Sports are often far ahead of society when it comes to
change. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson started at first base for the
Brooklyn Dodgers and broke the color barrier which not only ended segregation
in baseball but also led the way for integration of African Americans in all
sports.
Although the decision to have an African American on the
team did not come without some criticism from newspapers and teammates alike, people
soon realized that the color of Robinson’s skin didn’t matter. What mattered is
that Jackie Robinson could play baseball.
Breaking the color barrier in baseball came much sooner than
integration did in society. In 1954, Brown v. Board of Education sought to end
segregation in public schools. At the same time, numerous African American
baseball players were playing for teams throughout the MLB. It took seven years
for society to catch up to baseball, which is a testament to sports leading the
way for social change.
The United States has progressed tremendously regarding
civil rights since the time of Jackie Robinson. With that being said, there are
still many people who hold biases and contempt for different races. One of
those people is Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
Sterling made headlines when a leaked phone call between him
and his girlfriend V. Stiviano, was given TMZ. Sterling was upset that Stiviano
posted a picture on Instagram with Magic Johnson saying, “It bothers me a lot
that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people.” He went
on the say, that he does not want her to “bring them [black people] to my games”
It’s astounding that anyone could say such prejudicial words,
let alone the owner of an NBA team.
There are only two players on the clippers roster who aren’t African American, and Coach Doc Rivers is also black. How do you think Rivers and the players feel knowing their checks are coming from someone who views them as inferior?
78 percent of NBA players are African American. They are the
reason that owners are making millions of dollars, and they are the reason that
the NBA is as profitable as ever. The least Sterling can do is show a bit of
respect for his employees.
Donald Sterling is a proven racist, and the phone call is
not his first slip up. He was involved in a lawsuit that settled for 2.7
million dollars, in which he allegedly refused to allow Hispanics or Blacks to rent
apartments that he owned. After that, Laker legend and former Clippers general
manager, Elgin Baylor, went to court with a lawsuit stating that he was
wrongfully terminated because of racial discrimination.
Mr. Sterling should be forced to sell his team. There should
be no tolerance for people who speak poorly of other races and discriminate.
Sports are a platform that is usually years ahead of society regarding social
change, but in this case, sports took a giant step backward.
This is easily my favorite time of year as a sports fan. The NBA and NHL playoffs are going on concurrently, golf is getting revved up again, and baseball hasn't quite gotten boring yet. It certainly doesn't hurt that it's absolutely beautiful out, and despite an snowstorm in April, it look like the thing finally broke.
It's snowing outside? You serious?
Its been busy over at ESPN, my place of employment. People are running around and yelling and its great. I've worked on NBA Tonight the last few days, and I've learned a lot while talking to analysts and former coaches and people who watch and know more about basketball than I do (believe me, if you're watching TV and you think a dude doesn't know what he's talking about, he totally does. Every one of our analysts wants to say about a million things to every question they're asked. They usually don't get more than 30 seconds. TV is hard). I think I've learned a lot, to the point where predicting the play offs shouldn't actually be too hard. But I guess that's easier said than done.
So here they are, my first round predictions:
DA EAST (1) Pacers OVER (8) Hawks in 4
The Pacers have been real bad lately. But the Hawks have possibly been even worse, and almost allowed the Knickerbockers to sneak into the playoffs. The Hawks don't benefit from having a guy that can randomly steal a game either.
(2) Heat OVER (7) Bobcats in 5
The Heat generally struggle against physical bigs, and Big Al Jefferson, phD, is one of the best in the business and has generally been a joy to watch this year. That being said, Dwyane Wade looks healthy, with Coach Spoelstra doing a sensational job of having him ready to go for the playoffs. Bobcats steal one at home off a 30-20 performance from Big Al, but they can't possibly stop LBJ and Co.
(3) Raptors OVER (6) Nets in 7
Far and away the most intriguing matchup of the first round. The savvy vets versus the young kids just happy to be there. I've loved this Raptors team since they traded Rudy Gay. They have a deep bench, an absolute cold blooded killer in Derozan, and the 2nd or 3rd best point guard in the East in Lowry. This ultimately comes down to the point guard match up. It's pretty much a toss up, and I just think Lowry is better than DWill. But I gues we'll see. Tim Legler made the very good point to me that if Derozan just has an off night and gets nervous in his first go in the playoffs, that seriously hurts the Raptors, which is very true. I believe in Lowry enough that I don't think this will be an issue.
