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Floor Burn Tournament: Semifinals

Ryan McNeill — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:32:56 +0000

While the amounts of votes cast dipped a little in the second round, the battle to advance didn’t diminish. Four of the eight match-ups were decided by less than 20% while Shane Battier and Jason Maxiell continue to rip through all challengers.

The big shock in the second round was that Joel Pryzbilla fell to Julian Wright. Will another upset happen in the third round? Make sure you case your vote so that your favourite players advance to the next round.

The third round kicks off today and you’ll have until 12 am on Saturday to cast your vote.

ROUND 3

Boston - Leon Powe: “He pretty much defines the term ‘undersized power forward’ but he’s never backed down from any match up. The Celtics drafted the more recognizable Glen Davis, but Powe hasn’t given up his spot in the rotation. Much like Kevin Garnett, he never takes a play off and he plays tough team defense. Powe even scored more points per game (7.9) than James Posey and Tony Allen.”

Jeff from Celtics Blog

Detroit - Jason Maxiell: “If you want a nice guy to go about his business like a mild mannered man you can look past Jason Maxiell. If he’s in the game for a minute or a quarter he’s making an impact. Gobbling up rebounds, throwing down massive dunks and blocking shots that send players to their knees, all with his 6′5″ frame. How can you not vote for the man who Eats Babies on a regular basis and makes no apologies for it?”
Natalie from Need 4 Sheed

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New York - David Lee: “His name is known around the league, but only those who have been paying attention understand the amount of blood, sweat, and… well… more sweat that Lee leaves on the court every night. The man makes every second count.”
Seth from Posting and Toasting

Philadelphia - Reggie Evans: “Reggie Evans gained mainstream attention when he grabbed Chris Kaman’s family jewels while playing for the Denver Nuggets in the 2006-07 season. Now that’s doing the dirty work. Evans is a guy who makes a living on hustle. He has very little actual basketball talent, but is always among the leaders in rebounds per minute. At times, he was the best player on the floor in the Sixers-Pistons playoff series this year. Shocking, but true. When he’s on his game, he’s a menace.”
Jon from Passion & Pride

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Golden State - Ronny Turiaf: “Few players would be able to parlay a season in which they scored just 6.6 points per game and pulled down 3.9 rebounds a night into a new four-year, $17 million contract. Then again, few players alive play with the energy, heart, and determination Turiaf does. The free-spirited reserve rebounds, defends and blocks shots, but it is his relentless passion for the game that sees him outclass all other hustle players”
Trevor Smith from Hoops Addict

Editor’s Note: Hoops Addict talked soccer, heart surgery and uncovered a desire to learn guitar with Ronny Turiaf this past March.

Minnesota - Mark Madsen: “There is no one else on the Minnesota Timberwolves (or possibly the league), with the heart, hustle, effort and determination of the Mad Dog. Granted, he may not play many minutes, but he’s the fan favorite that is always giving 110%, whether the Wolves are winning or getting blown out. And for what he lacks in skill, he compensates by being the best towel waving, fist pounding, butt slapping, exuberant 12th man I’ve ever seen.”
Dave Kelsey from TWolves Blog

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New Orleans - Julian Wright: “The man is a physical freak; with a wingspan longer than you’d expect, explosive speed, and the intelligence to read opposing players and anticipate their moves, Ju-Ju has quickly become one of the Hornets’ best defenders, while simultaneously snagging steals left and right when he’s not hopping around for boards. He may not have dominated the stat sheet like other rookies last year, but he did a little of everything and was a total hustle player.”
MW from Hornets Hype

Wild Card - Shane Battier: “Not only is he a shoo-in nominee, the dude should win your tournament outright. He’s not a very good offensive player. He’s valuable because he’s a lock-down defensive player who does everything based on hustle, desire and effort. And he’s certainly not afraid of a few floor burns… or cuts/bruises to the head… or Dikembe’s elbow!”
David from The Dream Shake

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Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

Advanced Stats 101: Rebounding

Trevor Smith — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:31:24 +0000

Last week’s Advanced Stats 101 studied two key defensive APBRmetrics in hopes of understanding how advanced statistics can propel the way we collectively think of defense. This week’s piece aims to shed similar light on rebounding, an aspect of the game that seems very straightforward but which careful consideration shows to be anything but.

It is apparent to any basketball fan the importance of controlling the boards. A solid rebounding team simply gives itself a better opportunity to win: if a team dominates the defensive glass, they limit the number of opportunities their opponent has to score, while strong offensive rebounding gives itself more possessions.

The most used way of measuring team rebounding success is to simply calculate total team rebounds by combining a team’s aggregate offensive and defensive rebounds. For last season, the best rebounding teams were:

Total Team Rebounds (2007-08)
1 Houston Rockets 3661
2 Seattle Supersonics 3659
3 Cleveland Cavaliers 3655
4 Los Angeles Lakers 3620
5 Denver Nuggets 3616

Contenders such as Dallas (9th), Boston (12th), and New Orleans (16th) were strong on the glass, whereas poor rebounding teams were primarily lottery-bound squads such as Miami, Sacramento, and Charlotte (the biggest exception to this is Toronto, who placed an alarmingly-low 28th in the total boards).

The question becomes, is there a better way to evaluate rebounding than with aggregate totals? Instead of being concerned with totals, which are dictated by things like pace and shooting percentage, is there a way to determine the probability that a team will get the next given rebound?

This is what Rebounding Rate (RR) aims to tell us. RR is the percentage of missed shots that a team rebounds. Since it is given as a percentage, it can be thought of as the total number of rebounds we can expect a team (or player) to grab out of a possible 100 available boards. The total team rebounding percentage is the average of its offensive and defensive rebounding percentages. The formulas for which are as follows:

Team OReb% = TmOReb / (TmOReb + OppDReb)
Team DReb% = TmDReb/ (TmDReb + OppOReb)
Team Reb% = (Team OReb% + Team DReb%)/2

Given these formulas, which teams had the highest success in terms of rebounding percentage? The top five were:

Team Total Rebound Pct
1 Cleveland Cavaliers 0.524
2 Houston Rockets 0.523
3 Utah Jazz 0.52
4 Boston Celtics 0.519
5 Philadelphia 76ers 0.517

We immediately see a shift: Seattle falls mightily (2nd to 13th), as do Los Angeles (4th to 9th) and Denver (5th to 21st). Conversely, we see other teams rise considerably, including Utah (24th to 3rd), Boston (12th to 4th) and Philadelphia (14th to 5th).

