the poster boy for soft centers, took it right at him and stuffed it down his throat. That dunk is ridiculous! (edit: still ridiculous, but it's downgraded from a facial stuff on Shaq to just a 'weak dunk on Shaq')

In conclusion, I really don't mean to be down on Shaq. He's obviously one of the most dominant players in history. But statements like "Shaq has never been dunekd on" make him sound like he's just beyond reproach. Remember that Shaq has never led the league in blocked shots or rebounding, Hakeem handed him his ass in the finals, and that yes, Shaq has been dunked on.