Monday, October 5, 2009

NBA Preseason 10/4/09

Knicks 115, Nets 107

I watched this game and came away impressed with the new Knicks. They are are relatively the same team as last season, but they have many players who appear to have worked on their games over the summer which should be cause for improvement.

STUDS (NYK)
Wilson Chandler: 21 pts (7-13 FG, 3-6 3PT), 7 rebs (and a plus/minus rating of +22)
Al Harrington: 23 pts (9-11 FG, 3-4 3PT), 5 rebs
David Lee: 20 pts (9-15 FG), 9 rebs
Jared Jeffries: 11 pts (4-6 FG, 3-4 3PT)

Jeffries looked like #20 Allan Houston, which is huge for him. He hit only one three last season and has hit only 7 over the last 3 years. If he continues that this preseason he will certainly have a ratings boost going into the season, and should hold on to a rotation spot.

DUDS (NYK)
Larry Hughes: 2 pts (0-3 FG), 4 fouls (plus/minus rating of -9 in only 17 mins)
Darko Milicic: 2 pts (1-4 FG), 3 fouls (8 mins, left with injury)
Jordan Hill: 5 pts (1-8 FG), 4 rebs

Hughes picked up three fouls to start the game and the team picked up as soon as he left the court. He'll need significantly better showings to hold onto his starting job. Darko had a nice block but will have to show a bit more if he hopes to play over Jared "H20" Jeffries. Rookie Hill meanwhile did his best 2008 Jared Jeffries impression today.

STUDS (NJN)
Brook Lopez: 19 pts (5-9 FG, 9-11 FT), 4 rebs
Chris Douglas-Roberts: 21 pts (5-11 FG, 11-15 FT), 2 stls
Bobby Simmons: 16 pts (5-7 FG, 5-6 3PT), 6 rebs

I'm calling this now: Brook Lopez will be the 3rd best center in the NBA in 2010. He's so big with a skillset to match, and he's the #2 option with Vince Carter gone. CDR looks like he could contend with Courtney Lee to replace Carter in the starting lineup. The Nets are a serious sleeper team as it seems they are ALWAYS underrated this time of year. Coach Lawrence Frank has done an excellent job and the Nets have the pieces to sneak into the playoffs as an 8th seed in a season where everyone is picking them to finish 2nd to last in the conference.

DUDS (NJN)
Yi Jianlian: 9 pts (3-7 FG, 3-5 FT), 6 rebs

Yi didn't exactly have a bad game, but we heard so much Yi hype over the summer and he did not appear to be much improved at all going by this game.


Wolves 117, Bucks 103

This game was marked by terrible replacement ref officiating as there were 73 fouls called. An example of this: Jonny Flynn scored 14 points without hitting a single field goal.

STUDS (MIN)
Kevin Love: 17 pts (6-9 FG, 1-2 3PT, 4-4 FT), 13 rebs
Ryan Gomes: 13 pts (4-7 FG, 5-5 FT), 10 rebs

Love hit a three, after only hitting two last season.

DUDS (MIN)
Ramon Sessions: 9 pts, 6 rebs, 4 ast, 6 turnovers
Wayne Ellington: 2 pts (1-6 FG)

Sessions didn't have the worst game in the world but a 0.66 A/T ratio is not going to get him the starting job.

STUDS (MIL)
Hakim Warrick: 24 pts (6-8 FG, 11-15 FT), 5 rebs

Making the best case he can for the starting job.

DUDS (MIL)
Ersan Ilyasova: 5 pts (2-4 FG, 1-1 3PT), 0 rebs, 4 asts, 6 fouls (13 mins)

Fouling out in your first NBA game of the last two years is never a great first impression. Ilyasova is trying to beat out Warrick for the starting job but he's not exactly the favorite at this point.


Warriors 108, Clippers 101

Clippers shot 49% from the field but committed 26 turnovers (to 27 assists) which is not exactly the start they were looking for.

STUDS (GSW)
Stephen Curry: 5 pts (2-10 FG, 1-3 3PT), 9 asts, 5 stls, 0 fouls
Anthony Morrow: 21 pts (8-11 FG, 4-6 3PT)
Kelenna Azubuike: 19 pts (7-17 FG, 0-3 3PT, 5-5 FT), 10 rebs, 3 asts

Curry showed a bit more playmaking skills than we thought he had, and the fact that he recorded that many steals without drawing a foul is a very good sign for the defensive end. His plus/minus rating was highest on the team (+12). He could push Monta Ellis out of town with more performances like this.

DUDS (GSW)
Anthony Randolph: 10 pts (3-13 FG, 4-7 FT), 9 rebs (4 off), 2 stls, 3 blks (11 mins)
Monta Ellis: 8 pts (3-8 FG), 1 ast

Randolph had a gaudy line, yet I have him listed as a dud. The reason is his plus/minus was a team worst -2, and this probably stems from the fact that the guy hogged it up when he was out there. He missed 10 shots and 3 FTs in only 11 mins.

STUDS (LAC)
Eric Gordon: 19 pts (7-11 FG, 2-4 3PT), 3 rebs, 5 ast,
DeAndre Jordan: 22 pts (8-8 FG, 6-9 FT), 10 rebs

Jordan wasn't all roses as he had 5 fouls and 5 turnovers in his 24 mins of play. Still, a 20/10 double double on perfect FG shooting a good start. A healthy Eddy Curry puts up those lines with half as many rebounds.

DUDS (LAC)
Rasual Butler: 7 pts (2-12 FG, 1-7 3PT)
Al Thornton: 9 pts (4-9 FG), 6 fouls (7 mins)

Butler and Thornton are fighting each other for the starting SF job but neither was particularly effective today. Butler's game was a more well-rounded as he had 4 rebs, 4 ast, and 2 stls to make up for his dreadful shooting a bit.

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