(4) Bulls OVER (5) Wizards in 6
I've been a Bulls fan for a long time. I didn't think last years Bulls team could be topped in terms of gritty, oh-my-god how are they doing this awesomeness. But, well ... it has. Joakim Noah ... dude, I just love you so much.
I love you too, Mahmoud!
There's no way the Bulls lose this series because the Bulls have the best player on the floor by a wide margin. John Wall is good, but it still feels like he hasn't quite figured out the delicate balance between killing it and getting other people going. Jimmy Butler will have Bradley Beal, the Wizards best offensive option, all tied up. I think the Wizards steal a couple, if only because there's the very real possibility the Bulls offense sputters out for a game, and a transcendent Wall steals another one. But yeah. Joakim Noah!
DA WEST (1) Spurs OVER (8) Mavs in 6
Whenever I watch the Mavs and Spurs, two perennial old-guys-being-better-than-young-dudes team, I'm always thinking about Greg Jennings. How is he doing this shit dtho? Unfortunately, one of these amazing teams have to lose, and the Spurs just aren't losing unless they bump into, I dunno, lets say a hyper athletic team with like, two prolific ungodly scorers. Good thing there isn't a team like that in the West!
(2) Thunder OVER (7) Grizzlies in 5
I love angry Kevin Durant. If you haven't been watching KD every night, shame on you. He's giving me a very Jordan, f-u vibe, where he's scoring on you, not just to help his team win, but because he wants to embarrass you. He wants to fuck with your head and make you question your self worth. And he wants to do it so heartlessly and effortlessly that you're not left wondering if there was anything you could've done, because there totally wasn't. No way the Thunder lose this one. And yes, I am aware the Grizzlies beat the Thunder last year.
(3) Clippers OVER (6) Warriors in 7
This going seven might just my wishful thinking, but in any case, it's close. CP3 is one of the best in the business at turning over already turnover prone guards like Steph Curry, and he's going to be the best player on the floor throughout this series. So why 7? Cause Steph is gonna randomly drop 40 one game, then Klay Thompson is going to randomly hit 6 threes, then Harrison Barnes is going to have one of those inspirational games off the bench. And plus I just really really really want this to go to a game 7.
(5) Portland OVER (6) Houston in 7
My God the West is gonna be awesome. This is probably the least intriguing match up, and it's still insanely awesome. LaMarcus Aldridge is going to destroy Dwight inside, and the baby faced assassin Damian Lillard has become of the best late game shooters in the league. It doesn't hurt that Portland has the best home court advantage in the NBA (Sorry, OKC). That being said, Houston will win two because of Harden, and one because Dwight decides that he wants to play.
Phew! Well, there you have it. This is going to be an awesome playoffs, so please enjoy every moment of it (preferably on the ABC family of networks).
For those of you who are wondering how the 76ers lost 26 games in a row. Here is why.
Here are a couple of thoughts.
The median salary on this team is under 1 million dollars.
Thaddeus Young tops the payroll chart by making 9 million a year.
That doesn't even place him in the top 65 of highest paid NBA players.
Two or three of these guys are making less than the league minimum.
James Nunnaly is making less than I am right now. How is that possible?
(Maybe James should apply to Teach For America before the next deadline.)
"You have six NBA players and then you have a bunch of guys who are fighting for spots and want to be seen and need opportunity." Brett Brown, coach of the Philadelphia 76ers
That quote pretty much sums up the reason for the season.
8. But he didn’t let it crush him. And now he’s better than ever.
7. I don’t know why Joakim picked #13. But it probably has something to do with the fact that it’s a quote unquote ‘unlucky #’ and Jo loves proving people wrong.
