The Anatomy of an NBA Coach

What it takes to be an NBA coach has always left me guessing. I understand that it is some combination of being able to motivate people, understanding the game and being able to see skills in players, and more things, but there has to be more. There must be hundreds of people who could handle an NBA coaching job, but what exactly makes a coach successful?

To answer this question, I quickly dug up a list of the coaches with the highest win percentages of all time, but only included those past 1979-80 (the year the 3-point line was introduced, and usually taken as the beginning of the modern NBA.) That gave this list of coaches with their career winning percentages, after adding in Larry Brown and Don Nelson for good measure.

Phil Jackson .705
Gregg Popovich .675
Pat Riley .636
Rick Adelman .616
Jerry Sloan .602
Flip Saunders .597
Don Nelson .567
Larry Brown .553

It can be quickly seen that most of these coaches have one thing in common.

Out of the eight of them, half of them had won championships as players with Jackson, Riley and Nelson winning in the NBA and Brown in the ABA.

Popovich never player professionally, instead heading to the military for 5 years before studying under Larry Brown at Pomona-Pitzer in 1985-86.

Flip Saunders played his college basketball with Kevin McHale and was roommates with Tony Dungy.

Jerry Sloan was a two time all-star and was named to a NBA All-Defnesive team six times.

Rick Adelman was once compared to Hitler by Phil Jackson, and if that doesn't say something about him as a coach then I don't know what will.

So what makes a good coach? It isn't dependent on the system, whether they prefer defense to offense or if they yell at or coddle their players. Most of the successful coaches have felt what it takes to win, know how to work hard and maximize what they have in themselves and in those around them. They are used to winning, are surrounded by winners and expect success.

Based on this, I looked through the list of some current coaches who have a chance at joining the ranks above.

Scott Brooks has led this year's young OKC team to a 45 wins so far this year, and are currently jockeying for home court advantage in the playoffs. A 23-win team last year, Scott Brooks has come in and coached this team to work hard every night on both ends of the court. All of these players believe in their team and their talents and believe they can win every single night. The team is constantly motivated, and have had their eyes set on winning, no matter the opponent, ever since the outbreak of the season. It was this motivation and desire that allowed a 5'11" Scott Brooks to stay in the league for ten years and win a championship with the Rockets in 1994. Brooks had the taste of winning early in his life and it seems he hasn't looked back since.

Mike Brown has gathered more wins than any other coach over the last two seasons. A lot of this could of course be accounted towards Lebron, but there are no doubts that Mike Brown has extracted the most he could have out of the team he has. Instilling defense first, last years Cavaliers were able to post the highest defensive rating while possessing probably the best offensive player in the league (and well, he might be the best defensive player as well.) Mike Brown learned his craft under Popovich, after being hired as an assistant coach. The Spurs had three consecutive 58+ win teams while Brown was an assistant coach and after winning the title in 2003, he set himself up for his head coaching job in Clevland. The point here is that Brown learned early to expect to win, and learned how to win from a great coach.

Mike D'Antoni played in the Italian League for a dozen years, piling up five championships there and two Euroleague championships. D'Antoni was Kobe Bryant's motivation to pick number 8 for his jersey, after he piled up win after win along his way to being named one of 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors. D'Anotni's Suns averaged 58 wins a season, and if not for a crazy call on a Horry hip-check, they could have won a championship. D'Antoni took his winning ways he learned playing and coaching in Italy and applied them to the NBA to bring the Suns franchise to some high heights.

What separates a good coach from a serviceable coach is this precedent of winning, the expectation and desire to win. This Muhammad Ali quote sums things up nicely "Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them -- a desire, a dream, a vision." These coaches have surrounded themselves with winning in their lives since a young age and I think you can expect to see one of these three to be hoisting the Larry O'Brien in the near future.

Learn the Name: Rodrigue Beaubois

Here's my first recurring post - Learn the Name. I'll talk a little about a talented but unheralded player and why you should get to know them a bit better. First up - Rodrigue Beaubois.

Roddy Buckets showing off the ups.

