I have been trying to get this most of the day, I finally used firefox
and you can copy and paste with that browser!!
----------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Returning to formula might help Returning to formula might help
By Brian James
ESPN Insider
After having the time of his life last year in his rookie season, Carmelo Anthony has found things quite different since the playoffs ended for him last April.
The third overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft lifted the Nuggets onto his shoulders, taking them to a 43-39 regular-season record and a playoff berth. They had won just 17 games the year before his arrival from Syracuse, where he led the Orangemen to the NCAA title in his only season there.
This season, Anthony seemed poised to join his fellow NBA draft class sophomores LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in meteoric improvement. But after enduring a somewhat negative 2004 Athens Olympics experience, other off-court distractions, a head-coaching change, and repeated ankle injuries, Anthony has struggled.
After a Jan. 25 loss to the Bulls, the Nuggets are 17-24 and in 11th place in the Western Conference standings. Anthony has discovered that it's more difficult with that big "X" marked on his back. True, many of his statistics thus far nearly are identical to his rookie season production. But Anthony, 20, has struggled in some areas this season.
Injuries have had a big impact on his game. Anthony has missed eight games thanks to three different ankle sprains. He has played banged up, trying to recoup the bounce in his step. But most observers feel that Anthony did not get in as good as shape this season as he did as a rookie and he has struggled as a result.
Before his game against the Bulls, Anthony's playing time (36.5 mpg last season, 36.6 mpg this season) and scoring average (21.0 ppg, 20.3 ppg) stats are nearly identical to his tremendous rookie season's. But the field-goal percentage (.426, .395), 3-point shooting accuracy (.322, .277), offensive rebounding (2.23, 1.58) and blocks per game (0.50, 0.36) stats are down.
[size=-2][/size][size=-1]Carmelo Anthony[/size]
[size=-2]Small Forward
Denver Nuggets[/size]
[/size][size=-2][/size]
2004-2005 STATS[size=-2]GM[/size][size=-2]PPG[/size][size=-2]RPG[/size][size=-2]APG[/size][size=-2]FG%[/size][size=-2]FT%[/size][size=-2]34[/size][size=-2]20.7[/size][size=-2]5.8[/size][size=-2]3.1[/size][size=-2].395[/size][size=-2].783[/size]2003-2004 STATS[size=-2]GM[/size][size=-2]PPG[/size][size=-2]RPG[/size][size=-2]APG[/size][size=-2]FG%[/size][size=-2]FT%[/size][size=-2]82[/size][size=-2]21.0[/size][size=-2]6.0[/size][size=-2]2.8[/size][size=-2].426[/size][size=-2].777[/size]
Most scouts feel that some things repeatedly are happening to the Nuggets, who are adjusting to interim head coach Michael Cooper, who replaced Jeff Bzdelik last month. Teams are attacking Anthony on the defensive end of the floor and making him guard on isolations on the wing or defending in the post.
Scouting reports indicate Anthony – like many other players – has a tendency to guard after his man catches the ball. Instead, he should be doing a better job of getting into position to prevent his man from catching the ball. Anthony can be even better than he is at fronting the post earlier and rotating quicker out to shooters on close outs. More teams are attacking him 1-on-1.
There's another significant difference in Anthony and the Nuggets' play. Last season, the Nuggets were flying in transition for easy scores and zipping passes all over (like the Suns this year). This season, Anthony is only running the court hard when he has a chance to score and doesn't run for others as a decoy.
The ball now is also "sticking" when either he or Kenyon Martin catch the ball; each is looking to go 1-on-1. The defense can gang up and clog the driving lanes, thus making Anthony take long jump shots as a result.
Most coaches agree that your best player has also has to be your hardest worker and most unselfish. There are questions about Anthony's game in this regard.
Anthony last season was the main reason for the Nuggets' turnaround. Even as a rookie, Anthony tried hard to follow a formula and goals set down by then-coach Bzdelik's staff. Anthony looked for a way to help his team by scoring without taking too many jump shots.
Last season under the formula, he usually found a way to get two or three offensive rebounds per game for "stick back" baskets.
He took fewer 3-pointers but shot more post ups. He also wanted to score three baskets a game on layups in transition. Using this formula enabled Anthony to reach the 20 points-per-game average coaches felt they needed to help the Nuggets win.
In those games when his long jumpers were falling as well, he and the team were headed for a big and exciting night. When Anthony is efficient on offense, the Nuggets usually win.
Earlier this season, when the Nuggets won 10 of 12 games, Anthony was playing well, and things were going well for him and the team.
That spree ended Dec. 17 when he suffered a sprained ankle at the Heat.
One thing has carried over for Anthony: He has that knack for being the go-to guy in late-game situations and winning games in that final possession. He thrives on being the man who his teams depend on to get that winning basket; very few players have that confidence. That part of his game has not changed and might even be better than ever.