What do these radical jumps in the rankings tells us? For starters, it is clear that the total rebounding stats of teams like Los Angeles and Denver are a façade resulting from their faster pace and number of total possessions, which artificially inflate their total number of rebounds but do nothing to suggest they rebound at a higher rate.

Further, teams like Boston and San Antonio (23rd to 12th) make such dramatic jumps as a result of their rebounding efficiency. Their slower pace and effective defenses mean that there are fewer total rebounds to be had during their games, but they are highly effective at collecting those few boards that are available, meaning they have an even larger proportion of the harder-to-come-by possessions in their slower games. One need only think back to the Finals and then look at the effect this stat has specifically on Boston and Los Angeles to understand its ramifications

Having looked at team totals, it may be prudent to now explore Rebounding Rates for individual players to discover whether this metric is useful there as well.

For individual players, we generally use rebounds per game as the measure by which to evaluate effectiveness. The reason for this is clear, as it is simple and fast. The history of NBA rebounding leaders harkens back to legends of the sport like Wilt Chamberlain (11 rebounding titles), Bill Russell (averaged over 20 rebounds per game in 10 of 13 seasons), and Bob Pettit (career 16.2 rebounds per game).

While they may not measure up to these rebounding giants, last season’s leaders were:

Total Rebounds Per Game
1 Dwight Howard-ORL 14.2
2 Marcus Camby-DEN 13.1
3 Tyson Chandler-NOH 11.7
4 Tim Duncan-SAS 11.3
5 Al Jefferson-MIN 11.1

The reason we use rebounds per game is clear: it simple and fast. But Rebound Rate/Percentage is an even more accurate, and fair, way to evaluate rebounders by showing the percentage of all missed shots when they are in the game that they rebound.

Player Rebound Rate (RR = (100 x (Rebs x Tm Mins))/[Plyr Mins x (Tm Rebs + Opp Rebs)] give a better sense of effectiveness since it states the probability of a player grabbing a board while they are on the court instead of totals per game. The leaders last year were:

Total Rebound Pct
1 Dwight Howard-ORL 21.7
2 Joel Przybilla-POR 21
3 Marcus Camby-DEN 20.3
4 Chris Kaman-LAC 19.7
5 Tim Duncan-SAS 19.6

The top echelon of the list is similar to the traditional one, with Howard still dominating and Camby near behind. However the inclusion of Przybilla is noteworthy. Przybilla grabbed only 8.4 rebounds a game, but did so averaging under 24 minutes a contest. That he was able to haul in one of every five rebounds while he was on the court is most impressive indeed.

Alternatively, Al Jefferson falls sharply from 5th to 17th, in part because he has more opportunities via playing over 35 minutes a game.

Team and player rebounding percentage may also be isolated to show just defensive rebounding. This is useful because there is typically very little relation between offensive and defensive rebounding (at least on a team level). Teams that shoot a high percentage, are efficient with the ball, and play at a slower tempo, will all have low offensive rebounding totals since offensive rebounding depends heavily on how many shots a team misses or how committed they are to transition defense.

For that reason, most pundits agree that defensive rebounding is more important and gives a better barometer of great boarding teams. The best in this regard last season were:

Team Defensive Rebounding Pct
1 San Antonio Spurs 0.771
2 Cleveland Cavaliers 0.759
3 New Orleans Hornets 0.754
4 Toronto Raptors 0.751
5 Dallas Mavericks 0.75

If defensive rebounding is more important for teams, it should hold that it is for individual players as well. The league leader for individual player Defensive Rebounding Percentage were:

Defensive Rebound Pct
1 Dwight Howard-ORL 31.6
2 Marcus Camby-DEN 31.1
3 Chris Kaman-LAC 30
4 Tim Duncan-SAS 28.3
5 Carlos Boozer-UTA 27.7

Finally, for those pondering just how dominant Howard’s rebounding effectiveness was last year, his Defensive Rebounding Percentage from 2007-08 would place 11th on the All-Time Single Season list. The top five seasons are listed below (note that Dennis Rodman claims five of the ten best seasons ever).

All-Time Highest DRB% DRB% Season
1 Dennis Rodman 36.78 1992-93
2 Ben Wallace 34.95 2002-03
3 Bill Walton* 34.23 1977-78
4 Dennis Rodman 34.13 1991-92
5 Swen Nater 33.81 1979-80

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

One-on-One With Josh Smith

Austin Kent — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:26:37 +0000

Josh Smith is a 22-year-old power forward with four years of NBA experience, a record-setting setting pace for blocks and enough highlight reel footage to start up his own multimedia empire, but ask the man himself what he really needs and discover nothing more than the feeling of being wanted.

On Friday afternoon Smith signed a five-year $58 million offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies, baiting his current Atlanta Hawks club to match the deserved market value or risk losing their second best performer in an improbable and highly successful playoff run last May.

With visions of Smith running the Memphis breaks alongside the likes of Grizzlies Rudy Gay and rookie O.J. Mayo, it didn’t take long for the Atlanta brass to soundly and confidently recommit. It is, after all, not every day that you see a world class athlete anxious to build on a successful season with the historically unsuccessful Hawks.

When Smith, alongside team scoring leader Joe Johnson and rookie Al Horford, forced the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics into a seventh and deciding game in their first-round playoff match up last spring, it marked a triumph of proportions unlike any seen in recent Hawks memory. Not coincidentally, it marked the official beginning of an Atlanta basketball era that you won’t want to miss.

Just days after news broke of his recent activity on the free agent market, the 6′9″ Smith was nice enough to set time aside from his his hectic adidas Nations schedule (where he serves as the NBA mentor of the class of 2009 US team) in order to talk high school hoops, offer sheets and obviously, NBA Jam.

Austin Kent: First of all, Josh, let’s talk adidas and let’s talk high school basketball. What exactly is your role in Dallas this week?
Josh Smith: Well my role in Dallas it to just basically be a mentor to the kids and just help them. I see them making a lot of the same little errors in the game that I used to make, so I just try to talk to them and help them get better.

Kent: Have you always been an adidas guy?
Smith: Yeah, ever since I was 14.

