The National Basketball Associations is loaded with exceptional players that do things on the court we as fans can only dream about. So when the time comes for NBA coaches and fans to choose All-Stars, the 12 best (and fan favorite) players in the league, there are bound to be some unlucky guys that don’t make the cut. Here’s the Recliner GM’s take on the players that did, and didn’t get invited to New Orleans this season.
Surprisingly I think we (the fans)did a good job picking the All-Star starters based on current season performance and potential entertainment value. With that said there was one very noticeable slip-up.
Chris Paul - The clear mid-season MVP should be making his first All-Star game as a starter. Who would he replace? Sad to say my beloved Allen Iverson. AI does belong on the team as a reserve because he is having one of his most efficient season of his career, continuing to put up ridiculous numbers at his size. Chris Paul on the other hand is without a doubt the best PG in the NBA this year and the 2nd best guard (behind Kobe)overall. Unfortunately for Paul a two main factors were working against him.
The Hornets weren’t expected to be this good this season therefore not much TV time scheduled to showcase his game.
Iverson has developed a cult like following the last 11 years that has spread far beyond the borders of Philadelphia and Denver.
Besides Paul I don’t have any qualms with any of the other starters. But I am sure you guys do. So make a case (in the comments) for another player you think should be starting (and who you would bench) and I will respond with my argument for the voted in player.
Luckily the coaches pick the reserves and not the fans, otherwise there would be a whole lot of upset NBA players. Why? We (the fans) are not always the most rational bunch especially when it comes to our favorite players. That is the main reason you see Vince Carter being named a starter when his best playing days (aka playing hard every night) had passed him. With that said…
The biggest All-Star game surprise addition that really shouldn’t be a surprise to you:
David West -Yes, the Western conference is stacked with forwards and this season West has been one of the best. Although Chris Paul is the most impactful player on that team West has been a consistent force with his inside game. 19.6ppg, 9.4rpg and just over 1 block a night on the best team in the West means you’re an All-Star in my book. Sorry Josh Howard who also deserved to make the team.
Marcus Camby- I am with Charles Barkley on this omission. I don’t know how much more I have to say (check the write-up & comments here) about this guy. His impact and importance to the Nuggets team rivals both Carmelo’s and Iverson’s. He is the best defensive player in the league and shouldn’t be penalized because the All-Star game is predominately an offensive display to benefit the fans. Especially when one of the measuring sticks of a player is All-Star game appearances. Sadly this makes sense because if Boston with the best record in the league doesn’t have 3 guys make it Denver surely should not either. I think Camby deserves it over Melo considering Anthony’s scoring and shooting numbers are all down this season whereas Camby is having the best season of his career in rebounds and blocks.
Other deserving players:
Ray Allen - Question is do you give Boston 3 players? If so Ray Allen should have made it over Joe Johnson for sure.
Josh Smith - If you’re going to put an Atlanta Hawk on the team I prefer Smith over Joe Johnson ALL DAY.
Baron Davis - Among point guards B. Diddy is 1st in scoring, 2nd in rebounding, 7th in assist and sports a respectable 3.0 assist/turnover ratio. Come to the East and pick up where AI left off as an All-Star Starter.
Josh Howard - He was an All-Star reserve last season and has increased his scoring, rebounding and shooting %s this season. So why isn’t he on the team again?
Deron Williams - Only thing I can really say is “sorry dude.” There are way too many stud guards in the West. Had AI not been voted in by the fans it would have been intersting what the coaches would have done.
Jose Calderon - He really just suffered from not being a starter all year. Had he been the open day starter you’d be hard pressed not to pick him over Joe Johnson.
Hedu Turkoglu - He has surprisingly been better than Rashard Lewis this season, at a much cheaper price as well. But I wouldn’t pick him over Butler or Pierce this season.
Tony Parker & Andrew Bynum - Got hurt and ended their hopes of running & gunning with the rest of the All-Stars.
Chris Kaman & Al Jefferson - Coaches rarely reward the bad teams. Tough luck.
Manu Ginobili - TELL YOUR COACH YOU’RE A DAMN STARTER.
Snubs or not we all know the game will be just as exciting as ever. But there are only 12 spots and the coaches have an impossible job picking the 14 best players not chosen by the fans. So which one of your favorite players got robbed?