Around the League
At midseason, there have been some eye-opening pleasant surprises. There are five teams that stand out to me:
1. Chicago Bulls: After beating the Nuggets on Jan. 25, they have now won nine of 10. What a turnaround after starting the season 0-9. Some scouts felt that they had a chance to lose their first 20 games in a row. After instilling pride, toughness and a desire to guard by holding teams under 100 points (a 26-game streak broken by the Nuggets), coach Scott Skiles and GM John Paxson have the young Bulls playing their way.
2. Dallas Mavericks: After trading away last season's sixthman of the year in Antawn Jamison (to the Wizards) and valuable enforcer Danny Fortson to the Sonics, losing Steve Nash to the Suns in free agency, and starting the season with rookie Devin Harris at point guard, the Mavericks seemed to be in trouble. Most observers felt the Mavericks might not even make the playoffs. Does this tell you about Don Nelson's coaching ability to adapt? This team is 27-13 and rolling.
3. Phoenix Suns: I've written about this team before but what a turnaround. Adding Steve Nash and Quinton Richardson in free agency has completely changed their team and outlook. There is no more exciting team to watch than the Suns. The Suns won 29 games all of last season and now already have 33 and the second-best record in the league. Do you hear Bryan Calengelo's name being mentioned for Executive of the Year?
4. Seattle SuperSonics: After winning 37 games last year and losing Brent Barry to free agency, the only major addition to the rotation was Fortson. No one predicted Seattle to be in the position it is in today. GM Rick Sund stood firm and with motivated coaches and players – many of whom are potential free agents – the Sonics are now 29-11 and have the biggest lead in any division. This team has the best long-distance shooters.
Udrih under the radar
We're all familiar with the great jobs Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor, the top pair of picks in the 2004 NBA draft, are doing as rookies respectively for the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Bobcats.
But the best rookie under the national radar screen is Slovenia native Beno Udrih, the 28th pick overall in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs.
Where does Spurs exec R.C. Buford keep finding these guys? Udrih gives coach Gregg Popovich a high-quality backup for Tony Parker. He even had Udrih playing down the stretch of their exciting overtime victory in Phoenix on Jan. 21. Udrih is shooting the ball extremely well (13th overall in 3-point percentage .415), .455 accuracy field-goal shooting and .808 aim from the free-throw line. He has the trust of the coaching staff and team. I like how he competes.
Back-to-the-basket play
As I go through NBA rosters, I find few players who are capable of being low-post go-to men. On average, there's maybe one player per team, and usually they are centers.
But in many cases, a team's best back-to-the-basket player might be someone other than a center.
Is it a skill still important to winning?
When I watch games rebroadcast on ESPN Classic, it seems every team years ago had a great post-up player.
In the 1970s and '80s, SuperSonics and Bucks center Jack Sikma was the best at a few moves started with his back to the basket. He could use the inside-reverse pivot to face the basket, and then beat his defender either with a shot or maybe a faked shot and drive.
Most of the other post players of that era used the drop step for a jump hook – either off one or both feet – or a short jumpshot over their favorite shoulder.
But when you watch these tapes, most coaches then never used defensive double team. As a defender, you were responsible for your man only and if you got beat, so be it. No one was coming to help. If you were getting scored upon continually, the coach just put someone else on the post player to try his luck.
[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]If your team is lucky enough to have a true low-post player who can score with his back to the basket, it takes a lot of the pressure of a head coach having to orchestrate a play on every possession.[/font]
Today, double teaming and different defensive schemes to get the ball out of the back-to-the-basket post players' hands are the norm. Once a post player scores two or three times at the beginning of a game, the double teaming will come. Not only does the post player have to worry about the defender normally assigned to him, but which other defender will "double", from where, and when.
This changes the offensive strategy and takes away from low-post offensive player's effectiveness. Believe me, teams work hard every day on back-to-the-basket moves either in practice and on the court, a few hours before tip off on game days.
Are those moves important in today's game? You bet.
If your team is lucky enough to have a true low-post player who can score with his back to the basket, it takes a lot of the pressure of a head coach having to orchestrate a play on every possession.
With that low-post option, you can run a direct post-up, a drop, turnout, or even single-double action to get the ball to the desired player on the block. If the double team then comes, you instantly have someone who will be open if your post player can make a quick, precision pass to the open teammate and make good decisions with the ball.
The teams that win consistently still have that big fella who can catch the ball down on the block. Then watch him go to work.
and you can copy and paste with that browser!!
----------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Returning to formula might help Returning to formula might help
By Brian James
ESPN Insider
After having the time of his life last year in his rookie season, Carmelo Anthony has found things quite different since the playoffs ended for him last April.
The third overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft lifted the Nuggets onto his shoulders, taking them to a 43-39 regular-season record and a playoff berth. They had won just 17 games the year before his arrival from Syracuse, where he led the Orangemen to the NCAA title in his only season there.