Now Rodrigue is getting noticed a bunch after his 40-point game off the bench, but I've been talking about this guy since the start of the year. This guy has blazing speed, almost a 40-inch vertical and a great shooting touch, all while keeping his head on straight and motivated throughout his rookie season. He's got a great set of mentors in Jason Kidd and Jason Terry, and the Mavs have him on a cheap rookie contract for the next three years, so keep your eye out for this kid. If he can keep improving and gets more consistent, Dallas will have their PG of the future.

Steve Nash: Making People Richer

Just go ahead and watch that video above. I'll wait.

Now I know that Jared Dudley, Robin Lopez and Channing Frye are talented, NBA-worthy players and all that jazz.

But does anyone else think that they really owe it to Nash to take him out for a really expensive dinner at the end of the year?

Can Vince Handle the Pressure?

As a good Canadian boy, as Don Cherry calls em, I've always hated Vince Carter's guts since he quit on the Raptors back in '04. I loved how he carried the Raptors to their highest point, facing Larry Brown and Allen Iverson in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, putting up massive averages of 27, 7 and 5. I was watching when he threw down those insane dunks at the beginning of the new millennium, setting the dunk contest up to be a disappointment for the next decade.

But once he quit on his teammates, I could never see him in the same way. I can understand quitting on Rob Babcock and Sam Mitchell, but giving up on a young Chris Bosh, a still hardworking and effective Jalen Rose and some of the great character guys in this league (Bonner, MoPete and Donyell Marshall) is just unforgivable.

So why am I excited to see this man I can't stand go to the playoffs with the Magic?

Because he is going to crumble like a stale muffin once the Magic are out of the first round.

Early in his career, Vince's skills let me overlook his clear character flaws. He quits when he doesn't see a benefit for him, he never looks like he even wants to be there and I never believed for a second that he worked much harder than Iverson in practice. It didn't matter to me as a teenager, the man was a god in Canada. I can overlook character flaws in supremely talented players (Mr. Bryant, I'm looking at you) as long as they don't effect the team. But once they start hurting the team, it becomes an entirely different issue.

Bill Simmons' book The Book of Basketball features a considerable amount of Russel vs. Wilt talk (and a lot anti-Vince talk, too.) Simmons paints the picture of Russel constantly rising against all odds and Wilt Wilt-ing (check one for bad puns so far) on the biggest stages possible. Meeting in the Finals a few times, with Russel having Wilt under his thumb the entire time.

Now let me change the topic a little bit.

If you asked around the league who the two players who have (or had) the best chance to be the next Air Jordan, I'm betting you would hear a lot of players, coaches and GMs tell you it has to be Vince or Kobe.

Does anyone see where I'm heading with this?

Just like Wilt and Russell, they came in the league a few years apart and they both played the same position. when you compare the two sets, a lot of similarities arise past this.

Both Russell and Kobe have never been traded from their first team, are notorious for stepping up in the clutch moments and has a competitiveness unmatched by any other player. They both maximized their potential as players by constantly working on their games and playing the game the right way. While Kobe might have some problems with his ego and connecting with teammates, no one can ever say he didn't put enough effort forward.

Both Wilt and Vince have been traded in their prime multiple times for scraps (fill in details) and are known to have a passive approach to the game. They both were better known for having bigger concerns than basketball, for not having interest in basketball except for personal gain from their ridiculous talent level. Vince might not have the teams that Wilt had, but for being heralded as having one of the highest ceilings by many scouts, winning the ROY and being an All-Star in his second season, he sure hasn't been in the playoffs much.

But despite all this, not many people would argue that Wilt could have been better than Russel or that Vince could have been better than Kobe.

The issue was never athleticism or talent.

Not size or IQ; not their teammates or their coaches.

It was their unwillingness to co-operate and play a team game, inability to apply themselves to the game, and lack of desire for winning.

That's why I think that no one should be surprised is Vince falls through in the clutch, when the players who have invested their lives in the game start to shine. Kobe will be grinding his heart and mind on every possession once everything is on the line, just like Russell. Meanwhile, players like Vince and Wilt who just went through the motions with their unparalleled talent will fall apart. It all makes me think of when Russel said to Wilt - "No one in the world but me knows just how good you are", and if Kobe meets Vince in a Finals rematch I think Vince could be hearing some similar words.

Life of a Canadian Slammer

Who remembers Henry Bekkering?