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With the NBA season passed its midpoint I feel it necessary as a true Recliner GM to give out some accolades - and stir up some healthy debate. With so much outstanding individual play I almost copped out and gave awards to both Eastern and Western Conference players. That would have appeased way too many people (not the goal) and made for a post twice as long as this already is. With that said, let’s start the debate.
League MVP
Chris Paul- To me this is a no-brainer. Paul is the best player on the team with the best record in the much tougher Western Conference. This season he has clearly been the best point guard in the game, snatching the title from Steve Nash. Paul has rejuvenated Peja Stojakovic’s career, brought out the best in Tyson Chandler and has developed a bond with David West that could blossom into a great partnership a la Stockton & Malone - but more fun to watch. Combine that with his potentially historic stats(steals weren’t kept when the Big O played): 20.6ppg, 10.5apg, 2.6spg (2ndto LeBron in PER)all while shooting 48.4% from the field, and you have a player that embodies a dominant pass-first point guard. Oh yeah and he’s only 22. Besides all of that this pick will effectively rile up all the Kobe lovers, LeBron advocates and Boston faithful.
Honorable Mention: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Brandon Roy & Marcus Camby (yes, Marcus Camby)
Rookie of the Year
Kevin Durant - I give this to him almost out of sympathy. He was the only rookie with the entire weight of a struggling franchise thrust onto his shoulders in this draft class. Has he lived up to the hype after his amazing freshman year at Texas? NO. But how could he? He is scoring a respectable 19.3ppg but shooting only 39.8% from the field and 28% from three. I attribute his poor shooting to a terrible team which allows defenses to game plan only to stop Durant. This leads to overall poor shot selection (mainly settling for too many jumpers)and forced shots as the team’s only true scorer and default go-to man. With that said Durant has still made the biggest impact of any rookie, with Al Horford nipping at his heels.
Honorable Mention: Al Horford, Juan Carlos Navarro, Yi Jianlian
Defensive Player of the Year
Marcus Camby- So we all know about the blocks - 3.84blkpg & 5.24 blkp48m, leading the NBA easily. But what goes unnoticed is that he rarely fouls out while playing such exceptional defense (2 DQ this season). Meaning Denver gets his defensive presence on the court more often than other hackers/shot blockers in the league. Need more convincing? Probably not, but here’s some for the die hard KG backers (like myself); 1.40 BLK/PF (blocks per foul)probably the most overlooked stat for a shot blocker. Camby is the only player over 1, and his current mark ranks 3rd best in the last 8 years. 24 boards and 11 blocks in a game, only one other player has done this or better in the last 20 years (1993 version of Shaq)!
Honorable Mention: Bruce Bowen (really have to watch him play a lot to understand his impact since he doesn’t show up in the stats much), Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard
Most Improved Player
Andrew Bynum - You gotta love it when a big man plays the way a big man is supposed to - Catch & Dunk Everything. That is exactly what Bynum was doing before the injury bug caught up to him. This is also why Kobe had no choice but to change his tune and fall in love with the kid. Numbers: 13.1ppg, 10.2rpg (would be 12th if he didn’t get hurt), 2.06blkpg (9th), 63.6% fgs (1st) all while only playing 7 more minutes per game than last season.
Honorable Mention: Al Jefferson (A Minnesota fan called me on this omission, so here I am correcting my slip up. This guy definitely deserves mention as he often goes unnoticed on the struggling Timberwolves)Rudy Gay, Chris Kaman, Lamarcus Aldridge, Danny Granger (he has increased most of his numbers while playing the same # of minutes - only one of the bunch), John Salmons (of course he would get better in every statistical category AFTER Billy King trades him - he is shooting 51.5%!!)
Sixth Man
Manu Ginobili- Let me first confess I am not a Ginobili fan at all so this will be short. I am, however, unbiased enough to admit he is by far the best non-starter in the NBA (which makes no sense considering he is vastly better than Michael Finley who would be a perfect bench player). Manu provides instant offense, pesky defense and a consistent 3-pt threat to open things up for Tim Duncan.
