Tuesday, November 9, 2010

No Regard Recaps: 11-8-2010

One Game We (Sort of) Watched Last Night: Phoenix Suns vs. Memphis Grizzlies


Suns: 99 Grizzlies: 109

So this little construct we've developed to cover the league every night was designed with practicality riding shotgun. With day jobs and significant others, we knew we couldn't cover each game every night with the vigor and attention to detail we demand from ourselves. But we agreed that between the six or so of us who regularly write, we could commit to one game a night to watch cover to cover and report back to you fine people. The "Game We Probably Won't Watch Tonight" conceit was built with honesty in mind; we crave the league as much as anyone, but there are some games that just don't speak to us. Plus, we all have Netflix, and those episodes of "Firefly" aren't going to watch themselves.

With honesty in mind, I'll come clean: I didn't watch this game. The forces working against me (a precariously balanced fantasy football match-up, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Conan, a faulty DVR) launched a well timed offensive that I, after a long work day and commute back to Jersey, just didn't have the constitution to overcome.


So I watched a half and change, and all I got were these scattered thoughts:

*Conley's just so small, and not in any way that seems to afford him any advantages (like Earl Boykins, Nate Robinson, or Allen Iverson's small statures seem to). So far his biggest strengths are his speed, his teammates, and his insatiable hunger for steals.

*Suggestive Conley play in the first: Swiped a steal on one end, ran the break into oblivion, losing control on way to basket.

*One of the Suns announcers on Marc Gasol: "Back in Spain they called him the Big Burrito." No they didn't. Did they? I'm not going to check, because I'll never believe that's true.

*One of the Suns announcers on Phoenix's second stringers: "Not exactly the way the bench wanted to start their little stanza." What a lovely turn of phrase!

*What are the chances of Ricky Rubio just being Goran Dragic when he finally comes to play in the NBA?


*When it's 2010 and Grant Hill is absolutely vital to your team's success, that's a problem. That being said, Grant Hill looked great in the first half (and finished with an outstanding stat line). But let's stop talking about how the Suns' training staff brings the dead to life and start suggesting reasons for their miracles. I'll go first: They feed the players all sorts of steroids. Hill looked like he was playing with a Pistons jersey on.

*Forget about the contract and forget about not really having a position: Rudy Gay is just plain good. He missed a few shots in the first half, but never forced anything, which is an encouraging sign of maturity. With someone who has this much talent and athleticism, patience and decision-making are the last mountains to scale.

v

*Zach Randolph is a (supremely talented) ball hog. I love him.

*Nash's pass are more aesthetically pleasing to me than any other player in the league. But that discussion is good for at least 1,000 words unto itself, so I'll save the keystrokes for another day.


One Game We Didn't Watch Last Night: Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks


Celtics: 87 Mavs: 89

They'll never admit it (probably because I'm making it up and no one will ever suggest it to them), but the Celtics are only interested in beating up on lottery teams for easy victories and winning statement games, like Sunday's win in Oklahoma City or their opening night thumping of Miami. The second game of a back-to-back against a Western Conference, 50-win non-contender in November is rarely going to turn into a Boston win this year.

They didn't win last night. I'm not sure how the game looked, but I do know how the box score looks: Weird. The Celtics went to the free throw line only seven times and needed 91 shots to score 87 points. Meanwhile, Dallas shot a relaxed 50 percent from the field, needing only 66 shots to reach 89 points, and made 20 visits to the charity stripe, converting 17 free throws. And it was only a two-point game? That's David Lynch strange.

3 comments:

  1. I think you mean those episodes of "SVU" aren't going to watch themselves...

    Also, Grant Hill is still playing basketball?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I was so close to writing "SVU" you have no idea.

    ReplyDelete

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