http://hoopsaddict.com Get Your Basketball Fix Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:38:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en It should come as no surprise that Kevin Pritchard has revealed himself as one of the smartest general managers in basketball over the past few years. After all, his college career saw him play under Larry Brown and Gregg Popovich, two great basketball minds, and he got his first front ... http://hoopsaddict.com/2008/07/24/pritchard-is-nba%e2%80%99s-latest-mastermind/ During Gilbert Arenas' press conference on Tuesday, Washington Wizards owner Abe Pollin talked about how important it was to have Arenas back, Team President Ernie Grunfeld talked about the challenges in negotiating with Arenas without an agent, while Arenas talked about his offseason and then made bold predictions about the ... http://hoopsaddict.com/2008/07/23/gilbert-arneas-press-conference/ In September of 2003, the Washington Wizards called a press conference to announce that they had just signed a 21-year-old guard from the Golden State Warriors named Gilbert Arenas. He was scheduled to make $65 million over six years, and he also was going to sweeten the bitter taste ... http://hoopsaddict.com/2008/07/23/arenas-returns-with-bold-predictions-and-a-new-attitude/ One of the most intriguing stories in basketball history belongs to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Don't believe me? Think again. From his rail-thin physique to his 1991 conversion to Islam, in a traditional sports world, the man originally born Chris Jackson lived a spiritual life far removed from the traditional sports scene. ... http://hoopsaddict.com/2008/07/22/hey-whatever-happened-to-mahmoud-abdul-rauf/ For the Utah Jazz, complacency is not an option. Yet this offseason has, once again, sent signals around the NBA that the team prefers a holding pattern rather than an aggressive approach on the market. Last season Utah went 54-28 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round ... http://hoopsaddict.com/2008/07/21/complacency-not-an-option-for-utah/ There is no “I” in team. You’ve heard the cliché a thousand times. It’s right up there with “We gave it a 110% out there,” and “We’re taking it one game at a time.” It’s a warm and fuzzy sentiment but beginning to sound a bit outdated. How about, “I gave it ... http://hoopsaddict.com/2008/07/19/calderon-finally-gets-his-shot/ In this space last week, we explored some basics regarding APBRmetrics and their application when considering team shooting. Let us now consider the same three metrics used to evaluate team performances and examine how they pertain to individual shooters. Prominent APBRmetricians such as Bob Bellotti and Kevin Broom are among the ... http://hoopsaddict.com/2008/07/18/advanced-stats-101-player-shooting/ With the final 34 seconds of their Olympic hopes quickly evaporating off the Athens, Greece shot clock, Jermaine Anderson took his team, his country and the fate of his facial hair upon himself. When the point guard's three-point offering fell through the bottom of the net, giving his club a 78-77 ... http://hoopsaddict.com/2008/07/16/canadian-rally-keeps-olympic-hopes-alive/ Following a workout in Washington last Friday, Etan Thomas talked with the media about when he was given full medical clearance to return to the court, how it felt to be back on the court with his teammates, his thoughts on Nick Young’s progression from this time last year, ... http://hoopsaddict.com/2008/07/15/in-the-scrum-with-etan-thomas/ At one point during the Washington Wizards’ recent minicamp, center Etan Thomas jumped up, grabbed a rebound, and kicked it out to Dee Brown to lead the fastbreak. Once the ball was swung around a few times, guard Nick Young finally fed Thomas the ball in the post. Thomas caught ... http://hoopsaddict.com/2008/07/15/the-long-wait-for-thomas-finally-ends/