Honorable Mention: Leandro Barbosa, David (Please Trade Him Before He Rots on the Bench of a Horrendous Team) Lee, Jason Maxiell, Travis Outlaw, Jeff Foster (leads the Pacers in rebounding off the bench)
Coach of the year
Nate McMillan- He has the young Trailblazers playing with confidence, chemistry and a winning attitude. All things no one would have imagined once the bad news about Greg Oden was announced. Portland exemplifies team basketball, an unselfish mentality typified by McMillan’s own playing career.
Honorable Mention: Byron Scott, Eddie Jordan, Doc Rivers (playing the Phil Jackson role)
Executive of the Year/Biggest Surprise
Kevin Pritchard/Portland Trailblazers - The biggest surprise of the season easily goes to the Portland Trailblazers. Predicted to be 26th in preseason rankingsare not only in the playoffs ahead of Denver and Houston but are only a ½ game behind Utah for first in the Northeast Division. Most of the praise for the team’s success has been spread between an emerging superstar in Brandon Roy, vastly improved Lamarcus Aldridge and the masterful coaching job of Nate McMillan. But an overlooked piece of the team’s fortune this season is in the calculated moves made by current GM Kevin Pritchard. He cleaned house getting rid of bad character guys, bad contracts and effectively created a team the Portland fans can like. The best explanation of this strategy is by Bill Simmons who coined the term: Chemacterility(chemistry, character & (cap) flexibility). Pritchard gets the edge over Danny Ainge because he created a successful and young team without the perennial superstars.
Honorable Mention: Danny Ainge (I am a Philly fan so you can imagine I am not all that happy about all this Boston Celtic success. But I can’t hate them as much as normal because Ainge acquired such likable superstars in Allen and KG.)
All-NBA
First Team (easy):
Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard
Second Team (tough): Steve Nash, Allen Iverson, Carlos Boozer, Tim Duncan, Yao Ming
Third Team (nearly impossible to pick):
Deron Williams, Brandon Roy, Caron Butler, Dirk Nowitzki, Amare Stoudemire
Recliner GM Originals
Most Visible Scrub of the Year
Kwame Brown- I’ve wanted to write something about Brown for some time now so I created an award just for him (how nice of me). This isn’t going to be another Kwame bashing about his stone hands, inability to finish dunks & lay-ups consistently at 6′11, getting booed at home, being the player doing the least with the most talent(hint: he isn’t really that talented) or being one of the poster boys for NBA draft pick busts. Instead it’s simply to point out that Kwame is NOT the worst player in the league, only the most noticeable and Sportscenter-highlighted below-average player in the NBA.
Step My Game Up in Place of an Injured Superstar Award
Antawn Jamison - 17.8ppg and 9.6rpg is what Jamison averaged before Gilbert Arenas got hurt. After - he has averaged 22.2ppg and 10.9rpg, and Washington’s winning % is .600 compared to .375 in the first 8 games with Gilbert. Jamison is somehow having a career year in his 10th season and is one of five players averaging 20 points & 10 boards.
Where the Hell Have You Been Award - Adonal Foyle
Please Stop Shooting (or shoot better) Award - Larry Hughes, this guy is definitely in favor of this selection.
Fans Choice:
Why Would You Sign Him to Our Team Award - Chris Webber
Get This Guy Off Our Team Award -Stephon Marbury, if you haven’t already please enjoy.
Check out these NBA Mid-Season Awards from other bloggers:
There you have it. If I thoroughly annoyed you with some of my selections or you just don’t agree, feel free to argue your players. This post also serves as a measuring stick for when the real awards are given out at the end of the year. But who cares - these are Recliner GM Awards. Nothing else really matters.
I was about to start writing up my analysis of the Phillies 3rd base position and I looked in disgust at the list of opening day starters the last couple years. Wes Helms, Abraham Nunez, David Bell. It took all my energy not to punch through my computer screen when I saw those three names written together. However, before I could write a single word, I checked ESPN.com for the 1,156th time today, and just my luck, we’ve signed Pedro Feliz! Now don’t get me wrong, Feliz is not the 2nd coming of Mike Schmidt or Scott Rolen, but he IS a significant upgrade at third base. Why?
His name isn’t Wes Helms
He plays not a good, but a GREAT defensive 3rd base. According the The Fielding Bible, he was the best defensive 3rd baseman in all of baseball last year. I don’t know much about how fielding metrics work, but I know The Fielding Bible is a very respectable resource, and if you are first, well, you don’t suck.
