First off, something new: I was doubled teamed for the first time in life tonight at the 24. It wasn't even in the post, it was like 15 feet away. I had a little streak of 3 shots in a row, and as you know from NBA Jam: He's On Fire! lol.
Anyway, I saw the last quarter of the Clippers-Grizzlies game at the gym, and I have to say the Clip's crunch time offense is pretty stale. They give Chris Paul the ball, give him screen or two, and hope he makes a shot or drives and kicks to the open man. The problem is that the other 4 Clippers just stand in place, it makes it hard for CP to find anyone. CP made crazy shots in game 4, but Grizzlies adapted for it in game 5, so Clippers offense was stagnant in the 4th quarter.
Lakers commentary: Steve Blake and Matt Barnes need to hit half of their open shots, or else Lakers lose the series. Bynum and Gasol get outhustled by McGee and Fareed. Dear God, they will go up against Perkins and Ibaka next. That's like McGee and Fareed on steroids!
The Lakers offense right now isn't terrible, but it's not great either. The isolation calls for Kobe and Bynum result in the other four Lakers standing still. I really miss the Triangle offense. While never completely understanding it's mechanics, I understand that its a system that tells players where to go based on where the ball is, where they are on the floor, and where the defense is. This results in two things: tons of options for any play based on what the defense gives them, and it forces role players to be active in moving around, instead of relying on a superstar. By the way, it's called the Triangle because three people set up so that any of them can pass to the other, resulting in post-up, a three pointer, or a cut to the basket. For example, the Fisher-Kobe-Gasol triangle was very efficient. But not as deadly as the Kobe-Glen Rice-Shaq triangle. HAX!
Check out this video from the 2010 Finals. Don't look at the player with the ball, just look at all five Laker jerseys and see their movement. Not only is there great ball movement, it was made possible by how there are off-ball screens and cuts. Beautiful basketball. The Knicks are trying to sign Phil Jackson for next season. This is exactly what Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and JR Smith need.
Basketball: a reference for real life
I was reading some articles on ESPN last night, and today marks the 10th year anniversary of Allen Iverson's "practice" speech in front of the media. Here are some famous parts:
Reporter: "So you and coach Brown got caught up on Saturday about practice?"
Iverson: "If I can't practice, I can't practice. It is as simple as that. It ain't about that at all. It's easy to sum it up if you're just talking about practice. We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're talking about practice. I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we're talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game last it's my last but we're talking about practice man. How silly is that?
Now I know that I'm supposed to lead by example and all that but I'm not shoving that aside like it don't mean anything. I know it's important, I honestly do but we're talking about practice. We're talking about practice man. (laughter from the media crowd) We're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We're not talking about the game. We're talking about practice. When you come to the arena, and you see me play, you've seen me play right, you've seen me give everything I've got, but we're talking about practice right now. (more laughter)
Reporter: "But it's an issue that your coach continues to raise?"
Iverson: "Hey I hear you, it's funny to me to, hey it's strange to me too but we're talking about practice man, we're not even talking about the game, when it actually matters, we're talking about practice."
Reporter: "Is it possible that if you practiced, not you but you would make your teammates better?"
Iverson: "How in the hell can I make my teammates better by practicing?
Reporter: "So they can be used to playing with you."
Iverson: "They should be used to playing with me. Those are my teammates. So my game is going to deteriorate because I'm not practicing with my teammates? Is my game is going to get worse? I'm asking you, is my game going to get worse? So what about my game? Is my game going to get better because other players are hurt on my team, I mean, do that hurt me? Do you think that hurts me? I'm being honest, people are hurt on my team but do that hurt me? Does that hurt me when I go out there and play 48 minutes, does that hurt me as a player? Does that hurt me if this person is hurt or that person is hurt? Do it hurt me?
Reporter: "You don't need it as much as they do."
Iverson: "What do you mean by I don't need it as much?"
Reporter: "Because you're the superstar"
Iverson: "What do you mean I'm the superstar?"
Reporter: "Because you're better than they are. One of the best in the NBA."
---------------------------------------------
Reporter: "May I respond to that?"
Iverson: "Yeah"
Reporter: "There are people that have suggested, myself included, that instead of shooting 40 percent, you...
Iverson: "What do you know about basketball? Have you ever played?"
Reporter: "Yes"
Iverson: "I don't know Phil, I don't know you as a basketball player. I know you as a columnist but I have never heard of you as a player though.
Reporter: "Why is that an issue?"
Iverson: "Why is that an issue? Because we're talking about basketball."
Reporter: "Let me ask my question."
Iverson: "Go ahead, Phillip."
Reporter: "Supposed you shot 44 percent..."
Iverson: "I don't know about that. That is in God's hands. I do not know if that will help me or not. That's God. God does that, It ain't up to you to say if Allen Iverson does this then he'll do that. That's up to God. It ain't up to anyone in here. That is up to God. He handles that.
-----------------------------------------
Iverson thinks that practice is for increasing individual skill only, so he thinks he doesn't need it, because he already gives 100% out on the real games. Because you know, basketball isn't a team sport. Also, his low field goal percentage is something he can't control, from deduction, he is saying that he shoots the ball and God determines if it goes in.
