lethalweapon3

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/7686638/new-york-knicks-coach-mike-dantoni-resigns The headline to the link, on http://espn.go.com/new-york/ says "Mike Woodson takes over." Yippee! ~lw3

Twitterati suggests NYK will make a play for Phil Jackson to step in, and allegedly Calipari for the homestretch (post-tourney) if that doesn't work. Sounds like Woody will be the interim in either case. ~lw3

per WojYahooNBA on twitter. Link coming I'm sure. ~lw3 All I got so far. http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2012/03/report-mike-dantoni-resigns-as-knicks-coach/ Woodyball is back?!?!? ~lw3

LOL When Zaza got that ball, time slowed down for me in like that old Jordan commercial. ~lw3

Well, had this rumored news gone out a day earlier, your day might have been even worse! Any chance the Phins caught wind of that before pulling the trigger on the deal? http://www.nypost.co...O#ixzz1p47iclnH ~lw3

When we retire #27's jersey in 2027, we will all just sit back and laugh and laugh at all the memories. ZAZA 4 LYFE! ~lw3

The Bay Area says: Welcome back, Cap'n Jack! http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AigZAWak52QZndi0Js0QS4K8vLYF?slug=aw-wojnarowski_monta_ellis_andrew_bogut_trade_031312 Bucks are trading Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson to the Warriors for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and whatever's left of Kwame Brown. Interesting... ~lw3

I don't think I should ever accuse Prokhorov of being unable to do two things at once, but now with the elections over and done with, as of last week, he should be able to focus a lot of his energies toward spending on his Brooklynets. ~lw3

It could be my reminiscing about the thin mountain air and days of Doug Moe, but the thought of the Nuggets as a run-and-gun offensive machine trying to trump your twos with their threes is a notion I really need to get over. Denver is a top-ten 3-point shooting team (20.6 per game, 7th in NBA), but a misfiring bottom-ten in making those baskets (32.3 percent, ranked 22nd). Guys like Andre Miller (25.4%) and Corey Brewer (30.5%) have never been much of a deep threat, but guys like Danilo Gallinari (30.7%) and Ty Lawson (31.8%) sure used to be. As of now, the leading 3-point converter is our old friend Al Harrington (1.4 per game, at a Harringtonian 30.9%), who hopes to be in the running for Sixth Man of the Year at season’s end. The Nuggets get their points by keeping the pace high (1st in the NBA in Pace), while banging down low and getting to the line (1st in FTAs per game). Stocked upfront with Nene, Harrington, Gallinari, hyper-rookie Kenneth Faried, highlight-helper Timofey Mozgov, the Birdman Chris Andersen, and the injured Kosta Koufos (knee), their defensive rebounding (4th in the NBA) gives them ample possessions. They manage to get 7.5 more free throw attempts per game than their opponents (the next highest among NBA teams is the Thunder, with 4.7). They are the only team in the NBA taking more than 30 shots right at the rim (less than three feet) per game, and they pass up on opportunities for long-range twos (12.5 FGAs between 16-23 feet, lowest in the NBA). All told, there is little mystery as to how the Nuggets want to attack. The Hawks will need to double-team in the paint, disrupt short passes and play modest (hands-down-man-down) defense at the perimeter. On offense, they need to work the clock, not get sloppy with the ball, and find the open shooter. Opponent assist rates are higher for the Nuggets than they are for any team in the West other than the Kings, so this should be another opportunity for Jeff Teague to hone his passing chops, and for Kirk Hinrich to be showcased. Gallo has struggled in limited action since his return from an injured ankle. He’s just 5-for-25 during the last four games of this homestand, including Bagel-for-5 over 21 minutes in a three-point loss to Memphis on Sunday, his first start since returning. Nene (4-for-13 vs. Memphis; 44% shooting and 3.5 TOs per game during the homestand) has also struggled in a return from a strained calf muscle. Fortunately for them, like the Sixers, Denver can afford to spread their offense around, with 9 players on the roster capable of dropping 10 or more points on you before you know it. Included in the mix is Rudy Fernandez, who should be returning from a strained back injury, and Mozgov, coming back from an ankle sprain. Led by Harrington and Miller, the bench can prove more dangerous than the starters. 51 of their 94 points against Memphis on Sunday came from the reserves. An active Hawks team should be able to win the turnover battle (4th fewest in the NBA) against the Nuggets (3rd most). They held the highest-scoring team in the league (Sacramento) to 99 points and hope to keep their 12-game string of allowing opponents less-than-100 points alive tonight. Proving he was not, in fact, raised by a pack of wolves, Ivan Johnson will continue to be out to address a family matter. No Willie Green (bad back) tonight either. Not-So-Grumpy Old Men Tracy McGrady and Jerry Stackhouse will probably be gametime decisions. Aside: speaking of Mr. McGroupon, er, McGrady: http://www.technewsx.com/2012/03/13/slam-dunk-or-rimshot-nba-star-tracy-mcgrady-launches-his-own-daily-deal-site/#25 http://www.youtube.com/user/tmacsdeals Go Hawks! ~lw3

http://mynorthwest.com/category/pod_player_sports/?a=40069&p=24&n=710%20ESPN%20Interviews My audio is shot right now, but I understand John Clayton (ESPN) believes the fight for DE Mario Williams "will come down to the Seahawks and Falcons". It's the first tie into the Falcons that I've "heard" from any media guy, as the local media has been consistently insistent that fans simply fugettaboutit. ~lw3