He hit 20 HR and had 72 RBI while playing primarily in a pitchers park last year. In 2006, he hit 22 HR and had 98 RBI. With Dobbs getting ABs against tough righties, we suddenly have a good offensive tandem at 3rd.
He does NOT have a great BA, and does NOT walk a lot (these are his 2 biggest negatives), BUT, he also does not strike out a lot (only 70 K in 557 AB last year) and this team desperately needs to lower the amount of strikeouts in their line-up.
Frankly, I love this move. He upgrades us both offensively and defensively, doesn’t strike-out a lot and hit .310 with runners in scoring position last year (.324 with RISP and 2 outs). He is exactly what we need, someone to help defensively and not make bad outs offensively, while providing some pop and RBI at the bottom of the order.
Here is what the projected 2008 Opening Day line-up looks like, in my opinion, easily the best in the NL
1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Shane Victorino, CF
3. Chase Utley, 2B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Pat Burrell, LF
6. Geoff Jenkins, RF
7. Pedro Feliz, 3B
8. Carlos Ruiz, C
2008 - Jimmy Rollins
2007 - Jimmy Rollins
2006 - Jimmy Rollins
2005 - Jimmy Rollins
2004 - Jimmy Rollins
2003 - Jimmy Rollins
2007 Recap
It’s been fun doing the last 3 position analyses, because the Phillies are currently sporting their best 1B, 2B and SS in team history. If we had a 3B who could stand up straight, I might have been able to write a post arguing we have the best infield in major league history.
Before we get (briefly) into the Jimmy Rollins/Matt Holliday MVP debate, I want to point out where Rollins’ season ranks all-time among SS. Last post, I talked about how Utley COULD have had an all-time season, but in this case, Rollins DID.
Single Season Ranks All-Time Among SS
Extra Base Hits - 2nd
Triples - 2nd
Runs - 3rd
Total Bases - 4th
Hits - 12th
As for the MVP, there were many people who thought the Rockies’ Matt Holliday deserved the award. These people are not idiots, but I do disagree with them. Here are my 3 main points.
Unique Season - Showing a rarely seen blend of power, speed and base running, Rollins was the only player in MLB history to have 200 H, 130 R, 30 HR and 40 SB in a season. He, along with Curtis Granderson, became the 2nd and 3rd players to ever have 20 HR, 2B, 3B and SB in a season.
Coors Field - Both Holliday and Rollins played in hitter-friendly parks. When you look at them on an even playing field, the road, their numbers are not that much different. (Rollins’ numbers are on top, Holliday’s on the bottom)
AB
R
H
2B
3B
HR
RBI
BB
SO
SB
CS
AVG
OBP
SLG
OPS
369
70
108
25
9
12
47
28
50
21
5
.293
.352
.507
.859
309
53
93
22
1
11
55
35
68
7
3
.301
.374
.485
.859
Rollins had 17 more runs, 15 more hits, 10 more extra-base hits, a higher SLG% and the same OPS. The only thing Holliday had him on was RBI, BA and OBP. Holliday’s SLG% on the road was 40th in the NL, behind non-MVP candidates Cliff Floyd, Kelly Johnson, Jayson Werth, Corey Hart, etc etc…
3. Intangibles - Rollins had 94 RBI from the LEAD-OFF position, he won a Gold Glove at a far more important defensive position, was one of the best base runners in the league and both teams finished with pretty much the same record. He also made fewer bad outs, with 41 less strikeouts and 12 less double-play balls (in far more ABs, mind you.)
You can make the case for Holliday, but the right man won.
What We Need in ‘08
Jimmy Rollins has a way of creating expectations. Last year, after the can’t-miss acquisition of Freddy Garcia, he famously called the Phillies “the team to beat in the NL East.” Turned out he was right - about the 2nd part atleast. This off-season, he has already said that this team will “win 100 games” this year and that the new goal he has set for himself is to become “one of the greatest of all-time.” So for ‘08? We just need Jimmy to be as correct in his predictions as he was last year.
SS of the Future? Rollins isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but the best SS prospect in our system is Jason Donald. He hit over .300 with 71 RBI, 31 2B, 8 3B and 12 HR last year in 130 games in A-ball.