A YouTube sensation from 2003, he's famous for the dunk competition above that he won at his high school in Taber, Alberta in Canada. Myers High isn't exactly a basketball hotbed, so it probably wouldn't be surprising if Henry attributes this video in bringing his bit of the spotlight to Taber.

After being recruited to Eastern Washington in 2003, he attended the school for only two years before departing to University of Calgary after having a reduced role in 2004-'05 for the Eagles. Now he plays for the Dutch league team Matixx Magix and has been putting up some good numbers for them.

Now I don't feel so bad giving myself an excuse to watch that clip again. Look here to see him on The Best Damn Sports Show Period.

How to Rebuild a Franchise: The Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta played a complete game of basketball last night against the Magic, being focused on the defensive end and efficient on the offensive end, resulting in their first win against Orlando in their last seven tries. Clearly this years Atlanta Hawks team is going to be a challenger for the Eastern Conference Finals crown.

Anyone remember the 2004-05 Hawks? Here's a picture to remind you:
This 2004-05 Hawks team had highlights such as:
- A 34-year old Kenny Anderson
- A 35-year old Jon Barry
- A 35-year old Tom Gugliotta
- A 42-year old Kevin Willis
- Rookies Josh Childress and Josh Smith
- A rookie coach in Mike Woodson

Obviously, this team didn't fare well, going 13-69 in this season.

So how did Atlanta go from a 13 win team to the 50+ win team they will most likely be this year?

In 2006, they added Joe Johnson through free agency and Marvin Williams through the draft, while continuing to stick with Mike Woodson. The next year, they took a bit of a step back in rebuilding terms. Choosing Shelden Williams in the draft hurt them a bit, as well as adding a long-term contract with Speedy Claxton. They added Zaza Pachulia, a role player that good teams always have, and continued to allow Woodson to preach the things he learned under Bobby Knight and Larry Brown. The 2007-08 off season was the one that really brought together the team you see today. Horford was drafted, and Bibby was acquired for expiring contracts.

Letting Mike Woodson stick to his guns over the years and keeping the core intact the entire time allowed for the team to grow together, and now they are competing for title with this roster.

Pretty amazing how fast things can change in 5 years.

NBA Jam is Back!

I have to admit, I am more of a simulation guy when it comes to my sports games. Nothing annoys my friends more when they come over and ask to play a game of 2K10, and I am too focused on a franchise too pull away. Usually, eventually, I am persuaded to reluctantly play a game or two of multiplayer, but it's never my first choice.

But this right here, this is something I would play with friends.

No one asking me what '3 in the key' is, no one still learning the controls after the tenth time playing and no one is curious how I'm kicking their ass while only doing post moves.

Check this trailer out, and try to not imagine having a good time with friends.



Between all of the dunking, shooting and crazy shit going on all over, you'd be hard-pressed not to have at least a little fun.

The best part of it all is gonna be debating through all the teams, and picking your players. This time around, EA has put the power in our hands and you can actually go and vote for the players you want in the game. So seeing as it's the trendy thing to do as a basketball blogger, here are my picks for the new NBA Jam game.


ATLANTA HAWKS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Dominique Wilkins and Stacey Augmon

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Mike Bibby, Marvin Williams, Al Horford and Jamal Crawford

My Picks: Johnson, Smith and Crawford
It really burns me to leave Horford off, the team needs some thickness and he is so important to this Hawks team in real life. But leaving off Jamal Crawford? The guy is built for NBA Jam basketball: dunks, threes, hops, handles, he's got it all. Johnson and Smith will make this a team an easy pick, especially if they build J-Smoove as more of a PF rather than a SF.


BOSTON CELTICS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Reggie Lewis and Kevin McHale

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Rasheed Wallace and Kendrick Perkins

My Picks: Rondo, Pierce and Garnett
Rondo is the future of this team, I feel like this guy will be an All-Star for the better part of the next decade. Leaving Allen’s stroke out of this game is a travesty, but getting KG and Pierce back with some ups will remind all the Boston fans that their team wasn’t always made of dinosaurs.


CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

1993 NBA Jam Team: N/A

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson, Tyson Chandler, Boris Diaw, D.J. Augustin and Raymond Felton

My Picks: Wallace, Jackson and Felton
Crash and Captain Jack are obvious choices here, these two are the face of the Bobcats right now and they would both be awesome Jam players. I wanted to go Diaw for his crafty passing, but IQ doesn't translate well into this game. Speed sure does, and Felton has that in spades.