Kent: Why is that?
Smith: My AAU team was sponsored by adidas and I wore them all the way up until now. Obviously you wear other shoes when you’re in high school, but for the most part it was all I used to wear.

Kent: Now, your own situation as a high school player was a little bit different than these guys since you were able to declare for the draft. How does this effect the mind set of the best young players in the country? What’s different between them and you?
Smith: With me, like you said, I was able to go straight, but now they have a rule in there. I’m not sure if other athletes are going to follow what Brandon Jennings did, you know, going overseas for a year and playing over there and try to get into the NBA after a year.

Kent: Well you’re probably a good judge of this, do you think that could be the case with more of these players?
Smith: I think so, I think that Brandon Jennings just opened the door for other high school players to do what he did.

Kent: Say you were in his position and the same rule applied back when you were in high school, would you have considered something similar to that?
Smith: I probably would have went to school.

Kent: You don’t have to talk too long about this, but what are your thoughts on the age limit?
Smith: Obviously I don’t agree with it because I went out of high school. I feel that school’s always going to be there, but with the NBA it’s just so rare for an athlete to make it. Some people are at their primes and some people peak early. I think that, like they say, once you get hurt you have nothing to fall back on, well, what if you get hurt in college? You really have nothing to fall back on. You know what I mean? You should have a little money to be able to finish school and get your degree. If you’re injured in school, say you have a career-ending injury, you might get your scholarship taken from you, which then doesn’t provide you with financial benefits that should be there for you to finish school.

Kent: Did you have a school that you would have considered if you didn’t go into the draft?
Smith: I was going to go to Indiana.

Kent: Sweet. Well, moving on, off the court in terms of free agency and resigning with the Hawks, this has been a pretty big week for you. Is a congratulations in order here? Are you happy with how this all played out?
Smith: Yeah, I’m happy. I mean, they wanted me to go out there and see if I could get something done with a different team and I was able to do it. So I’m happy that I’m going to be going back home and able to play in front of my friends and family.

Kent: Let’s move aside a little bit and then we’ll come back, what was the atmosphere like playing for such an exciting team last year? Obviously the playoffs were great, but even going back before then, it seemed as though their was a completely new attitude for most of the season.
Smith: There definitely was, it had to do a lot with our fans. Our fans gave us so much support over the whole entire season. I think they were real big in us even making the playoffs. You had to be there in order to witness the atmosphere, it felt like the arena was shaking. A couple of my friends told me that it was actually shaking, that the stadium was shaking. When we got knocked out the playoffs I went to a couple of different teams’ playoff games and the atmosphere couldn’t compare to what was going on in Atlanta.

Kent: It was definitely exciting to watch. Now, heading into free agency back at the start of July, did you think it would take this long for a deal to take place? Did you anticipate, coming in, that it would take an offer sheet from another team to force the Hawks to raise their offer? I know you said that the Hawks kind of told you to go out there on your own, but what do you think about that?
Smith: I didn’t think it was going to take that long. I feel as though I played my heart out for them. I didn’t think it was going to have to come down to that. I look out and see Chicago showing that they’re loyal to Luol Deng and the same goes with Monta Ellis and (Andris) Biedrins and those guys. With those guys, their teams showed loyalty to them - and also Emeka Okafor. All I want to do is be wanted, and you know - I didn’t really understand it at first, but now I understand that this is a business and you really can’t get your emotions tied up in situations.

Kent: The Atlanta Hawks quickly matched your Grizzlies offer sheet, but what is it about Memphis that made you want to throw your hat in that ring? You had to be thinking in the back of your mind, what if Atlanta doesn’t match, then your a Grizzly. What is it about Memphis that drew you there?
Smith: Just the young talent that they have. I think that the Memphis Grizzlies are just a couple of pieces away from being a really good team because you have some very talented young players like Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowry,they just acquired O.J. Mayo, they have Javaris Crittenton, Mike Conley Jr. You have a lot of athletic guys who play hard and want to win.

Kent: Also, Darko Milicic. I think I’m the only guy in the entire world who bought a Darko Milicic jersey on draft night
Smith: *Laughs*

Kent: I bought two of them actually, home and away. That didn’t pan out so well. But with the two of you in the front court, I don’t think anybody would get a shot off, let alone make a basket. So I was kind of hoping for that as well, but that didn’t happen and Atlanta seems like it will be a great situation again. But, speaking of free agency, can you talk about your relationship with Josh Childress? Was it as much of a surprise to you as it was for the rest of us when he announced that he would be leaving for Greece?
Smith: Me and Josh have a good relationship. He’s one of my brothers. We came in, we always had that special connection, we got drafted in the same year by the same team. We had a chance to grow in the league together and it was a shock to me because I didn’t know what was going on. I had called him and he told me he was really considering taking the deal. It was a shock to me, but I’m happy for him. He deserves it.

Kent: Did you think that maybe somewhere down the line - maybe this summer, maybe who knows when - that you could do a similar thing to that. Did that cross your mind at all?
Smith: I actually was joking with my agent like “if this doesn’t work out, I want you to start seeing what’s going on overseas”. But I don’t know, maybe. If it came down to it, I wouldn’t say no quickly, I would really think about it.

Kent: LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have come out and said that they would consider something like that, hypothetically, I guess. Hockey is doing it too, with the NHL, they’re trying to steal away a lot of the NHL players. Do you see this as a threat to the NBA at all?
Smith: I think so. It’s kind of like, back in the day when I wasn’t born, how the ABA was out there and how they had the NBA. Then they started grabbing the players from the ABA to play in the NBA. I think it’s going to be something similar to that.

Kent: Well Josh, I appreciate you taking the time to answer these questions. I’ll let you get back to work. Hopefully we’ll talk again sometime soon.

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

Floor Burn Tournament: Round 2

Ryan McNeill — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:32:12 +0000

And then there were 16.

After a riveting opening round which saw over 70,000 votes cast, the 32-man field has been cut in half. There were some mild surprises (Julian Wright), some convincing wins (Jason Maxiell) and some close calls (Thaddeus Young), but don’t lose interest after one round, things are only starting to heat up in Hoops Addict Floor Burn Tournament.

I want to thank all of the writers who helped promote this Tournament over the past week and the thousands of fans who have casted their votes so far. This Tournament has enjoyed success well beyond what I imagined and I want to thank all of you for being a part of that. Please keep the votes and the support coming.