NL East SS Rankings
1. Jimmy Rollins, Phillies
2. Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
3. Jose Reyes, Mets
4. Yunel Escobar, Braves
5. Cristian Guzman, Nationals
Best Season for a Phillies SS: Rollins, 2007 (.296 BA, 30 HR, 94 RBI, 38 2B, 20 3B, 41 SB, .531 SLG %, .875 OPS, Gold Glove, MVP)
Best Season Ever for a SS: Alex Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners, 1996 (.358 BA, 141 Runs, 215 Hits, 54 2B, 36 HR, 123 RBI, 15 SB, .414 OBP, .631 SLG%, 1.045 OPS)
A-Rod might have had better power numbers at short during other seasons, but this one is the best because he did things that at the time, no one had seen a SS, or a 20-year old, do before. This season revolutionized the position and showed that it was possible to be athletic enough to handle the toughest defensive position on the field and still put up great offensive numbers. At age 20, he won the batting title, while scoring more runs, hitting more doubles and accumulating more total bases than anyone in the AL.
One of, if not the, biggest drafting blunders in NBA history belongs to the Portland Trailblazers. They selected the 7′1 Sam Bowie out of Kentucky ahead of Michael Jordan. Ok, everyone knows that already. But do you know who exactly was responsible for making that pick? Or what that person’s criterion was for making such a horrendous error in judgment?
Meet Stu Inman In 1984 Stu Inman was director of personnel and was in charge of scouting and drafting for the Portland Trailblazers. Inman was widely recognized around the league as a basketball genius, a savvy executive with a deep understanding of the game, especially evaluating players. Other teams would literally track Stu Inman’s scouting activities and use rumors about which players he was interested in to gain confidence in their own personnel decisions. With such high NBA prestige it’s clear why Portland left the future of the franchise in Inman’s hands. He was charged with ensuring the #2 pick in the ‘84 draft was used to springboard the Trailblazers into long-term championship success.
Having lost the coin flip to Houston, Inman knew Olajuwon, the clear choice for the number one pick, would be going to the Rockets, but there was no clear choice on which player to take at number 2. Little did he know that, in retrospect, the choice was quite simple, and his decision would go down as arguably the greatest gaffe in NBA history. Not only that, but Inman’s well-respected career would be tarnished by one draft pick while the impact on the franchise would prove devastating.
So how did Stu Inman come to this earth-shattering and eventual pro basketball-changing decision?
Consider the reasons for choosing Bowie that actually made basketball sense for the Portland franchise in 1984.
Redundancy: Portland already had very good depth at shooting guard. Led by Jim Paxson a 6′6 sharp shooter with just enough quickness to create his own shot. The previous season Paxson played 33.2mpg and averaged 21.3ppg on 51.4% from the field. In the 1983 draft the Trailblazers selected Clyde Drexler with the 14th pick. Although Drexler was still a work in progress, he was considered a slashing, high-flying 2-guard from his days playing for the “Phi Slama Jama” basketball fraternity at University of Houston. From a scouting perspective this was a very similar playing style to that of Jordan.
Unpredictability: Nobody could have forecasted that Michael Jordan would become the famed “Air Jordan” and all the success and dominance that followed that nickname. Not even his college coach Dean Smith. Why? At UNC the offensive system was not conducive to individual showcase of talent. That is a large reason why Jordan only averaged 17.7ppg & 5rpg in college and only 16.5ppg in 10 NCAA tournament games. In that sense the “real” Michael Jordan was hidden from Inman’s keen scouting ability.
Due diligence: As part of the evaluation process Sam Bowie was put through a rigorous physical. The doctors meticulously examined Bowie’s surgically repaired shin fracture that kept him out of two seasons at Kentucky. He was cleared. Therefore Inman and the Portland medical staff could not have known Bowie would quickly become the man made of glass. I am willing to bet Portland’s ownership and fans are praying daily Greg Oden doesn’t suffer the same fate.
1977 NBA Champions: Portland’s only NBA championship came in that 1977 season when they were led by “Big Red-Head” Bill Walton. Inman believed the only way the franchise would reach the promise land again was behind another dominating player in the middle.