CHICAGO BULLS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Kirk Hinrich, Taj Gibson and John Salmons

My Picks: Noah, Rose and Hinrich
Noah is the obvious first choice here - hair like that is once in a lifetime. Rose is in with his hops and speed, but the last spot is a tough choice. I would've liked to give the lifetime achievement nod to Brad Miller, but Hinrich's shooting will help this team be a little more competitive.


CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Mark Price and Brad Daugherty

2010 EA Sports Ballot: LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Antawn Jamison, Anderson Varejao, Anthony Parker and Mo Williams

My Picks: James, O'Neal and Varejao
No words necessary for the man who will probably be the best NBA Jam player ever. Lebron's dunking with this seasons 3-point shooting? Watch - the - eff - out. Shaq has to be in it, he's too much of a legend to not be in it. Once again, this last spot gives me a bit of trouble. I want to go with Varejao because he is probably the second most important part to this team (not to mention that hair!), but Jamison deserves to be in this game and could help the team spread the floor a bit with his range.


DALLAS MAVERICKS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Derek Harper and Mike Iuzzolino

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Caron Butler, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry and Brendan Haywood

My Picks: Nowitzki, Kidd and Terry
Headaches written all over this one. Dirk and Kidd have to be on here, both have good skills for this game and the added athleticism will be awesome for them. Where do you go now? Butler has the skills for this game, Haywood has the size and Matrix has the athletics, but Terry's tenure with the team and his shooting makes me go with him.


DENVER NUGGETS

1993 NBA Jam Team: LaPhonso Ellis and Dikembe Mutombo

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Kenyon Martin, J.R. Smith, Nene and Chris Andersen

My Picks: Anthony, Billups and Nene
Obviously 'Melo is gonna be a beast in this game, all I wanna do is re-create this moment over and over. Billups gets on here because he is what changed this team from a threat to the juggernaut it is now. Nene needs to be on this team, the guy is bigger than Dewey Oxberger and will shatter backboards all day long. Leaving off the Birdman and Earl Smith is obviously tough, these two would be just awesome in this game. Fingers are crossed for some cheat codes to unlock more players.

Anyone remember this cheat code? Yes, that's Bill Clinton on the left.


DETROIT PISTONS

1993 NBA Jam Teamv: Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince, Charlie Villanueva, Rodney Stuckey and Ben Wallace

My Picks: Wallace, Prince and Hamilton
Ben Gordon is a personal favorite of mine, and Stuckey and Villanueva have had more of an influence on this team this year than either Rip or Tayshaun. But who the hell in their right mind wants to remember this team over the one from 3 years ago?


GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Monta Ellis, Corey Maggette, Stephen Curry, Andris Biedrins, Anthony Randolph and Anthony Morrow

My Picks: Ellis, Curry and Randolph
Ellis and Curry are the obvious choices after this season, they have arguably the brightest future out of any backcourt duo in the league. The only thing the team is lacking with these two is some defense and rebounding, and while Biedrins fits the bill, Randolph's summer league performance gives me hope for the future.


HOUSTON ROCKETS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Hakeem Olajuwon and Kenny Smith

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Kevin Martin, Yao Ming, Shane Battier, Aaron Brooks, Luis Scola and Trevor Ariza

My Picks: Yao, Brooks and Ariza
This Rockets team is so team-oriented that it's a little tough to pick here. Yao makes it in because he is the face of the franchise and the best player on the team. Battier is the consummate Rocket, but he isn't the type of player made for NBA Jam. Brooks has been great this season and has only ever been a Rocket, so he earns his spot. That leaves Scola, Martin and Ariza to choose from, and I would feel bad leaving Ariza's hops out of this game.


INDIANA PACERS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Reggie Miller and Detlef Schrempf

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Danny Granger, Mike Dunleavy, T.J. Ford, Dahntay Jones, Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush

My Picks: Granger, Hibbert and Dunleavy
Where's my boy Troy? The man has been one of the league's best shooting big men for the better half of a decade and Jones, Ford and Rush get a spot over him? What gives? Anyways, Granger and Hibbert are the first two that come to mind - they will be at the forefront of this franchise for awhile. Mike Dunleavy's all around game will pair well with Granger's and make this team playable, at the least. I just wish I could get the Schrempf-inator back on this team.


LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Ron Harper and Danny Manning

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Baron Davis, Blake Griffin, Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, Steve Blake and Marcus Camby

My Picks: Davis, Gordon and Griffin
Baron Davis needs to be on this team just because of how well his game translates to the NBA Jam arena. His size, passing, dunking and shooting ability will be awesome without all the bad decision making you're used to. Eric Gordon gets a nod after his nice Dunk-In performance on All-Star Weekend and because the team needs some shooting. The last spot goes to Griffin, and I'll let this do the talking.


LOS ANGELES LAKERS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Vlade Divac and James Worthy

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum and Derek Fisher

My Picks: Bryant, Gasol and Bynum
Kobe gets in for obvious reasons, his all-around game will probably result in him being the second-best player in the game after Lebron. Gasol is one of the most under-rated players in the league, and his awesome mobility for a big will fit well in the game. There is a lot of talent still available, but Bynum will be a force for this squad for a long time and will add a nice shot-blocking side to this team.


MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

1993 NBA Jam Team: N/A

2010 EA Sports Ballot: O.J. Mayo, Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Ronnie Brewer

My Picks: Gay, Mayo and Randolph
This Grizzlies team is composed of a bunch of great one-on-one talents; this should make them a big time threat in the game. Rudy Gay gets in being arguably the best player on the team, but his ridiculous in-game dunks are what makes him a lock. O.J. Mayo’s shooting and handling make him a shoe-in, but it gets tough after that. If the young Gasol still had his beard, he would be in. If Brewer had been here longer, he would be in. It has to be Randolph though, after a career year on a winning team, despite Conley’s marked improvement.


MIAMI HEAT

1993 NBA Jam Team: Glen Rice and Rony Seikaly

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Dwyane Wade, Michael Beasley, Jermaine O'Neal, Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers and Quentin Richardson

My Picks: Wade, Beasley and
Wade is obvious, and B-Easy is clearly the second best talent on this team and is still going to improve a whole whack. The last spot is a bit of a toss-up, but I went with O’Neal because of the shot blocking and dunking. The real question is whether or not this team could improve a whole bunch this summer by adding Bosh, Stoudamire or some other major free agent.

Dwayne Wade is gonna be on fire in this game more than Nic Cage in Ghost Rider.


MILWAUKEE BUCKS

1993 NBA Jam Twosome: Blue Edwards and Brad Lohaus

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut, Brandon Jennings, Luke Ridnour, Hakim Warrick and Ersan Ilyasova

My Picks: Redd, Bogut and Jennings
Michael Redd is on his way out and likely won’t be a big part of Milwaukee’s future, but I can’t bring myself to pick any of the other options. Jennings and Bogut will be putting up some of the best alley-oops in the league, and with Redd lighting it up with that lefty slingshot from the outside, this team could be a lot of fun to play with.


MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

1993 NBA Jam Team: Christian Laettner and Chuck Person

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Al Jefferson, Kevin Love, Jonny Flynn, Corey Brewer, Ryan Gomes, Ramon Sessions

My Picks: Jefferson, Love and Flynn
Not a tough set of picks here, these are the three most talented players on this team. I would love if Sessions would get more playing time so I could put him in here, or that Darko was on the list at all. Sessions is a better shooter and playmaker than Flynn right now, and Darko could have a wicked hidden move where he rips his jersey in half and starts cursing uncontrollably.


NEW JERSEY NETS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Derrick Coleman and Drazen Petrovic

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, Yi Jianlian, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Rafer Alston and Courtney Lee

My Picks: Lopez, Harris and Jianlian
What can you do with this massacre of a line-up? I would love to put Skip in here for those wicked streetball roots, but considering he already left the team that’s not really an option anymore. Lopez gets in for the size, Harris for the speed and Yi for the Chinese sales.


NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Larry Johnson and Kendall Gill

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Chris Paul, David West, Peja Stojakovic, Emeka Okafor, Devin Brown and Marcus Thornton

My Picks: Paul, West and Stojakovic
The Hornets two All-Stars are the easy choices – Paul and West get in immediately. Okafor is too much of a robot to get in this game and Devin Brown was traded two months ago. The next choice comes down to the shooters – Thornton or Sotjakovic. I want to go with the young gun in Thornton, but Stojakovic has a long history of being one of the league’s best long bombers and I can’t give up hope of those crazy Peja heads popping up in the stands.


