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Paul can't do it all for Hornets
Game Time: Knicks 117, Hornets 111
In the first half, Chris Paul concentrated on being a facilitator, taking only two shots, scoring a mere three points and distributing eight dimes. Instead of CP3 being the hub of the offense — as he has been for the past two seasons — the Hornets took advantage of the Knicks' lack of a bona-fide center by working the ball into Emeka Okafor in the low post. In seven pivotal opportunities, Okafor scored 10 points — eight on a newly developed turnaround jumper.
Likewise, David West did get several chances to demonstrate his low-post moves, scoring six points on seven interior shots.
However, except for a brief flurry of long-range jumpers by Peja Stojakovic, nobody else stepped up for the visiting Hornets.
In the second half, Okafor was the odd-man out — his only post-up came at the final buzzer, when he missed a meaningless jump hook and threw his hands up in disgust.
Indeed, in the last 24 minutes, New Orleans reverted to their familiar game plan — CP3 looking for his and passing only when he had to. And he found 15 shots, 29 points and five assists.
Otherwise, West was the beneficiary of several wing isos, and the rest of the team was reduced to the role of interested spectators.
Still, since the Knicks were the opposition, New Orleans shot an admirable 48.8 percent and succeeded in scoring enough points to win most games.
But if the Hornets' offense was polarized yet effective, their defense was consistently atrocious.
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| After a big first half, Emeka Okafor barely touched the ball for the Hornets. (Nathaniel S. Butler / Getty Images) |
Did the Hornets do anything well on defense?
They didn't get abused whenever they went under high screen-and-rolls, yielding a mere five points in so doing.
Overall, the Hornets displayed as much togetherness as a lunchtime pickup team at the YMCA.
Perhaps everybody concerned will get reacquainted over the course of the next 78 games. Perhaps West's dead legs will revive. Perhaps CP3's greatly improved jumper — he was 7-for-11 from 15 feet and beyond — and pinpoint passwork will lift the ball club out of its current doldrums.
Perhaps, but probably not.
Straight Shooting
Many of Tim Donaghy's supposed (and currently suppressed) revelations are neither unbelievable nor unexpected.
Refs favor certain players, coaches and teams? No surprise here.
Certain refs were out to get certain unnamed players? Perhaps big-mouthed and occasional cheap shot guys like Rasheed Wallace, Ron Artest and Kenyon Martin?
Who could deny the wisdom of this?
Refs conspiring not to call fouls? Happens all the time.
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| It's no surprise that referees play favorites in the NBA. (Noah Graham / Getty Images) |
Dick Bavetta is a jack***? Duh.
While I personally believe that Donaghy's testimonies contain too many specifics to be entirely false, I do find some strange aspects of the whole business.
Regarding Random House's decision not to release "Blowing the Whistle" just a few days before its scheduled publication: It certainly appears that the veracity of Donaghy's charges was not vetted by Random House when the book was in manuscript form or in uncorrected galleys. Are we to believe that not until tens of thousands of dollars were spent printing and binding thousands of copies of the book, as well as designing and printing all of the covers, that the publisher's lawyers suddenly expressed misgivings about the contents?
This is absurd.
And yet, if the NBA has indeed never threatened to sue, then what could possibly explain Random House's negligent waste of so much money?
Strange.
Also, much is (and has been) made of the poor officiating during Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and the Kings in 2002. However, except for saddling a team's star players with early fouls, refs really cannot exert total control over ball games. That's because players still have to make plays.
Also, in the Lakers' dramatic comeback win, Sacramento could easily have won if Chris "Mister Choke" Webber had converted the several 5-foot, uncontested jump hooks he attempted in the endgame.
Besides emphasizing that Donaghy is an unreliable witness, denying all of his accusations and issuing generic statements in support of their officiating staff, what's the NBA to do about this latest/continuing mess?
Vox Populi
Can you give us a breakdown of Paul Pierce's game? He went largely unnoticed in his early years with the Celtics but has emerged as Boston's go-to scorer. How does he compare with the other elites at his position? Is he truly a great player, or more of a beneficiary of playing with other great players? — Johnathan Chan, Tucson, Ariz.