Formula for success: Very good-to-great big men win championships. History has shown this wasn’t just a philosophy but a requirement for winning a championship. Look at the previous 5 NBA championship team’s big man:
1983: Moses Malone
1982: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1981: Robert Parish & Kevin McHale
1980: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1979: Jack Sikma (7-time NBA All-Star)
Add the Russell/Chamberlain days to that short list of Hall of Fame centers (excluding Sikma) and that is more than enough to cloud anyone’s judgment.
The big question Stu Inman and the rest of his scouting staff couldn’t overcome was, “Where’s [Jordan] going to play?” It was clear Sam Bowie would anchor the middle on defense for Portland and provide the team with a decent scorer and excellent passer in Jack Ramsay’s intricate offensive system.
Maybe the deciding factor for choosing Sam Bowie was his performance against Houston and Olajuwon where Bowie grabbed 18 boards and scored 8 points while holding Hakeem to 14 points & 12 rebounds before he fouled out.
Convincing enough argument for you? No? Yeah, me either. But, those realities created a distorted view of Michael Jordan in Inman’s eyes when evaluating him as a player.
In hindsight the correct move for Inman and the Trailblazers was to sign & trade Jim Paxson and Clyde Drexler for a center rather than pass on the greatest player in the history of the NBA.
The sad part for the Portland franchise is that the 1984 NBA draft wasn’t the first major miscue on their part. In 1972, Portland with the #1 pick selected LaRue Martin (who?) ahead of number 2 pick Bob McAdoo and Philadelphia’s own Julius Erving picked 12th! But hey, that’s why there are no geniuses in basketball.
Chase Utley was the frontrunner to win the NL MVP award before John Lanaan got a little too excited in his first MLB start and popped him in the hand with a fastball. At the time, he was on pace for a historic season for a second basemen. Just how historic? Well, lets take a look - because that’s what I do in my free time.
Had Utley continued on the pace he was at through 100 games of the season before his injury, and assuming he rested for about 5 games, his numbers would have looked like this: .336 BA, 125 R, 212 H, 65 2B, 5 3B, 27 HR, 130 RBI, 11 SB, .414 OBP, .581 SLG, .995 OPS, 367 Total Bases, 96 Extra-Base Hits.
When you look at single season records for 2nd basemen, the rankings usually consists of about 5-10 straight Rogers Hornsby seasons (more on him later) at the top, so you have to take that into account. Below are Utley’s would-be all-time single season rankings, with the number in parentheses representing his ranking if you only count Hornsby once. (Did that make sense at all?)
2B - 1st (1st, and 2nd all time, first since 1936 with 60 doubles)
RBI - 5th (3rd)
SLG - 11th (4th)
OPS - 12th(5th)
Total Bases - 7th(3rd)
Extra-Base Hits - 2nd(2nd)
Essentially, Utley was on pace for one of the all-time great seasons for a second-basemen, behind only Hornsby and a couple Joe Morgan seasons from the mid-70s. He also might have been able to make a run at the all-time doubles record. Unfortunately, this can only be hypothetical because of that errant pitch that found the back of his hand.
What We Need In ‘08
This is easy, no analysis needed: we just need Utley healthy. He is the best pure hitter on the team, and with the past two NL MVP’s residing in the same line-up, that’s saying something. He has rare bat speed, which means he can make up for timing issues that might put other players in a long slump. As long as he’s healthy, he’ll produce at a high level. I don’t think it would surpise anyone to see him bring home the city’s 3rd straight MVP award in 2008.
Second Basemen of the Future? Well, it’s clearly Utley, but the Phillies best offensive prospect in the minors also plays 2nd base. Adrian Cardenas, 20, has drawn comparisons to Utley because of his great bat. He is a couple years away and may be moved to a different position if he proves he is too good to keep off the field. He is definitely one to keep an eye on in 2008.
Best Season for a Phillies Second-Baseman: Utley, 2007 (.332 BA, 22 HR, 103 RBI, 48 2B, .566 SLG %, .976 OPS)
Best Season Ever By a Second-Baseman: Rogers Hornsby, St. Louis Cardinals, 1922 (.401 BA, 42 HR, 152 RBI, 250 H, 141 Runs, .722 SLG%, .459 OBP, 450 Total Bases)
This was just an obscene season by any measure. You think Utley played well this season? Even with the “would-be” Utley numbers, Hornsby had 22 more RBI, almost EIGHTY-THREE more total bases despite the fact Utley would have been chasing the doubles mark, about 150 points higher on slugging percentage alone, 20 more HR, etc, etc.