The second round kicks off today and you’ll have until 12 am on Saturday to cast your vote. Make sure you vote early so you don’t miss out on your chance to have your say on who’ll advance to the quarter-finals.

ROUND 2

Jeff from Celtics Blog

Chicago - Andres Nocioni: “Under the tutelage of former Bulls coach Scott Skiles, Andres Nocioni developed precisely into the scrappy player other team’s fans loathed to watch. As crafty as any of his Argentine counterparts, Nocioni married his international skill set with an American penchant for grit. If floor burns are what you’re looking for, consider the man who treats his body like a hand-me-down.”
Austin Kent from Hoops Addict

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Editor’s Note: Jason Maxiell is still Bizarro Superman.

Indiana - Jeff Foster: “Foster simply goes to work. Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, the consistent effort remains the same. He is the king of resuscitating possessions by scrapping his way to a rebound that is up for grabs and at least batting it out to a teammate to keep it alive for the Pacers.”
Tom from Indy Cornrows

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New Jersey - Eduardo Najera: “Najera’s tough, and tenacious - and he rebounds very well for his size. I expect him to be one of the better players on the sadly lacking Nets this season.”
Don from With Malice

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Wild Card - Thaddeus Young: “Thaddeus Young was thrown into the fire this year when the Sixers decided to implement a more uptempo style. The rookie ended up playing the majority of his minutes at power forward. He drew some tough defensive assignments and held his own, even managing to score a decent amount of points without having a single play called for him. With a willingness to do whatever the team needs of him, the future is bright for this young forward.”

Jon from Passion & Pride

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Dallas - Brandon Bass: “A brief D-Leaguer who wasn’t thought to amount to much of anything has become a pivotal part of the Mavs’ future. He’s undersized, but plays in the paint, not incredibly athletic, but outworks other guys, and plays with a huge chip on his shoulder. As Dallas moves forward in trying to eliminate their ‘finesse team’ moniker, Bass is going to be a huge part of that.”
Matt from Hardwood Paroxysm

Editor’s Note: Hoops Addict talked soccer, heart surgery and uncovered a desire to learn guitar with Ronny Turiaf this past March.

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Los Angeles Lakers - Sasha Vujacic: “The guy is a gnat on defense, the kind of in your face guy that pisses off opposing players and fans, can get in players’ heads and cause an off night. He’s a skinny Euro, but he has developed a fearless game (fearless of shooting as well, whether he’s hot or not). The fact that Detroit and San Antonio’s coaching staff spoke highly of him says a lot.”
Kurt from Forum Blue & Gold

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Portland - Joel Przybilla: “It’s unusual for a center to be included in a discussion of scrappy players but Joel Przybilla fits the bill. It’s not so much that he’ll dive to the ground or into the stands after the ball (at seven feet that’s a long way down) but he’s the clean-up man on defense. If you blow your assignment or rotation and your guy gets free in the paint, Przybilla will swing over and make you look brilliant with a block. He’ll throw his body around for rebounds as well. He’s not afraid to stand chest to chest with an opponent and stare them down either.”
Dave from Blazers Edge

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San Antonio - Ime Udoka: “This has Bruce Bowen’s name all over it, but if I chose him, most people would likely see his name and skip right past it, so instead I’ll take Bowen’s soon-to-be predecessor and pupil, Ime Udoka. Udoka is a sparkplug. He brings a lot of energy off the bench and is all over the place on the floor. He’ll come out of nowhere, box out a power forward or center and grab a rebound. He’s no bigger than a point guard but is asked to relieve Bruce Bowen and guard much bigger scorers like Kobe Bryant and Peka Stojakovic. Look for Ime to get even more minutes next season and more chances to prove my choice right with Brent Barry and Robert Horry not coming back. “
Michael from Project Spurs

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Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

Advanced Stats 101: Defense

Trevor Smith — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:18:54 +0000

Most recently in this continuing space, Advanced Stats 101 has looked at APBRmetrics for Player Shooting as well as exploring Team and Player Offensive Ratings. Given the old adage that defense wins championship, it seems only appropriate to follow with a look at two key defensive stats and their application.

Measuring defensive prowess and success has long been a difficult thing to accurately project, particularly for individual players. Generally, we use dated measures such as: Opponent Field Goal Percentage, Opponent Points Per Game, Rebounding Rates and Turnovers Against.

While these all have their place, every dedicated fan knows that much of what makes a great defender cannot be expressed in pure numbers alone (something Hoops Addict’s Floor Burn Tournament is currently showing us). We all accept that Bruce Bowen is an all-world defender based on watching his tactfulness and tenaciousness first-hand, yet he is not one to lead the league in steals or blocks.

Likewise, when we consider great defensive teams, we have a few standard measures to point to as a means of validating our assumptions about the greatness of team units like Boston, Detroit and San Antonio. But as with the offensive statistics we have already looked at, APBRmetrics have advanced how defense can be studied too.

Consider the most basic of team defensive measures, Opponent Field Goal Percentage:

Traditional Opponent FG%
1 Boston 0.419
2 Houston 0.433
3 Detroit 0.437
4 Dallas 0.443
5 San Antonio 0.444
6 Los Angeles 0.445
7 Orlando 0.446
8 Portland 0.451
9 Chicago 0.453
10 Indiana 0.454

This list largely reflects what a subjective viewing of the game tells us, as the usual suspects of defensive intensity are all listed. Yet, as explained previously in Advanced Stats 101, there exists a more complete shooting measure. Effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG%= (FGM + .5*3FGM)/FGA) adjusts basic field goal percentage to reflect the difficulty and importance of the three-point shot. Since it provides a more complete and accurate picture of a team’s shooting efficiency, it can easily be used to assess a team’s defensive efficiency as well. This measure sees that teams with defenses susceptible to threes have this weakness expressed.

Opponent Effective Team FG%
1 Boston 0.457
2 Houston 0.465
3 Detroit 0.470
4 Dallas 0.474
5 San Antonio 0.477
6 Orlando 0.484
7 Los Angeles 0.485
8 Phoenix 0.488
9 Portland 0.491
10 Cleveland 0.494
League Average 0.497

In and of itself, the league top 10 reveals only small, insignificant changes. Boston and Houston still dominate, and the majority of the other teams fall in around the same order. But let’s look slightly beyond the top 10.