This season, Anthony seemed poised to join his fellow NBA draft class sophomores LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in meteoric improvement. But after enduring a somewhat negative 2004 Athens Olympics experience, other off-court distractions, a head-coaching change, and repeated ankle injuries, Anthony has struggled.
After a Jan. 25 loss to the Bulls, the Nuggets are 17-24 and in 11th place in the Western Conference standings. Anthony has discovered that it's more difficult with that big "X" marked on his back. True, many of his statistics thus far nearly are identical to his rookie season production. But Anthony, 20, has struggled in some areas this season.
Injuries have had a big impact on his game. Anthony has missed eight games thanks to three different ankle sprains. He has played banged up, trying to recoup the bounce in his step. But most observers feel that Anthony did not get in as good as shape this season as he did as a rookie and he has struggled as a result.
Before his game against the Bulls, Anthony's playing time (36.5 mpg last season, 36.6 mpg this season) and scoring average (21.0 ppg, 20.3 ppg) stats are nearly identical to his tremendous rookie season's. But the field-goal percentage (.426, .395), 3-point shooting accuracy (.322, .277), offensive rebounding (2.23, 1.58) and blocks per game (0.50, 0.36) stats are down.
[size=-2][/size][size=-1]Carmelo Anthony[/size]
[size=-2]Small Forward
Denver Nuggets[/size]
You must be registered for see images attach
[size=-2]Profile[/size][size=-2][/size]
2004-2005 STATS[size=-2]GM[/size][size=-2]PPG[/size][size=-2]RPG[/size][size=-2]APG[/size][size=-2]FG%[/size][size=-2]FT%[/size][size=-2]34[/size][size=-2]20.7[/size][size=-2]5.8[/size][size=-2]3.1[/size][size=-2].395[/size][size=-2].783[/size]2003-2004 STATS[size=-2]GM[/size][size=-2]PPG[/size][size=-2]RPG[/size][size=-2]APG[/size][size=-2]FG%[/size][size=-2]FT%[/size][size=-2]82[/size][size=-2]21.0[/size][size=-2]6.0[/size][size=-2]2.8[/size][size=-2].426[/size][size=-2].777[/size]
Most scouts feel that some things repeatedly are happening to the Nuggets, who are adjusting to interim head coach Michael Cooper, who replaced Jeff Bzdelik last month. Teams are attacking Anthony on the defensive end of the floor and making him guard on isolations on the wing or defending in the post.
Scouting reports indicate Anthony – like many other players – has a tendency to guard after his man catches the ball. Instead, he should be doing a better job of getting into position to prevent his man from catching the ball. Anthony can be even better than he is at fronting the post earlier and rotating quicker out to shooters on close outs. More teams are attacking him 1-on-1.
There's another significant difference in Anthony and the Nuggets' play. Last season, the Nuggets were flying in transition for easy scores and zipping passes all over (like the Suns this year). This season, Anthony is only running the court hard when he has a chance to score and doesn't run for others as a decoy.
The ball now is also "sticking" when either he or Kenyon Martin catch the ball; each is looking to go 1-on-1. The defense can gang up and clog the driving lanes, thus making Anthony take long jump shots as a result.
Most coaches agree that your best player has also has to be your hardest worker and most unselfish. There are questions about Anthony's game in this regard.
Anthony last season was the main reason for the Nuggets' turnaround. Even as a rookie, Anthony tried hard to follow a formula and goals set down by then-coach Bzdelik's staff. Anthony looked for a way to help his team by scoring without taking too many jump shots.
You must be registered for see images
[font=verdana, arial, geneva]Anthony and some of his teammates are too anxious to play 1-on-1 ball.[/font]Then, Anthony did a tremendous job of getting to the free-throw line for about eight attempts per game by attacking the rim or scoring two or three baskets on aggressive drives. Last season under the formula, he usually found a way to get two or three offensive rebounds per game for "stick back" baskets.
He took fewer 3-pointers but shot more post ups. He also wanted to score three baskets a game on layups in transition. Using this formula enabled Anthony to reach the 20 points-per-game average coaches felt they needed to help the Nuggets win.
In those games when his long jumpers were falling as well, he and the team were headed for a big and exciting night. When Anthony is efficient on offense, the Nuggets usually win.
Earlier this season, when the Nuggets won 10 of 12 games, Anthony was playing well, and things were going well for him and the team.
That spree ended Dec. 17 when he suffered a sprained ankle at the Heat.
One thing has carried over for Anthony: He has that knack for being the go-to guy in late-game situations and winning games in that final possession. He thrives on being the man who his teams depend on to get that winning basket; very few players have that confidence. That part of his game has not changed and might even be better than ever.