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Contact Charley RosenPierce isn't as fast up-and-down as he once was but remains quick in the attack zone. He's active, athletic, uses his body well and has a total game. He's possessed of very convincing up-fakes as well as a super first-step. On the drive, Pierce can use an inside reverse pivot or spin to change direction and, although he can go either way, prefers to go left — plus he's become an excellent passer while on the move. In the post, he wants to make contact with his left shoulder so as to protect his turnaround shots. He can also pull up and shoot with a herky-jerky motion that belies the accuracy of the resulting shots.
Defenders are advised to try to limit his catches. When he does have the ball, play him for the drive and encourage him to shoot from the perimeter. This strategy will keep him off the foul line and prevent him from getting easy shots for his teammates.
On defense, he's tough and relentless.
Besides his various talents, Pierce's not-so-secret attribute is his strength.
Yes, he's a truly great player. For me, his defense and his ability to deliver in the clutch makes him better than, say, Dirk Nowitzki.
Travels with Charley
I was rapidly approaching my 53rd birthday when I was recruited by some hoopers I had met while I was coaching the Patroons to compete in something called the Huntsman Chemicals World Senior Games. Nobody involved ever knew — or cared to know — precisely what those chemicals were. In any case, for a not outrageous entry fee, individuals over the age of 50 could compete in various track and field events, swimming races, free-throw shooting contests and team basketball competition. (There was also an over-55 classification.) The 50-plus, double-elimination basketball tournament was supposed to be fiercely competitive.
The games were held in St. George, Utah, which boasted of being the summer home of Brigham Young. We were the Albany Golden Bulldogs, and my teammates included Howard Dewey, Jim Zullo, Billy Romer, Paul Visconti, Dan Smith, Bob McCarroll, JD Walko, Ed Shepard and Fritz Showers. And a nicer bunch of teammates I've never had.
NBA veteran Barry Kramer practiced with us on several occasions and was a much better shooter than he ever was in the NBA but was unable to make the trip. The rumor was that his wife wouldn't let him go.
Inside the NBA
In any event, we opened up by beating a team from Detroit, 79-29, wherein I was guarded by a big-boned, big-butted woman! I was reluctant to shoot and only tallied 10 points.
Next up was a feisty team from North Utah, who made sure that every one of their fouls was a nasty one. Even so, we cruised to a 79-34 victory. Because of the lop-sided score, once again I concentrated on rebounding and passing and wound up with a mere six points.
Now came our toughest opponents — the defending champs from Portland, starring LeRoy Ellis, a 6-foot-11 veteran of 14 NBA seasons (1962-76). The game was tight for most of the first half — we led, 28-20, at one point — until the resident refs made several outrageous calls against me.
One of these resulted when Ellis slammed his left elbow into my chest as he went up for a jump hook and proceeded to knock me to the floor on his way down. Yet the foul was called on me.
I was also called for a phantom moving screen and a wild attempt to block one of Ellis' shots that missed hitting anything by at least a foot but nevertheless hung another foul on me. Even worse, in another sequence, I left my feet and unloosed my own version of a jump hook and was clearly hit by Ellis as I released the ball — which made the net dance on its way through the hoop. The ref couldn't help but call a foul, but he also said that the basket didn't count. I was so irate that I split the resulting free throws. Ellis also disappointed me by lobbying the refs for a foul call every time he shot the ball.
I picked up my fifth and final foul on a highly dubious charging call with 7:50 remaining. Portland was nursing a five-point lead at the time, and the outcome was very much in doubt. However, my vehement protests earned me a pair of techs — and the game was effectively over. The final score was 68-42, and I finished with five points.
The very next day, we participated in a one-night, four-team playoff with the winners to receive bronze medals. We beat a local team from St. George 84-70 (I had 10 points) and immediately returned to action against a team from Chicago that featured 6-foot-10 Bill Chmielewski, who had been the MVP of the 1962 National Invitational Tournament for the Dayton Flyers.
All of the games that night were reffed by a single official, and he did a wonderful job. Anyway, I had my best performance of the tournament as we won, 64-57, in overtime. My stats in the last game I ever played in a basketball uniform amounted to 26 points, including 8-for-8 from the stripe in the extra period.
Currently, I'm trying to get into good enough shape to compete in an over-65 tournament. Rumor has it that all participating players are allowed to use walkers.
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