Free Ballin’

I avoid reading deeply into advanced basketball metrics the way little kids avoid booster shots or broccoli: I’m told they’re good for me, but they hurt, and taste lousy.  Also, since much of the readily accessible stuff that passes for advanced metrics (like John Hollinger’s PER) is complete and utter bullsh*t, and the stuff being [...]

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HOUSTON ROCKETS: Is there any doubt that the Rockets are going to set a record for taking charges?  Well, of course there has to be some doubt, unless you know where one can find charges-drawn stats, current and historical; I don’t.  Whatever the case, drawing charges is clearly a huge part of their defensive strategy, [...]

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Watch games featuring your favorite team being broadcast on the opposition’s network (with NBA Season Pass) and see if they know what they’re talking about, when they discuss your team. Tonight I found the Clippers team to be really good.  I was surprised that they made a number of insightful comments about the Rockets that [...]

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All the television commentators have been talking about Aaron Brooks’ penetration, the last few days. That’s the key, that’s the key…  They don’t mention the degree of difficulty of the shots he’s been making once he gets in the paint.  He can’t finish at the rim when his shot is well conested; he’s just too [...]

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A whirlwind tour of the West Coast finishes in Portland, where I watched the Trailblazers edge the Timberwolves, last night.  It was a terrific game, regardless of Roy’s protest that the team had allowed themselves to get distracted by the game tomorrow night with the Lakers.  That’s not the only reason the game was close.  [...]

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Regarding the article I linked to in the previous post.  Michael Lewis doles out lots of really worthwhile information, in this article (and Moneyball) but when he goes off on his own to make statements, he frequently falls flat.  After discussing how tricky it is to properly valuate players, and how Daryl Morey thinks the [...]

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Michael Lewis (yes, of Moneyball fame) wrote a piece today in the Times.  I like that Lewis is interested in analytical ways of understanding sports, and that he talks to smart people and publishes what they say.  It just annoys me when he writes as though the answers to his questions are known, and clear, [...]

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Tonight is the highly anticipated first game for Free Ballin’ for the ’08-’09 season, between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets. I’m excited, and I’m also meeting Jake (with whom I’m riding-sharing to Dallas) at the game; his girlfriend had tickets. Of course I also need to find a place to stay tonight. [...]

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I went online to get tickets last night, but I didn’t feel like paying Ticketmaster $17 for $10 tickets, so instead I just went to the Ford Center early this morning.  Too early.  OKC doesn’t wake up until noon on Sundays, and the Ford Center’s box office didn’t open until 1PM. Actually, all OKC downtown [...]

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I was browsing through one of my favorite sites yesterday, clutchfans.net, when I came across the news that Ruben Patterson had been waived by the Clippers. I was pretty surprised, because they had him signed to a cheap deal, under a million bucks, and the guy can play. Patterson was always a favorite of mine [...]

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