Led the NL in 11 categories. 2nd most total bases in a season in the history of baseball. One of 2 players (Chuck Klein) to put up 150 RBI, 250 H and 140 Runs in a season, but Klein didn’t hit over .400 while doing it. As second basemen go, there is Hornsby, and everyone else. His single season ranks for 2nd basemen in the 1922 season are as follows:
- Total Bases - 1st (the closest person not named Hornsby, Alfonso Soriano, is 69 back)
- RBI- 1st
- Extra Base Hits - 1st
- Hits - 1st
- HR - 2nd(Davey Johnson, 1973 hit 43 for the Braves. Bet you didn’t know that)
- SLG % - 2nd (behind himself)
- OPS - 3rd (he holds 8 of the top 9 spots in this category)
NBA Franchise Player Survey Results If you were building an NBA team, which player would you start with?
%
Lebron James
32.0%
Dwight Howard
27.0%
Kobe Bryant
18.0%
Tim Duncan
9.0%
Dwyane Wade
3.0%
Greg Oden
3.0%
Yao Ming
3.0%
Chris Paul
2.0%
Kevin Durant
2.0%
Carmelo Anthony
1.0%
Total Responses
100
Dwight Howard is my personal choice. Traditionally you try to build a championship franchise around a Hall of Fame-caliber big man. Obviously there are exceptions to this philosophy, which started when MJ showed up. LeBron has the same type of abilities that can carry a team to a championship as well being the #1 guy on a team with no All-Star big. But when you have a choice (which is almost never the case - think 1984 draft) between a great big and a great perimeter player most GMs default to taking the big man which history bares this out.
Howard reminds me of the first great center that skipped high school for the NBA, Moses Malone. The difference; Howard is much more athletic than Malone with better overall defense and shooting %. When people think NBA center, the first guys that usually come to mind are Wilt, Russell & Kareem with Hakeem right behind them. Just to emphasize how good I think Dwight Howard will be if he stays healthy and continues his development, here are some Moses Malone facts. (#’s don’t include 2 ABA seasons)
Champion: Led the Sixers to a 12-1 championship run
All-around player: 3 MVPs and 1 Finals MVP
Beast on the boards: 16,212 boards (5th all-time)
Great inside scorer: 27,409 points (5th all-time)
In good company: Only Wilt, Kareem & Karl Malone have a greater sum of points and rebounds than Moses.
Longevity: 19 NBA seasons, 2 ABA (2nd longest career to Robert Parish)
You just don’t find big men of this caliber very often so in my opinion I couldn’t pass Howard up. Here is Pete’s take on Dwight Howard in previous post.
Here are some reader comments for a few of the players. My comments are in red italics.
LeBron James “Because you can count on him in the crunch, he’ll score the winning basket or pass it off. For being such a young talent, his maturity level exceeds all of the other attributes required.“
“Any player as young as LeBron with the talent to be as good as or better than MJ who can make a bunch of nobodies (like the Cavs) a contender can start my team any day. I guess you could say the same for Kobe although he is almost 30. LeBron is younger with more upside.“
“I would take LeBron for obvious reasons. He has shown the ability to make others around him better, which is hard to come by these days. You get the best of both worlds with LeBron, he can run the point and score at will, which no other player in the league can do. Don’t get me wrong, there are others in the league that can score when they want (Kobe…), but they can’t run the point like LeBron. [I don't agree with this.]He is only 23-years-old and is already a top 5 player in the NBA and has yet to reach his full potential, not to mention he has that ‘it’ factor.“
“Toss up between D-Howard and LeBron, but I choose LeBron because I’ve never seen another player with the same combination of athleticism and strength. There is no ceiling for LeBron. I’m certain he could average a triple-double in the right situation with the focus he’s shown this season.“
Dwight Howard “First, young; second, has steadily shown highest quality basketball for a considerable row of games; third, no doubts about character or health. Gets a little nod over LeBron James and Chris Paul because of: First, his position (center); second, perfect physical data for his position as compared to Chris Paul. Chris Paul is shorter than most pgs. Not a big thing now, but what about early 30s, when his amazing speed decreases?“
“You have to start a team right at the center position. I was going to take Oden, but who knows how he will turn out. Dwight is already established as a 25-10 guy, and is really young, what 23?“[22, actually]
“I have to look at it from the idea that all of the great NBA teams have had the great big man (exception: Michael Jordan, sorta).“
“He is the best in the league in terms of game impact. Unstoppable post presence. If I recall, that is what it takes to win a championship.“
Kobe Bryant “He is an elite NBA player, probably the best in the business. He has won NBA titles as well.“[There is no question he has what it takes but Kobe needs to win a few playoff series without Shaq or he will have a HUGE monkey on his back and a question mark on his career. This season we are seeing a different Kobe in that he is relying more on his teammates and the Lakers are feeding off this newly found trust.]