I don't even blame ballhogs anymore, most of the time they don't know that what they are doing is inefficient. I actually think it's a bit unfair for coaches and broadcasters to say that teamwork and passing to the open man is the "right way to play". It's unfair for the ballhogs with tremendous talents. So let's just say that the "right way" is the one that leads to the most win probability. Teams with high assists ratios have higher field goal percentages. That usually leads to better chances of winning. But ballhogs refuse to look at the numbers and see what they're doing is inefficient.
How does this relate to real life? I respect people for giving it 100% effort, even when they do something wrong or short sighted. Unfortunately, it's bad when they don't see mistakes. Worse it's when they refuse to admit mistakes to themselves. The famous quote goes something like this: "When you start to think you know it all, you stop learning." And when we stop learning, GG.
Moral of Iverson's career: stay humble and keep learning.
Reporter: "So you and coach Brown got caught up on Saturday about practice?"
Iverson: "If I can't practice, I can't practice. It is as simple as that. It ain't about that at all. It's easy to sum it up if you're just talking about practice. We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're talking about practice. I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we're talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game last it's my last but we're talking about practice man. How silly is that?
Now I know that I'm supposed to lead by example and all that but I'm not shoving that aside like it don't mean anything. I know it's important, I honestly do but we're talking about practice. We're talking about practice man. (laughter from the media crowd) We're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We're not talking about the game. We're talking about practice. When you come to the arena, and you see me play, you've seen me play right, you've seen me give everything I've got, but we're talking about practice right now. (more laughter)
Reporter: "But it's an issue that your coach continues to raise?"
Iverson: "Hey I hear you, it's funny to me to, hey it's strange to me too but we're talking about practice man, we're not even talking about the game, when it actually matters, we're talking about practice."
Reporter: "Is it possible that if you practiced, not you but you would make your teammates better?"
Iverson: "How in the hell can I make my teammates better by practicing?
Reporter: "So they can be used to playing with you."
Iverson: "They should be used to playing with me. Those are my teammates. So my game is going to deteriorate because I'm not practicing with my teammates? Is my game is going to get worse? I'm asking you, is my game going to get worse? So what about my game? Is my game going to get better because other players are hurt on my team, I mean, do that hurt me? Do you think that hurts me? I'm being honest, people are hurt on my team but do that hurt me? Does that hurt me when I go out there and play 48 minutes, does that hurt me as a player? Does that hurt me if this person is hurt or that person is hurt? Do it hurt me?
Reporter: "You don't need it as much as they do."
Iverson: "What do you mean by I don't need it as much?"
Reporter: "Because you're the superstar"
Iverson: "What do you mean I'm the superstar?"
Reporter: "Because you're better than they are. One of the best in the NBA."
---------------------------------------------
Reporter: "May I respond to that?"
Iverson: "Yeah"
Reporter: "There are people that have suggested, myself included, that instead of shooting 40 percent, you...
Iverson: "What do you know about basketball? Have you ever played?"
Reporter: "Yes"
Iverson: "I don't know Phil, I don't know you as a basketball player. I know you as a columnist but I have never heard of you as a player though.
Reporter: "Why is that an issue?"
Iverson: "Why is that an issue? Because we're talking about basketball."
Reporter: "Let me ask my question."
Iverson: "Go ahead, Phillip."
Reporter: "Supposed you shot 44 percent..."
Iverson: "I don't know about that. That is in God's hands. I do not know if that will help me or not. That's God. God does that, It ain't up to you to say if Allen Iverson does this then he'll do that. That's up to God. It ain't up to anyone in here. That is up to God. He handles that.
-----------------------------------------
Iverson thinks that practice is for increasing individual skill only, so he thinks he doesn't need it, because he already gives 100% out on the real games. Because you know, basketball isn't a team sport. Also, his low field goal percentage is something he can't control, from deduction, he is saying that he shoots the ball and God determines if it goes in.
I don't even blame ballhogs anymore, most of the time they don't know that what they are doing is inefficient. I actually think it's a bit unfair for coaches and broadcasters to say that teamwork and passing to the open man is the "right way to play". It's unfair for the ballhogs with tremendous talents. So let's just say that the "right way" is the one that leads to the most win probability. Teams with high assists ratios have higher field goal percentages. That usually leads to better chances of winning. But ballhogs refuse to look at the numbers and see what they're doing is inefficient.
How does this relate to real life? I respect people for giving it 100% effort, even when they do something wrong or short sighted. Unfortunately, it's bad when they don't see mistakes. Worse it's when they refuse to admit mistakes to themselves. The famous quote goes something like this: "When you start to think you know it all, you stop learning." And when we stop learning, GG.
Moral of Iverson's career: stay humble and keep learning.
Lawn Enforcement - Weed Patrol Truck #1
One day I was sitting on the train riding to work and I was thinking to myself, "only if gardening was a more profitable and respectable occupation, I may have taken over the family business once my dad retired." Then I was thinking, "man what cool truck would I drive and what would I do with it to make it look bad ass?" Well this was what I imagined... Thank you photoshop for making this vision possible!
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