There is some very interesting movement amongst playoff teams not listed above, all of whom place below the League Average for OEFG%. Consider that Toronto drops from 15th to 22nd (.505 OEFG%) based on their inability to defend the three. Even more incriminating is the case against Washington, who plummets from the already-low-for-a-contender 18th slot all the way to 26th (.513 OEFG%) placing the Wizards amongst the likes of New York, Miami and Minnesota.

Alternatively, some playoff teams see a benefit of considering the importance of defending threes. Atlanta jumps up from 21st to 16th (.501 OEFG%), and equally impressive is Utah’s bump from 20th to 17th (.501 OEFG%).

Certainly defensive effectiveness cannot be measured by opposing field goal percentage alone. Another traditional, standard defensive metric is Opponent Points Per Game. The reason for using this is simple: a team that allows its opponents fewer points is more likely to win. Here is a list of the league’s best in this category:

Traditional Opponent Points Per Game
1 Detroit 90.1
2 Boston 90.3
3 San Antonio 90.6
4 Houston 92.0
5 New Orleans 95.6
6 Dallas 95.9
7 Philadelphia 96.2
8 Portland 96.3
9 Cleveland 96.7
10 Toronto 97.3

Again, this ranking reveals many of the teams one expects when considering great defense. However just as we made the case for Offensive Rating previously, we must do the same for Defensive Rating. Defensive Rating is a way of measuring success based on the idea that total points against is meaningless unless considering for the same number of possessions, given that each team plays at a different pace.

Defensive rating then measures points allowed per 100 possessions. This standardizes how we measure defense and does not reward teams such as Cleveland that play its games at a very slow pace. The rating was developed by Dean Oliver, a leader in APBRmetrics movement whose work focuses largely on evaluating players and teams on possession and situational analysis. The top 10 for Defensive Rating is below:

Defensive Rating
1 Boston 98.9
2 Houston 101.6
3 San Antonio 101.8
4 Detroit 102.9
5 Los Angeles 105.5
6 Orlando 105.5
7 New Orleans 105.7
8 Philadelphia 106.0
9 Dallas 106.1
10 Denver 106.3
League Average 107.5

The most striking revelation comes from Denver, who is generally considered a very porous and uninspired defensive team (even if they had/have strong individual defenders such as Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin). The Nuggets are 29th in the league using points against per game at 107, yet when we account for Denver’s fast pace and high number of possessions by looking at the measure on a per possession basis, they leapfrog all the way to 10th overall, ahead of the league average as well are defensive-minded teams such as Cleveland, Utah and Chicago. This is a considerable achievement. Another team that benefits positively is Los Angeles: the Lakers are 19th in opponent scoring (101.3) but rise up all the way to fifth in defensive rating.

On the other side of the coin, Portland drops considerably from eighth down all the way to 17th (108.4 D-Rating). This measure too spells trouble for the Wizards. Just as with the shooting statistics, this measure shows just how ineffective the Wizards’ defense is on a per-possession basis, as Washington falls from 12th to 24th (109.6 D-Rating). Washington is the lowest among all playoff teams in this respect.

Finally, one might be interested to examine Defensive Rating for Individual Players to see who allows the least amount of points per 100 possessions against them. It should surprise no one that Boston dominates the list, with three of the top five in the league. It is also predictable that perhaps the two best defensive power-forwards of this (or any) era sit atop the list:

Player Defensive Rating
1 Kevin Garnett-BOS 93.8
2 Tim Duncan-SAS 96.6
3 Chuck Hayes-HOU 96.7
4 Kendrick Perkins-BOS 97.3
5 James Posey-BOS 98.0

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

Hey! Whatever Happened To Ron Harper?

Austin Kent — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:52:54 +0000

Somewhere between 11.7 rebounds per game at Miami University and three championship rings at point guard with the Chicago Bulls, Ron Harper’s career took a dramatic twist.

In an attempt to determine exactly when or where said twist occurred, one must take a good long look at perhaps the most overlooked career of perhaps the game’s best generation. Simply put, the statistical comparisons to a slightly more modest Dwyane Wade are better than you think. This, of course, deserves your respect.

Crack that same nutshell open however, and unveil a devastating knee injury that stripped the once incredibly athletic Harper of his ability to fill stat sheets like a grocery cart. But - and here’s where things get interesting - even though the injury induced a 25% drop in Harper’s PER, a closer look into the bowels of early-90s basketball history reveals that the man went on to average 18+ points per game over the course of his final three years as a Los Angeles Clipper.

Flashback to June 1986. Drafted eighth overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers is Ohio native and Miami University graduate Ron Harper. Fresh off a senior year that saw the 6′6″ athlete erupt for 24.4 points per game, the aforementioned 11.7 rebounds and an optimistically well-rounded 4.3 assists, 3.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game, Harper looked poised to help a struggling Cavaliers team in his first season in the NBA.

As a pro, swingman Harper’s godlike big man numbers leveled out to a more reasonable 4.8 rebounds and one block per game, but his 22.9 points per contest were enough to warrant runner up status in Rookie of the Year voting (thank you Chuck Person).

Though the offensive mark would go on to be the highest of his career, Harper continued to prove himself - first in Cleveland and soon after in Los Angeles - as a legitimate scoring threat for the bulk of his professional career. At least until signing with the then-Michael Jordanless Chicago Bulls in time for the 1994-95 season.

Even with Jordan out of the mix, Harper never quite picked up where he left off in a Clippers uniform. All, however, was quickly forgotten when the man found himself the token big point guard in coach Phil Jackson’s triangle offense.

With Jackson and assistant coach Tex Winter’s insistence on running the offense through a good-sized quarterback, Harper was once again in high demand, less for his ability to score or rebound well from the wings and more for his ability to mold his game alongside a recently unretired Jordan and small forward Scottie Pippen.

Younger fans may remember Harper for his brief stint with coach Jackson and the Los Angeles Lakers, where he became one of five NBA players to have won multiple championships with multiple teams (or even for his recent role as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons), but older fans may instead recall the blossoming stud derailed in the midst of a promising prime.

Whether the name Ron Harper triggers your own memories of the Jordan Era Bulls Dynasty, a college phenom with statlines capable of making perennial all-star centers blush, or simply just a young athlete contributing mightily to a pair of teams at a time when they needed it most, make sure to take the extra time to acknowledge everything else he was in between.