Around the League
At midseason, there have been some eye-opening pleasant surprises. There are five teams that stand out to me:
1. Chicago Bulls: After beating the Nuggets on Jan. 25, they have now won nine of 10. What a turnaround after starting the season 0-9. Some scouts felt that they had a chance to lose their first 20 games in a row. After instilling pride, toughness and a desire to guard by holding teams under 100 points (a 26-game streak broken by the Nuggets), coach Scott Skiles and GM John Paxson have the young Bulls playing their way.
2. Dallas Mavericks: After trading away last season's sixthman of the year in Antawn Jamison (to the Wizards) and valuable enforcer Danny Fortson to the Sonics, losing Steve Nash to the Suns in free agency, and starting the season with rookie Devin Harris at point guard, the Mavericks seemed to be in trouble. Most observers felt the Mavericks might not even make the playoffs. Does this tell you about Don Nelson's coaching ability to adapt? This team is 27-13 and rolling.
3. Phoenix Suns: I've written about this team before but what a turnaround. Adding Steve Nash and Quinton Richardson in free agency has completely changed their team and outlook. There is no more exciting team to watch than the Suns. The Suns won 29 games all of last season and now already have 33 and the second-best record in the league. Do you hear Bryan Calengelo's name being mentioned for Executive of the Year?
4. Seattle SuperSonics: After winning 37 games last year and losing Brent Barry to free agency, the only major addition to the rotation was Fortson. No one predicted Seattle to be in the position it is in today. GM Rick Sund stood firm and with motivated coaches and players – many of whom are potential free agents – the Sonics are now 29-11 and have the biggest lead in any division. This team has the best long-distance shooters.
You must be registered for see images
[font=verdana, arial, geneva]Udrih (left) is proving to be a great understudy to Parker.[/font]5.Washington Wizards: Injuries have cost them Kwame Brown, Etan Thomas, and now Larry Hughes for extended periods. But Coach Eddie Jordan has this team believing that it can win the close games; the Wizards are 10-4 in games decided by five points or less. A .500 road record and winning home record have Wizards on track for a big year if they can keep it up. They now have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Udrih under the radar
We're all familiar with the great jobs Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor, the top pair of picks in the 2004 NBA draft, are doing as rookies respectively for the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Bobcats.
But the best rookie under the national radar screen is Slovenia native Beno Udrih, the 28th pick overall in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs.
Where does Spurs exec R.C. Buford keep finding these guys? Udrih gives coach Gregg Popovich a high-quality backup for Tony Parker. He even had Udrih playing down the stretch of their exciting overtime victory in Phoenix on Jan. 21. Udrih is shooting the ball extremely well (13th overall in 3-point percentage .415), .455 accuracy field-goal shooting and .808 aim from the free-throw line. He has the trust of the coaching staff and team. I like how he competes.
Back-to-the-basket play
As I go through NBA rosters, I find few players who are capable of being low-post go-to men. On average, there's maybe one player per team, and usually they are centers.
But in many cases, a team's best back-to-the-basket player might be someone other than a center.
Is it a skill still important to winning?
When I watch games rebroadcast on ESPN Classic, it seems every team years ago had a great post-up player.
In the 1970s and '80s, SuperSonics and Bucks center Jack Sikma was the best at a few moves started with his back to the basket. He could use the inside-reverse pivot to face the basket, and then beat his defender either with a shot or maybe a faked shot and drive.
Most of the other post players of that era used the drop step for a jump hook – either off one or both feet – or a short jumpshot over their favorite shoulder.
But when you watch these tapes, most coaches then never used defensive double team. As a defender, you were responsible for your man only and if you got beat, so be it. No one was coming to help. If you were getting scored upon continually, the coach just put someone else on the post player to try his luck.
[font=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]If your team is lucky enough to have a true low-post player who can score with his back to the basket, it takes a lot of the pressure of a head coach having to orchestrate a play on every possession.[/font]
Today, double teaming and different defensive schemes to get the ball out of the back-to-the-basket post players' hands are the norm. Once a post player scores two or three times at the beginning of a game, the double teaming will come. Not only does the post player have to worry about the defender normally assigned to him, but which other defender will "double", from where, and when.
This changes the offensive strategy and takes away from low-post offensive player's effectiveness. Believe me, teams work hard every day on back-to-the-basket moves either in practice and on the court, a few hours before tip off on game days.
Are those moves important in today's game? You bet.
If your team is lucky enough to have a true low-post player who can score with his back to the basket, it takes a lot of the pressure of a head coach having to orchestrate a play on every possession.
With that low-post option, you can run a direct post-up, a drop, turnout, or even single-double action to get the ball to the desired player on the block. If the double team then comes, you instantly have someone who will be open if your post player can make a quick, precision pass to the open teammate and make good decisions with the ball.
The teams that win consistently still have that big fella who can catch the ball down on the block. Then watch him go to work.