NEW YORK KNICKS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Al Harrington, Danilo Gallinari, David Lee, Wilson Chandler, Tracy McGrady and Chris Duhon

My Picks: Gallinari, Lee and McGrady
The Knicks were the biggest and most physical team in the original edition of the game, but now that D’Anotni is in town this team will be a bit different. The Rooster has to make the team, along with Lee – they will help the team a ton and their shooting and rebounding. McGrady takes the last spot in my mind; it gives the team a bunch of size and passing which could be interesting. My only issue is that Toney Douglas wasn’t an option for the team because the kid has been fire since he got the starting role in New York.


OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

1993 NBA Jam Team: Shawn Kemp and Benoit Benjamin

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, Thabo Sefolosha, Nenad Krstic and James Harden

My Picks: Durant, Westbrook and Green
The rookie Harden has put up a good case this season, but Green brings some size and rebounding which this team desperately needs. Surprisingly, this team doesn’t translate all that that well to the 2-on-2 game. Oh wait, Durant is well known for hitting 40 footers, and he is 6’11”. Heads up.


ORLANDO MAGIC

1993 NBA Jam Team: Shaquille O'Neal and Scott Skiles

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, Mickael Pietrus and J.J. Redick

My Picks: Howard, Nelson and Vince
It’s tough to not put the beer pong champion J.J. Redick on the team, but if I kept Vince off this team, I might be burned at the stake by some old Air Canada. So after the inclusions of Dwight, and one of my favourite short players in Nelson, Vince took the last spot. I guess his dunking is nice, but just don’t expect to ever see me playing with that wimp.


PHILADELPHIA 76ers

1993 NBA Jam Team: Hersey Hawkins and Jeff Hornacek

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, Allen Iverson, Lou Williams, Marreese Speights and Thaddeus Young

My Picks: Iguodala, Young and Iverson
I’m expecting Iggy to rip the rim off the backboard in this game over and over, but the choices get pretty limited after this. Brand doesn’t have a single knee between his two legs and I like the idea of a quicker PF like Thad for this team. Iverson gets the final spot over Lou Williams; the Answer has worked too hard for too long to not be in the game.


PHOENIX SUNS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Charles Barkley and Dan Majerle

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Jason Richardson, Grant Hill, Channing Frye and Leandro Barbosa

My Picks: Nash, Stoudemire and Richardson
Nash and Stoudemire’s pick and roll game will make them a popular choice when this game is finally released but I just hope that Stoudemire is still on the team at that time. Lots of options for the final spot, but two time dunk champ J-Rich edges out the Brazilian Blur and Frye’s silky stroke.


PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, Andre Miller, Marcus Camby and Martell Webster

My Picks: Roy, Aldridge and Oden
Including Oden is easy because there is no such thing as an injury in NBA Jam. Roy and Aldridge become easy picks after this inclusion, but I think most players will end up using Oden and Roy. Clyde the Glide would still be awesome in this game and he would still look younger than Oden, even with that legendary widow’s peak.

The peak that dreams are made of.


SACRAMENTO KINGS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Wayman Tisdale and Spud Webb

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Carl Landry, Tyreke Evans, Jason Thompson, Spencer Hawes, Beno Udrih and Andres Nocioni

My Picks: Landry, Evans and Hawes
Landry and Evans make this team a big, scary, efficient scoring team for years, but who else will help them out? Thompson’s athleticism is nice and Beno can do some things; Hawes gets the nod so they can have a true big to play with.


SAN ANTONIO SPURS

1993 NBA Jam Team: David Robinson and Sean Elliott

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, George Hill and Antonio McDyess

My Picks: Duncan, Parker and Ginobili
Hopefully Manu stays this summer, but even with the option of him leaving through free agency was there ever a question about these three being the team?


TORONTO RAPTORS

1993 NBA Jam Team: N/A

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, Hedo Turkoglu, Jarrett Jack and DeMar DeRozan

My Picks: Bosh, Bargnani and Calderon
A surprisingly hard choice, the team has a lot of talent on paper when you list it all down. The CB4 and Il Mago have the shooting touch to stretch the floor and get inside, which could make this team a big threat and one of my favourites to play with. A good passer to set either of them up would be nice, and Hedo’s lacking play this season left me with Calderon.