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

Basketball Goals

Hoops Addict Floor Burn Tournament

Ryan McNeill — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:32:39 +0000

Each night ESPN, NBA.com and YouTube are flooded with clips of players soaring through the air for rim rocking dunks, buzzer beating three-pointers and blocked shots that make your jaw drop in amazement. While those are all entertaining plays, teams who win championships need players who are willing to get a little dirty and do the little things needed to help their team win. As valuable and crucial as these players are to their respective teams success, these players rarely get the credit or respect that they deserve. With that in mind, the First Annual Hoops Addict Floor Burn Tournament will kick off this week.

Over the next few weeks we’re going to pare down 32 participants until we’re left with one final player who will be heralded as the First Annual Floor Burn Tournament Champion. As players are eliminated, they’ll be matched against the bracket below them. For example, the winner of the West/Powe match-up will face off against the winner of Dudley/Nocioni in the second round.

Keep in mind that voting for the first round will end on August 11th at 12:00 AM.

Without further adieu, here are your first round contestants:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlanta - Mario West: “Mario West, after being a walk-on at Georgia Tech and playing a full four years, went undrafted but was picked up by the Atlanta Hawks in the summer. He may not have any sort of scoring ability, however, his hustle on defense has kept him around. Since he only plays a handful of minutes a game, he comes in with a lot of energy and is never afraid to guard big names on the other team. It’s either him or Zaza Pachulia, who definitely deserves every award that can be handed out to a person.”
Drew Lichtenstein from Sports Page Atlanta

Jeff from Celtics Blog

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Charlotte - Jared Dudley: “For the Charlotte Bobcats, who have struggled for wins in their short existence, the floor burn nominee would have to be now-second year forward Jared Dudley. He does not have anything resembling jump-out-of-the-gym athleticism, but he is a heady, smart player, making the most out of his limited tools and just being in the right place at the right time for rebounds, putbacks and steals.”
George from Bobcats Bonfire

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Cleveland - Delonte West: “West was with the team only for the last two months of the season and the playoffs, but it took him less time than that to earn the fans’ appreciation. He is sort of a jack of all trades, master of none. He’ll fill any role on the court asked of him, and he’ll give 100% effort in all of them. He plays tremendously hard on defense and has a knack for coming up with a huge block when you least expect it but most need it, or will knock the ball away to create a breakaway situation, or will snag a key rebound. The guy does it all and gives nothing but effort in the process.”
Rock from Waiting for Next Season

Editor’s Note: Jason Maxiell is still Bizarro Superman.

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Miami - Joel Anthony: “If luck really is where opportunity meets preparation, Joel Anthony may be the luckiest man in the NBA. The Heat need Anthony more than you’d think a team could need a 6′9″ center, and he’s about to grab that mess of a depth chart by the neck. You’ll see him fly in for putback dunks, elbow seven-footers a foot outside of the paint, and take every opponent’s drive to the basket as a personal insult. You’ll see him slide in next to Michael Beasley like Tinker next to Evers, giving Miami a chance to win every single night. With Dennis Rodman long forgotten and Ben Wallace about to join him, the NBA needs a new working-class hero. Take a close look at the 2008-09 Heat, and you’ll find him.”
Greg from The Peninsula Is Mightier

Editor’s Note: Hoops Addict caught up with Joel Anthony just last month.

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Milwaukee Bucks - Charlie Bell: “After coming up through the Flintstones system of Michigan State basketball, it took Charlie Bell a few years to catch on in the NBA. Following several stints in Europe, Bell earned his way into the big show with a defensive mind-set similar to former journeyman two-guard Bruce Bowen. Nowadays Bell can be found locking down opposing team’s slasher and bringing an undeniable sense of toughness to the Milwaukee Bucks.”
Austin Kent from Hoops Addict

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Orlando - Jameer Nelson: “Say what you will about Jameer Nelson’s prognostication skills (on second thought, don’t; it’s probably been said already), but there’s no denying that he gives the Magic his all night in and night out. It’s why he lead the team in charges taken last season despite placing fifth in minutes played. It’s also why he’s suffered three concussions in four professional seasons.”
Ben Q. Rock from Third Quarter Collapse

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Toronto - Kris Humphries: “Toughness and hustle is a premium in Toronto, so when Kris Humphries is nominated for the “Floor Burn Tournament” understand that it comes with a bucket load of salt, but let that not be a knock on Humphries. He’s made it a habit of going after rebounds he has no business getting (and often never does) and has shown that he’s willing to work to earn his minutes (however inconsistent, sporadic and unpredictable they are). Although consistent playing time has eluded him, whatever burn he does get he makes the most of it by playing hard, playing with intensity although not always playing smart. Diving for loose balls is the norm which every fan loves, on the flip side of the coin launching 13-footers might not be the greatest idea. It’s this love-hate relationship that makes me want to nominate Hump Jordan as my pick for the Floor Burn Tournament.”
Zarar from Arsenalist

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Washington - Antonio Daniels: “The 11-year veteran had been the backup point guard for the Washington Wizards for two years. When Gilbert Arenas went down with a bum knee, Antonio Daniels stepped in and started a career high 63 games. In those games he averaged eight points, four assists, and closely guarded the other team’s point guard. Daniels led the Wizards to the first round of the playoffs and even when Arenas came back, he still retained the point guard duties, and often times ran the team more efficiently.”
Rashad Mobley from Hoops Addict

Jon from Passion & Pride

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WESTERN CONFERENCE

Denver - Anthony Carter: “With the Nuggets always being injury plagued, it seemed like just another season of misfortune when presumed starting point guard Chucky Atkins was sidelined for the majority of the season with a sports hernia in 2007-08. Enter NBA journeyman Anthony Carter. A player that gives the Nuggets everything he has, every night, without needing any headline recognition for his efforts. A-Ceeeeeeeeeeeeee as he is affectionately known in the Mile High, sticks the opposition’s best guard, to the Nuggets’ game plan, and often times the game-winning shot with his humble nightly efforts.”
The Nugg Doctor

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Editor’s Note: Hoops Addict talked soccer, heart surgery and uncovered a desire to learn guitar with Ronny Turiaf this past March.