Taj Gibson is the secretary of defense, according to Stacey King. If you asked Bulls fans, Taj is a shot blocking, ball stealing fiend. For the most part, this is true. Taj has the very rare ability to guard smaller, faster players out on the perimeter. Players aren’t just ‘good’ or ‘bad’ at defense though. Gibson excels in certain areas of Tom Thibodeau’s defensive scheme, but surprisingly, also has a few areas where he struggles mightily.
Coach Thibodeau’s defensive scheme plays the pick and roll very aggressively, especially in late game situations. Switching those screens prevents guards from penetrating into the lane. If Taj wasn’t as fast and as athletic as he is, the late games system wouldn’t work. That’s why you see Taj in at the end of games instead of Boozer - Boozer doesn’t have the footspeed to switch onto those smaller guards.
Taj Gibson is great at defending driving guards on the pick and roll switch
The stats are slightly less encouraging than the eye test. Taj is good, but not great, at switching on the pick and roll and guarding faster players. They score on him about 42% of the time, which is pretty high, compared to other players in the league (Compare this to Joakim, who smaller guards score on about 38% of the time). However, Taj is a little better than most of the league at turning those smaller guards over, and fouls only 5% of the time. This second stat especially is key on a Bulls team that essentially has a seven man rotation.
After watching every pick and roll situation that leads to an isolation this year (yes, this took a very long time), whenever the opposing guards puts the ball down and dribbles, Taj does a damn near exceptional job of forcing a difficult shot. Our eyes don’t deceive us too much - most of the time, if the opposing guard puts his head down and tries to go to the basket, the secretary of defense will be there.
Taj’s exceptional defense of drives comes at a cost, though. The reason Taj is so good at guarding those drives is because he sags off. Joakim does the same thing, and the logic is sound - it’s much better for those guards to have to make a tough jumper over a long defender than get an easy lay in at the lane. Most of the points from these isolation plays comes when the defender doesn’t attempt to drive, but instead pops and shoots while Taj is backpedaling, expecting a drive. Taj has long arms, and that allows him to sag a little bit more than most, but if there’s one place to shore up Taj’s otherwise excellent pick and roll defense, it’s here. It’s really only the high percentage shooting guards that Taj struggles against. He’s one of the best in the league (top quarter) when isolated on bigs that aren’t nearly as good of shooters.
Taj’s difficulties guarding shooters translates over to the post. When the big is a competent shooter, Taj once again excels when the opposing players tries to go at him and struggles when the opposing layer is taking a jumper. When the offensive player faces up against Taj from the left block (where a lot of bigs like to go, because the majority of players are right handed), they score almost 60% of the time. Taj is much better from the right block, but this is presumably because most offensive players are much worse on the right block.
So this all comes back to the question that prompted this little investigation. Is Taj Gibson overrated? As is usually the case in sports, there’s not really a definitive yes or no answer.
As an offensive threat, Taj probably gets a little bit more credit than he deserves, but improving his jumper in the 15-20 foot range would do wonders in terms of his productivity. Taj moved away from the basket this season, and although he’s not nearly as effective from 10-15, that’s where he’s going to have to learn to score when Derrick Rose comes back next year. Rose’s penetration forces defenses and bigs to collapse and clog the lanes, lest they get decimated by the Windy City Assassin. If Taj can make, say, 50% of his jumper between 10-15 feet, instead of the 40% he is making now, it would make a world of difference. Taj was drafted as low as he was because teams were unsure if he would ever be able to make a 15 foot jumper consistently. The Bulls bit in the hopes that he would figure it out. He hasn’t exactly made riveting progress each year, but he has good mechanics, and according to those in the Bulls organization, a very strong work ethic.
Taj’s defensive is particularly valuable to the Bulls. There aren’t many bigs agile enough to do what he does, and that’s why the Bulls gave him the big extension instead of holding on to Omer Asik. Big O was great, but he wasn’t nearly the speedster that Taj is. Taj is a good defender, above average, even. But it can’t be lost on Bulls fans that Taj is the beneficiary of a system that plays directly to his skill set. He is a better player on the Bulls than on many other teams.
