Author Archive

Reputation and Performance: Rating Derek Fisher

Posted: 7th June 2010 by Beckley Mason in NBA
The NBA is all about reputation. For example, despite the fact that LeBron’s teammates are so bad that not one of them would crack the Lakers, Magics or Celtics’ starting fives (unless Mo Williams played with enough confidence to replace Fisher), the storyline becomes how LeBron "couldn’t get it done" because he's not as great as we thought. Or imagine if instead of Pau Gasol chucking Kendrick Perkins ...
We didn’t really learn anything new about Orlando in this game because Atlanta has yet to seriously test the Magic. You know it’s bad when I find myself flipping between the PGA Championship and the NBA playoffs. The Magic continued to prove that they are a serious contender, and maybe even the favorite, to become the 2010 NBA champions. At the very least, they are certainly playing the best ball ...
It's nothing new for two players from the same school to be taken in the top 5 of the NBA draft. In fact, it's happened five times in the last 8 years. Far more rare is four players from the same school being drafted in the first fourteen picks; that's happened just twice in the last twenty five years (Duke 1999, UNC 2005). But never has one school lost four top twelve ...

Is Kobe’s Sun Setting in LA?

Posted: 23rd April 2010 by Beckley Mason in NBA
Last night we watched a legend in decline, Kobe Bryant, fail to recognize the deterioration of his powers and cost his team the game. It made me wonder whether Kobe ever really understood that he can’t do it alone. I know this seems like a reactionary statement, but Kobe has been playing losing basketball for the past two months. Manu Ginobili has been outplaying Bryant in April, and it’s not even ...

Portland Trail Blazers’ Andre Miller Drinks Phoenix’s Milkshake

Posted: 19th April 2010 by Beckley Mason in NBA
Phoenix fans have plenty to be nervous about after last night’s disheartening Game 1 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Usually, playoff series are decided by match-ups, as in, who’s got the one player that the other team just cannot stop. In last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron and Howard largely canceled each other out, and it was Hedo who made the difference. You just ...

Thunder-Lakers: Run, Kevin, Run

Posted: 18th April 2010 by Beckley Mason in NBA
Now, I don’t think the Lakers will go down to the Thunder because I’m not sure Durant is ready to take over in his first ever playoff series. If they met in the second round, once Durant has his playoff sea legs, I think it would be rough waters for the Lakers. (See 2004 D-Wade playing much better in his second round series). As it is, the ...

Don Nelson May Not Be in the Hall of Fame, But He’s an All-Timer

Posted: 17th April 2010 by Beckley Mason in NBA
Last week Don Nelson became the winningest coach in NBA history to little fanfare, when his struggling Warriors topped the bottom feeding Timberwolves. Don Nelson isn’t in the Hall of Fame. He isn’t even in the discussion. This is probably because he has coached 10 teams that finished with fewer than 40 wins.  His current squad won’t even win 30. So who is this guy? When you ...