Houston - Chuck Hayes: “Has absolutely no discernable NBA-level skills. Can’t dribble or shoot. Is not very tall or agile. Everyone has to cover their eyes when he shoots free throws. And yet - he’s a very important part of the rotation for an NBA playoff team for two-plus years now. It’s because he outsmarts and outhustles everyone.”
David from The Dream Shake

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Los Angeles Clippers - Nick Fazekas: “Fazekas is probably different than many of the candidates for the Floor Burn Tournament. It’s not that he doesn’t hustle per se, but he is so incredibly unathletic that everything he does, even diving on the floor, looks awkward and slow. But the guy just gets stuff done. He’s the guy, when you’re playing pick up basketball, whose team keeps winning, and you just can’t figure out why. Even after his team has held the court for two hours, and he’s led them in scoring every single game, you still think he stinks and you’re better than he is. Well, you’re not. He’s better than you are, because he’s just a baller. He’s got incredible hands, goofy long arms, an array of junky moves around the basket, a nice touch out to 20 feet, and he knows how to get the ball in the hoop.”
Steve from Clips Nation

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Memphis - Kyle Lowry: “Why Lowry? In Memphis we call him The Bulldog for his gritty man-to-man defense, ability to grab boards, and knack for getting to the line. He was 27th in the NBA in steals per 48 minutes, ninth amongst point guards. He was 10th best rebounder of all point guards and was the seventh best point guard at getting to the line (as a backup nonetheless).”
Zach from 3 Shades of Blue

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Oklahoma City - Damien Wilkins: “On the yet-to-be-named Oklahoma City squad, Damien Wilkins is perhaps the biggest name next to Kevin Durant… because his uncle is the legendary Dominique Wilkins. Still, the younger Wilkins deserves your attention as a reliable scoring option off the bench with the odd 41-point blow up.”
Blake from The On Deck Circle

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Phoenix - Robin Lopez: “I’m thinking that Robin Lopez should be this guy in the coming season. That’s what he’s here for and hustle and energy and tough defense are why the Suns drafted him. Beyond that I guess Raja Bell but he didn’t really have that kind of year last year. D.J. Strawberry didn’t play enough. Shawn Marion is gone. And Shaquille O’Neal… diving into the stands aside, isn’t what you’re looking for here.”

Stan from Bright Side of the Sun

Editor’s Note: Hoops Addict tracked down and interviewed Robin Lopez at pre-draft workouts in Toronto.

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Sacramento - Francisco Garcia: “What’s more endearing than a guy who hits big threes no sweat, gives his trademark “mean face” and audibly grunts and squeals when fighting through screens? He works so hard he fouled an opponent on buzzer threes twice this season — infuriating, but the effort inspires.”
Tom Ziller from Sac Town Royalty

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Utah - Matt Harpring: “Harpring comes from a family of Collegiate football players and is the one guy in the NBA who won’t back down to anyone. Averaged 5.4 floor burns per game in the 2008 season. Check out this video clip, need I say more?”
CB Jack from My Utah Jazz

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Paul Pierce’s Delusions of Grandeur

Trevor Smith — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:00:20 +0000

As the brilliantly executed “There Can Only Be One” ad campaign told us, winning an NBA title confers a player with many perks, including respect from their peers, admiration from fans and an affirmed sense of validity. It would seem for at least one Boston Celtic, it promotes one more upshot: delusions of grandeur.

On Wednesday, well-informed NBA fans were alerted to an interesting story that was developing in Madrid, Spain. Fresh off his Finals MVP, Paul Pierce is currently on vacation in the Spanish capital city. Pierce took time out from taking in the local sites to cause a minor uproar when he partook in an interview with a local basketball reporter.

After exchanging pleasantries, the reporter asked Pierce if he believed Kobe Bryant to be the best player in the world. To this Pierce apparently replied, “I don’t think Kobe is the best player. I’m the best player. There’s a line that separates having confidence and being conceited. I don’t cross that line but I have a lot of confidence in myself.”

Upon reading the interview transcript, I sincerely hoped the comment had been transformed and was a joke. Pierce is bilingual and answered all questions in Spanish, so perhaps he had merely mistranslated and was not being so bold and boastful as to actually say something with such little tact. But after having confirmed the translation via multiple sources, it seems he did in fact proclaim himself the world’s greatest player.

After doing a double and triple-take, I realized Pierce was indeed serious, and a number of explanations for his new self-importance came to my mind. Perhaps his headband was one size too tight during the Finals. Maybe he had been in the Spanish sun too long. Or perhaps the swelling from his Game 1 knee injury had reached his brain.

As a basketball fan, I am unsure whether I find Pierce’s proclamation laughable, insulting, or both. How could Pierce be the game’s best when it is highly debatable whether he is even the best player on his own team? There is no doubting that he dominated the NBA Finals this spring, but Kevin Garnett was Boston’s unquestioned leader and best player for the entirety of the regular season and much of playoffs. It was Garnett, not Pierce that was in contention for MVP and it was Garnett that brought renewed legitimacy to the Celtics franchise. That Pierce could so quickly ennoble himself above his “ubuntu” teammate is surprising.

Further, Pierce calling himself the best player in the world when Kobe Bryant was specifically brought up underpins the level of fallacy in his statement. Pierce is not the player Kobe Bryant is. In fact, it’s not even close. Going into this season, you would have been hard-pressed to justify putting Pierce on a list of the game’s Top 20 players. His memorable postseason has forever changed that, but we cannot suddenly rewrite history and suppose that Pierce, a player that has never been named to the All-NBA Second Team (much less First Team), is the king of the court.

For four of the six games in the NBA Finals he was Bryant’s equal or even his superior, but one series does not a career make. He is nowhere near Bryant’s echelon in regards to ability, fame, or success. He hasn’t the individual talent, the career accolades or the work ethic to ever put himself in the same breath as Bryant, he of three rings, two scoring titles and a MVP.

Paul Pierce proclaiming himself the best player in the world because he beat Bryant’s Lakers in the NBA Finals once is something akin to Anthony Kim beating Tiger Woods at the Masters once and calling himself the best golfer alive.

More importantly, even if he could realistically proclaim himself better than Bryant, just the fact itself that he would think to do so publicly highlights how far from the throne he is. LeBron James, the player most deserving of comparison to Bryant, would never publicly say he was Bryant’s superior. He has more sense than to provoke a man with Bryant’s feverish pride. Bryant would burn a quote like that into his memory as motivation during endless workouts and training sessions.