UTAH JAZZ

1993 NBA Jam Team: Karl Malone and John Stockton

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, Andrei Kirilenko, C.J. Miles and Paul Millsap

My Picks: Williams, Boozer and Kirilenko
Williams and Boozer aren’t quite the tandem Malone and Stockton were, but Boozer has played well this season despite the massive distractions he caused with the trade demands and Williams has continued to be one of the best PGs in the league. The last spot is between Okur and Kirilenko, but AK-47’s all around game is built for this game and it would just look unnatural to see Okur dunk again. He can’t dunk anymore, right?


WASHINGTON WIZARDS

1993 NBA Jam Team: Tom Gugliotta and Harvey Grant

2010 EA Sports Ballot: Randy Foye, Mike Miller, Josh Howard, Andray Blatche, Nick Young and Al Thornton

My Picks: Blatche, Howard and Young
Since the big fire-sale, Washington has become one of my favourite teams to watch, even though they got a lot worse. Blatche looks like he is going to be a headache for ages, even though he has potential. Josh Howard is the closest thing to a sure thing on this team, and Young has got the jumper and the hops for this game.

Amar'e Stoudemire - Playing For a Contract?

Amare's contract is up at the end of this season, and he has been itching to get somewhere where he is really in the spotlight. The man is on his way to getting max money, just check out these post-All Star weekend stats:

26.3 ppg
9.6 rpg
55.6 FG%
0.798 FT%
9.9 FTA/g
2.3 TO

These are the best stats he's posted since he had his two microfracture surgeries back in 2004-05, and if he can keep this up consistently I think we can expect a lot more of this:

It looks like Amar'e can expect a lot more of this : $.

Thabeet Getting His Dikembe On

I know it's Beno Udrih, but maybe he won't be a bust. Been playing a lot smarter recently, and sometimes that's the difference.

The Best Dunk Contest I've Ever Seen

I've had dreams of a dunk contest involving Gerald Green, James White and Pops-Mensah Bonsu before, but usually there wasn't any Russians involved.

And even in my dreams, this shit didn't happen.

Let me break down what happens here:

1. Gerald Green puts a two-footed windmill down from outside the restricted circle, a tough dunk. Oh, it was also an alley-oop off the shot clock.
2. James White leaves from the edge of the key (the triangular international key), skywalks across, and throws down a left handed windmill.
3. Dewey form Malcolm in the Middle then puts down a bit of a weak reverse clutch, but it still would've been a 40 in this year's contest. More from him to come.
4. Pops then throws down an exact replica of Vince's 'honey-dip' dunk, getting his hand right into the pot. I've never heard of a 6'11" guy even thinking of trying that.

At this point, you better watch this to catch up to my excitement.




Did I mention James White once qualified for NCAA high jump Regionals, without ever having any high jump training?

The contest continues to escalate with an awesome off the back of the backboard dunk by Dewey, a nice 360 windmill by Adam Morrison's chubby brother (even though he didn't get full rotation) and what seemed like about a dozen different free-throw line dunks from James White.

Gerald Green continued his barrage on the shot-clock by tossing it off the side of it and throwing down just a ridiculously cocked-back alley-oop.

Now when the hell is the NBA going to realize you need to put guys in the contest who want to be in the dunk contest? Look at how much fun these guys were having with each other, all the while having the most competitive contest I've seen since the MJ vs. 'Nique throwdown.

What's in The Future for Don Nelson?

Don Nelson has brought me some of the best basketball moments I've seen. The 'We Believe' Warriors, with Baron Davis dunking so hard on AK-47 that he was crying in practice to Jerry Sloan next season. The old highlights and NBATV classics with Mullin, Richmond and Hardaway or Nash, Finley and Nowitzki that would confuse and cause mismatches all over. Best of all, his innovative plays and tactics that have changed the game and paved the way for some of the new-age coaches like D'Antoni and Stan Van Gundy.

Yet even with all of this, I still never really felt that the guy was a great coach recently. All of the turmoil with players, all of those losses and the constant stories of him just not giving a shit anymore. The guy is actually approaching 70 years old right now and is in the same age group of the coaches like Jerry Sloan and Phil Jackson, who are fighting the clock in the wrong direction. And I've always felt he's stunting the growth of Anthony Randolph.