Glad they weren't McDonald's style, stealing those things are downright uncomfortable! ~lw3

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2012/03/12/t-j-ford-announces-retirement/ Although we'll remember the Horford flagrant foul that sent T.J. to Piedmont Hospital, T.J.'s NBA neck-related injuries began years before: ~lw3

Antoine Walker burying the one free throw that his Hawks needed him to miss, for a chance at an offensive board and putback in the game's final seconds. The Shimmy Man was 3-for-18 FG and 0-for-6 from three, with airballs aplenty, before making the free throw. ~lw3

If he gets any fine at all (and he shouldn't) Jerome should do a bake sale or something to pay it. Smoove had no choice but to be honest about that. ~lw3

Thankfully for Orlando, Hack-a-Dwight wasn't last night, it was back in January during an 8-point win against the Warriors (Dwight went above his average, 21-for-39). ~lw3

There is one star player on the Miami HEAT who the Hawks have had no answer for. Slowing him down will be key to any chance for a victory. Of course, I’m talking about Chris Bosh. The velociraptor dropped 33 points, his second highest season-total, in that deflating overtime loss back in January with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade giggling like schoolboys in suits on the sideline. His season high in rebounds, 16, came against the Hawks in February, eclipsing his previous high, 14, from the January 5th game. He needs to be boxed out and have a hand up in his face when he steps out for jumpers. Bosh, returning to form after a family absence, is the straw that really stirs the drink in the halfcourt, whose efficiencies were charted by ESPN’s Tom Haberstroh here (http://proxy.espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/12816/meet-the-nbas-best-halfcourt-team). Oddly, Haberstroh refers to the Hawks as “a team that garners a considerable amount of praise in the halfcourt.” I’d love to see some links to this asserted “praise.” He noted that the HEAT went three-and-a-half quarters in carpet-bombing the Nets on Tuesday without a single fastbreak basket, unconventional for a team that even LD compared today to the “Showtime” Lakers. Mario Chalmers’ sudden shooting prowess seems to have carried forward from late in the 2011 postseason to now, and he might need to get some consideration when Most Improved Player award time comes around. He’s now shooting over 45% from three-point range (nearly 50% overall), compared to around 32-37% from three (40-42% overall) in past seasons. Opponents seem to waste possessions against Miami. Against a team stocked with Mike Miller, James Jones, Shane Battier, and Chalmers, HEAT foes shoot an inexplicable 6.5 more threes a game to try and keep up. Atlanta needs to find the outside shooters who can hit with reasonable reliability (Teague, Vlad, Pargo, Marvin), while other teammates should find all their offense inside the arc. Opponents should be striving to gain three the hard way against the Heat by going inside persistently, creating foul issues for their starters, and that’s where guys like Ivan Johnson, himself a top 10 NBA player in And-1 percentage with his shot attempts, and Josh Smith can create a little havoc. Go Hawks! ~lw3

You didn't know he used to cover (and provide biting commentary) for your Phish for the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale back in the day? http://articles.sun-...t-team-playoffs http://articles.sun-...ams-views-talks That was before he shifted over full-time to the HEAT... looks like in 2008, although he's got writeups from 2005. I think he pulled a Vivlamore by switching to hoops writing and just stuck with it. http://articles.sun-...-spoelstra-heat Here's a good one featuring a baby-faced "Young MC" in SoFla... Hawks vs. Heat '09: Who will win? http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/sfl-miami-heat-atlanta-hawks-041509,0,1182044.htmlstory ~lw3

Still digging for a scenario that would be comparable to a D12 (.485) and Smoove (.568) pairing in terms of free throw shooting. The closest I've come so far is Shaq (.469) and Toine (.628) for the Heat in '06. Walker was the SF who regained his starter's role late in the season and maintained it through the playoffs, while Udonis Haslem (.789) was the PF. Not a frontcourt tandem, but Rondo (.611) and Perkins (.623) for the Celtics in '08 were under 70%. Their Big 3 teammates picked up the slack. Duncan (.690) and Admiral (.658) were shooting under 70% for the '99 Spurs, but not under 60%. The '05 Spurs had four guys starting under 70% (Duncan, Parker, Bowen; Rasho during the season and Nazr for the stretch run). Pippen (.679) and Rodman (.528) were below 70% in '96, as were Pippen (.663) and Ho Grant (.619) in '93. Pippen got his FT% up in the later championship years. Big E Elvin Hayes (.634) and Wes Unseld (.538) were below 70% but got it done with the Bullets in '78. Wilt (.441) got it done with Billy Cunningham (.686) with the Sixers in '67, but the Kangaroo Kid was coming off the bench at that time. ~lw3