Moreover, the most elite level of player is secure enough in his place in the game that he would never resort to that sort of sneering and posturing. Many people would take issue if even Bryant publicly declared himself the game’s best player because it shows arrogance and a total lack of diplomacy. Pierce was all too willing to hype himself, revealing the inherent flaw in his argument: if it were true, he wouldn’t need to be the one saying it in the first place.

Elsewhere in the same article, Pierce spoke about the importance of Team USA potentially winning the gold medal at the Olympics in the coming weeks. This merely calls to mind the fact that Pierce elected not to participate in the Team USA program. One would think that the best player in the world would be driven to prove himself such on the highest international stage. His non-participation doesn’t make him any less a player, but it is nonetheless interesting given the presence on the US team of Bryant, James and Chris Paul, the triumvirate of stars that everyone (other than Pierce, apparently) widely recognize as the game’s best and brightest.

This is also not the first incident where Pierce’s crowing reflected poorly. When asked a month ago about the difference between himself and Carmelo Anthony, Pierce curtly pointed out only that he “did not have a DUI.” Apparently prudence is not a tactic Pierce puts much weight in.

None of this takes away from Pierce’s historical Finals performance and it does not take shine off his Larry O’Brien trophy. He is not the first player (and will not be the last) to handle winning and an increased profile so ungraciously. Still though, it is unfortunate that success has not curbed his need to publicly declare his own greatness. It would be more amiable if the man called “The Truth” had simply let his Finals MVP speak it for him.

Photo Credit: Icon Spots Media

(Mis)understanding Joe Dumars

Austin Kent — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:53:12 +0000

When it was announced on Monday that the Detroit Pistons had unofficially come to terms with Kwame Brown, it stumped a considerable portion of the basketball community. Even more confusing though, than general manager Joe Dumars shelling out eight million dollars for the former draft flop, is the fact that he did so despite an already sound front court and the promise of so much more.

When the deal officially crosses the table, probably later this week, stop considering this an underwhelming move on the heels of a disappointing playoff exit. By acquiring Brown, Dumars not only nabs another project to work with, but opens up even more options to finally make that trade we’ve all been waiting for.

When Rasheed Wallace and the Detroit Pistons fell at the hands of the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics last May, it marked the unofficial end of an era. The growing frustration and need for change had reached its limit. If nothing else, coming up short in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third straight year marked the end of complacency.

Franchise architect Dumars consummated the revolution at a press conference not long after, addressing both his desire to shake things up and - more specifically - the lack of “sacred cows” on the Pistons’ roster that had been spoiled by their own success.

Heads would roll, Pistons fans thought, and who better to quarterback the movement than the man who built the team in the first place. At Dumars’ discretion, the Pistons would make a blockbuster swap whilst maintaining the competitive edge that had made them the envy of 14 other teams in the Eastern Conference over the past half decade.

But then the NBA Draft came and the traditionally quiet Dumars remained on the sidelines. Not long after that, the Philadelphia 76ers would usher in the beginning of a new free agent period with a deal that would bring them both Elton Brand and a reservation amongst the East’s elite, while Dumars, reluctant to make a move of his own, stood pat.

Enter Kwame Brown.

Though the 2001 first overall pick has showed little to no consistent development over the course of the first seven years of his NBA career, strip him of all the lofty expectations and past performance and you still have a 26-year-old athlete with a decent work ethic and an impeccable NBA body.

Even more promising for the future of the Detroit franchise is the fact that the Pistons have taken on former draft disappointments in the past with relative success. One in particular would go on to become the 2004 NBA Finals MVP: Chauncey Billups.

It’s important to remember that back when Brown became the first high schooler chosen with the top spot in the NBA Draft, he wasn’t the one who asked David Stern to call his name. It was Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards who saw enough promise to make it happen, and the unsuspecting Brown has suffered the consequences of their mistake ever since. It’s all but fact that if Brown had been selected in the middle of the first round he would have a lot more support from the often-harsh NBA audience.

It’s hard to predict with any certainty that Brown’s career will enjoy a similar fate to Billups, but it’s easy to judge the rest of the deal’s promise. With the addition of Brown, the Pistons now host more than enough solid big men in him, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell.

One could make a case for nearly any combination of the five on the opening night starting roster, but even more telling than the team’s partial monopoly on reputable power forwards in the conference is the position this puts them in in relation to Dumars’ master plan.

With the addition of yet another serviceable forward/center, the Pistons are even better suited to make that move we’ve all been coveting. At this point, parting ways with Wallace seems all the more likely as rookie coach Michael Curry faces only headaches with so much talent and so little minutes to fill in the front court.

No logical human being would rather part with McDyess, and opting to move Maxiell or Johnson is all but contradictory to any long term plans Dumars may have (unless the player coming in is as promising of a prospect).

Simply put, when Kwame Brown puts on a Pistons jersey this fall, don’t expect him to still be the new guy in the locker room. The fact that Dumars hasn’t rushed to pull the trigger on any particular deal is a blessing. We all know how the reflex signing of Nazr Mohammed went when Ben Wallace fled for Chicago.

With these stones set in place, a deal looks more likely now than ever before, but from here the picture gets murky. Rumors involving Emeka Okafor and Ron Artest have come and gone (and rightfully so), leaving nothing but a speculator’s guess as to what will shake down in the coming weeks.

As Okafor re-ups in Charlotte and Artest heads to Houston, the field of potential trade partners continues to change almost daily. With Brown added to the depth chart, Detroit can essentially dangle Wallace and his expiring contract to anyone either looking to win this year, or have cap space for next with more peace of mind than ever.

Is it too optimistic to note the $10M trade exception the Denver Nuggets acquired in the Marcus Camby deal and rehash the Carmelo Anthony rumors? Maybe so, but just when you thought the offseason hype was cooling off in Detroit, it turns out it’s only getting hotter.

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

Exclusive Interview With Ryne Nelson

Ryan McNeill — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:18:44 +0000

The big news within the online basketball community this summer has been Ryne Nelson’s meteoric rise from blogger to Online Editor of Slam Magazine. This weekend Ryne took some time to talk with me about his background as a broadcast journalism major, the story behind why he started the highly successful blog Odenized and how he was able to parlay that into his new gig with Slam.

This interview is one of my favourites and is a must listen for anyone hoping to break into journalism through non-traditional means. Ryne did a great job of explaining how a lot of late nights and hard work resulted in him achieving his goal of becoming a journalist.

Click here to listen to my chat with Ryne Nelson.