Many Bulls fan seem to lump Taj in the ‘untradeable’ bracket alongside Joakim, Derrick, and Jimmy. My thought is that they’re wrong, but not by much. You win with guys like Taj on your team. Taj is very very good at what he does, and is an extremely valuable player to the Bulls. At the end of the day though, I think he’s closer to a Udonis Haslem or Mike Miller type player: a good piece for a great team, but not anything close to a player who can handle a real load offensively or defensively. He’s not an anchor like Joakim on the defensive end, he’s not a guy you can dump the ball down to 15-20 types a night on the offensive end. He is, exactly as Stacey King loves to say, a ‘Hard hat, lunch pail’ type of player. For Chicago, that might just be enough. **All stats and research acquired via Synergy Stats**
The
close of potentially the least memorable seasons of NBA basketball are upon us.
The three most popular franchises in America (Knicks, Celtics, and Lakers) will
end up with losing records and all will most likely miss the playoffs. In a
season where the Pacers and the Spurs are atop their respective conferences,
there is no other adjective to describe this season besides Horeawful.
In
celebration of this season’s horeawfulness, we at ThatOldWood nominate our
worst players in the NBA and provide comedic commentary as to why they are the worst.
Please tell us what you thin about each of our selections.
Wood Pick #1
Jason Collins
The other guys made me put this one on here. I actually think Jason Collins is pretty talented. I mean look at his highlight real.
As you can see the man jumps better than Bill Russell. When I say that I
mean that he jumps better than Bill Russel, I mean the guy jumps better than the 85 year old Bill Russell... maybe.
Lets take a look at Jason Collins impressive stat line not only this year but throughout his career.
Jason Collins is like
Jackie Robinson… If Jackie Robinson was born with two clubbed feet. I don’t
think that we as a society should be amazed at the fact that Jason Collins is
gay and playing in the NBA. Rather, I believe that our society should be amazed
that Jason Collins is playing in the NBA. The man has no athletic capability whatsoever.
I guess I shouldn't be so tough on the guy. After all, his shot makes it rain.
Men
Wood Pick #2
Kwame Brown
Throughout
time there has been much argument regarding the meaning of many of the
scriptures within John the apostle’s book of Revelations. The obscure
references to dragons, flying machines, and 144,000 human beings has been the
basis for much of the disagreement between the various sects within
Christianity. Among the most heavily debated scripture is this
Many believe this scripture is a reference to the second
coming or the beginning of the apocalypse. Many believe that John The Revelator
was foreseeing the destruction of earth through a vengeful good. These notions,
however, are false.
What John the Revelator saw and described was Kwame Brown
playing basketball.
Here is a look at the teams that Kwame Brown has played for in his illustrious career.
If you take a look at each teams record you will see that hell has followed wherever Kwame Brown has followed. He is the eleventh plague, the anti christ, and the whore of all the earth wrapped into one massive waste of talent.
But don't take my word for it.
Wood Pick #3
Derek Fisher
This was the greatest moment of Derek Fisher’s life (Watch the whole thing, you’ll thank me).
I love every part of this clip. The excited Spurs after TTIMMMAAYY hits The Best Shot You’ve Never Heard Of. The look on Shaq’s face at :38 seconds into the clip. And even better than all of that, the hilarity of Fish hitting the shot, and then running away from his teammates out of the stadium. It was a great shot. One the greatest shots I’ve ever seen.
I legitimately thought Fish retired after that season.
I am flabbergasted every time I turn on a Thunder game and see Derek Fisher. He doesn’t even have old man guiles like Tim Duncan or Andre Miller. He’s just freaking old. He occasionally hits a wide open three, and this seemingly justifies his incredible just freaking oldness. Even if I see Fish play Tuesday night, if see him play again Wednesday night, my immediate thought will be, “Holy crap, Fish is still in the league?”
You hit one of the great shots in NBA history Fish. You’ve won multiple championships. You have nothing left to prove. You cannot go riding into the sunset, because the sun set a while ago. But hey, you’ve played for like 6 years too many, so I assume you can afford a car with headlights.
Sports are often far ahead of society when it comes to
change. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson started at first base for the
Brooklyn Dodgers and broke the color barrier which not only ended segregation
in baseball but also led the way for integration of African Americans in all
sports.