That's why when I saw Tim Kawakimi's post on Talking Points I agreed with it completely. It fed the fire and I kept thinking that Don Nelson wasn't fit to coach anyone anymore, let alone this mix-match group the Warriors are now.

Later in that day I saw this post on Golden State of Mind (GSOM), a rebuttal of sorts to the post on Talking Points. I read through it and I couldn't help but be slightly persuaded by a lot of the points.

The main point that was debated was that Don Nelson is past his time, especially for this team. Kawakimi argued that the teams of the past suited Nelson better, and that this roster does not fit the needs of the franchise right now. GSOM says that Don Nelson made this roster, for his system and no other coach would be able to get as many wins out of it.

I tend to agree with the idea that this team could only really be played by Nelson (or maybe D'Antoni). The team has a littany of guards and forwards who really only have three attributes - speed, shooting and passing. It would be nice for the team to have more stability and a more balanced roster, but that just wouldn't work for Nelson. The best thing Cohan can do is let Nelson finish out his contract and give him a chance with a fully equipped and healthy roster - if that time ever comes.

Thanks for making this possible, Mr. Nelson

In all honesty, after watching the games, not many teams run or compete much harder than the Warriors, despite not even having twenty wins. Of course they look like they are lost on defense constantly, but I would chalk that more up to Nelson's system rather than the individual effort of the players. They all run the floor hard and you can see them sweat buckets all game long. So I don't really buy the idea that Nelson has lost the ear of the team. Chalk the hustle up to the fun system, or the fact that it seems half the team didn't even have an NBA job last year, but either way this team is working hard.

Nelson has shown in the past he can win with this system. He has always had a skilled, diverse forward (Nowitzki, Mullin, Jackson) and a set of quick, skill-based guards who are experts at causing mismatches and headaches for opposing coaches (Nash and Finley, Richmond and Hardaway, Baron and Ellis.) What's stopping this system coming up again with this line-up, highlighted by Curry, Ellis and Randolph? Curry and Ellis have the scoring and passing skills to attack off the pick and roll ruthlessly, and Randolph has the skills to excel in this system if he continues to improve his shooting and basketball knowledge.

Recently, I have noticed more and more Ellis and Curry utilizing the pick and roll to rack up some gaudy assist totals, such as 13 for Ellis against the Hornets on the 17th, 11 for Ellis against the Lakers on the 15th and ten for Curry against Toronto on the 13th. This comes as the team is turning the ball over less and less, while causing lots of turnovers for the opposing team. Remember that game against the Lakers recently? The Lakers had a ridiculous 24 turnovers, over ten past their season average of 13.5, while the Warriors only had 5 turnovers. They did lose the game... but that's not the point here. All of the best Don Nelson teams have attacked one major facet of the game - you guessed it - turnovers.

The 2002-03 Nash-Nowitzki-Finley team that won 60 games? Opponents averaged 16 turnovers, as these Mavs averaged under 12.

Those 'We Believe' Warriors? Opponents tripped up almost 17 times per game against them, while they managed to keep their turnovers to just over 13. Nelson was able to keep this differential while using three of the most turnover prone players I can think of currently (Ellis, Baron, SJack) in the league.

So, with the right players and some luck and a bit of health, I feel like this roster could help correct the direction the Warriors are heading. If you look at the list of the wins from the Mavs and Warriors teams that Don Nelson coached, you can notice one thing. The win totals are erratic and jump year to year, and he is definitely prone to having a big improvement with what seems like a small change. I think Nelson has earned the chance to once again show that he is one of the most innovative basketball minds that we have seen in a long time and I would love to see him work his magic all over again, even if it has the chance of blowing up in a few young players faces.

Before reading all of this I thought that Don Nelson was just messing around to his whims, picking players who could only shoot and pass and not giving a damn about any other skills.

But now, a small part of me starts to think that this current 19-win team is only a few players (i.e. an improved Randolph, a healthy Biedrins) away from giving this team a substantial jump in the Western Conference standings. Just a few tweaks from causing those same mismatches that won Don Nelson Coach of the Year those 5 times. Just a small part of me.