Has any team been successful in winning an NBA title that has TWO marquee frontcourt players shooting under 60% from the free throw line? Maybe it has, I'm merely asking aloud. ~lw3

The Indiana Pacers would like to engage you in a duel of short jumpers. If you accept this challenge, they can become your Aaron Burr. Indiana ranks first in the NBA in field goals made (6.5) and #1 in the share of field goals taken (19%) between 3-9 feet, while ranking third overall in field goal percentage (42%) at this range. Roy Hibbert (54%) and David West (42%) are the most notorious short-jumper culprits. Their opponents are decidedly less successful at this distance (37%, ranking 19th), and are more likely to take shots further out. To that end, Atlanta’s long-two jumpshooters, take note: Pacers’ opponents are also next-to-last in FG% from long jumpers (16-23 feet). Indy has a subpar overall assist rate -- only "he who's name shall not be mentioned"’s Wizards are lower among Eastern Conference teams in assist rate, percentage-assisted field goals, and assists per game. But the Hawks’ opponents have a higher percentage of field goals assisted at this 3-9 foot range than the foes of any other team, so this is an area of the floor the Pacers’ guards may seek to exploit. Be ready to disrupt those dump-ins! Despite their short-jumper proficiencies (and being a top-ten three-point shooting team), the Pacers are only 24th in overall field goal percentage. Why? Oddly, with all these big and tall bodies (Hibbert, West, Danny Granger, Paul George, Tyler Hansbrough, Lou Amundson, Jeff Pendergraph – Jeff Foster is inactive with a bad back) using their length for advantageous jumpers, Indy is woefully ineffective right at the rim. They’re an “smdh”ing dead last in field goal percentage at less than 3 feet from the rim, while next-to-last in field goals made and 28th in percentage-assisted buckets at the rim. Josh Smith, Zaza Pachulia, and Ivan Johnson will have their shorthanded work cut out for them once again, but if they can get help defense to force the Pacers out of their comfort zone (or rush their shots while they’re in their comfort zone) there should be ample rebounding opportunities to be had for these guys. Perhaps a few rejections as well, as the Pacers get a higher proportion of their shots blocked than any Eastern Conference team. No need to get overly aggressive with help defense, as the Hawks don’t need to be thinned by foul trouble and the Pacers are just the latest Hawks opponent to be deadly from the charity stripe. Sixth overall in free throw percentage, every one of their top nine offensive options, with the exception of Hibbert (68%), shoot their freebies at 78 percent or higher. A.J. Price just missed his first three free throws all year last night in Chicago. Not sure who will be weary-legged for the Pacers after fruitlessly chasing around the Bulls’ bench last night. Darren Collison did a decent job holding back Derrick Rose scoring-wise, and he’ll hope to do the same in a lighter assignment against hometown-returning Jeff Teague. Teague will want to use his speed to his advantage in finding shots, in the same way John Lucas III was effective last night, but he must be a competent distributor as well . Teague will have to be solid throughout, unlike his 2-for-10 effort during the Hawks’ 12-point loss back at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in mid-January. The game featured one of those anemic third quarters (9 points in that contest) that sink any chance of Atlanta remaining competitive. That game also featured 33 minutes of Joe Johnson (knee), 29 minutes of Willie Green (back), 12 minutes of Jason Collins (elbow) and six ill-fated minutes of Al Horford (pec). None, with the possible exception of Green, are likely to be at the Hawks’ disposal. Tracy McGrady, the victim of a bad back last time around, may be a scratch as well with his knee sprain. Two players who will be in action this time around are Marvin Williams and Kirk Hinrich. Marvin’s wing defense will be critical as the Pacers try to spread the floor to get the shots they want out of Granger and George. I’m not sure how well Hinrich will match up when the Pacers go tall at shooting guard with George, so we might see some more Jerry Stackhouse (tummy ailment) matching up. He and Green are both game-time decisions. Each participated in the shootaround this afternoon. Getting the road trip going on the good foot is also a great chance to eventually outpace the Pacers. Winners of seven straight before getting buzzsawed by the Bulls yesterday, tonight’s game will be Indy’s second of nine straight games versus teams with above-.500 records. Go Hawks! ~lw3

Stackhouse poses in mid-air for the designer of The EmmyTM award, who is producing The JerryTM, a trophy to be presented annually by the AARP for the best performance by an elderly person in the role of a competent NBA player. ~lw3

Uno minuto, por favor! ~lw3

Even Kendrick Perkins was like, "dayummmm Serge!" ~lw3

Bob's call: "All the way back to ((where?))!" ~lw3

The sky is STILL the limit for Josh Smith! ~lw3