Tim Duncan “Best there is - a good defensive player and good scorer as well.“
“He has proven it time and time again.” [What more can you say?]
“I love Kobe but if you want someone to start a team you need a big man, and Duncan does everything well and has won in the past and probably will keep winning in the future.”
Dwyane Wade “Because he is a do-it-all player… just give him enough support from his teammates, he can bring a championship on that team.“[He definitely proved he can carry a team through the playoffs and finals, but now he has questions about his durability considering his style of play.]
Greg Oden “Big men win championships.“[No - Good-to-great big men win championships. People always seem to leave out the most important phrase in that philosophy. With that said many analysts liken Oden to David Robinson and Bill Russell based almost solely on his defensive potential. Time will tell whether he even comes close to those impossible expectations (won't happen). The big question is can he also dominate on the offensive end. He has one post move (jump hook) and will need a lot of development before he becomes a reliable option in the low block on the pro level. Luckily for Portland they already have Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge who are both solid scorers.]
Chris Paul “Point guard is by far the most important position in the NBA. Chris Paul has qualities of Isaiah Thomas, Jason Kidd, is a true pass-first point guard, already plays like a savvy veteran, has a great work ethic, is mature, and makes everyone around him better. You can have a great scorer like Kobe, or a great all around SF like LeBron on your team, but still not have enough pieces and never go far in the playoffs. If you have a PG of Paul’s character, it’s easier to line up any remaining talent you’ll need, as their skills will be maximized.“[I agree with this comment in that a point guard this good extracts all the strengths mediocre teammates have and negates their weaknesses. You could put a great wing player like Kobe or big man like Shaq on his team and he will make even those caliber players better. I think great point guards are the 2nd toughest to find behind Centers.]
Honorable mention: Steve Nash, Allen Iverson, Baron Davis.
What other NBA players that aren’t listed would you make a case for? Check out what NBA.com writer Dave McMenamin thinks about the topic and the Recliner GM Sports Blog.
“They were losing on purpose. It was a business decision” Frank Layden, the former Utah coach, reporting what an anonymous Houston Rockets’ executive told him first hand. And why wouldn’t they, well besides integrity and respect for the game, when at worst they would get Jordan or Olajuwon. In those days the two teams with the worst record would literally flip a coin to decide the 1 & 2 draft positions. With that system, tanking games was an effective and almost guaranteed option to land a franchise-changing player in the draft.
That business decision was carried out to perfection for the Rockets. They dropped 14 of their last 17 games, 9 of their last 10, and their final 5.
One of the more suspicious actions was Coach Bill Fitch somewhat resurrecting 38-year old Elvin Hayes’ career for one last season - for no real reason. Hayes played all 53 minutes in Houston’s 81st game of the season and the first 35 minutes in the last game, ending his career with exactly 50,000 minutes-played, the first player to do so. This insignificant milestone was the reason Fitch claimed he played Hayes all those minutes. Besides the fact this record meant nothing, the goodwill towards Hayes made less sense considering Fitch didn’t like him much. Evidence of that is best described by this advice to his rookie center Ralph Sampson, “You stay away from that no-good, fucking prick,” Fitch said at the beginning of training camp in 1983.
The rest is pretty much history. That history would not have been if the Rockets played to their potential in the beginning of the ‘83-’84 season. They had a group of talented young players led by Rookie of the Year Ralph Sampson’s 21ppg, 11rpg and 2.4bpg. Management’s decision to go after Olajuwon or Jordan came only after they started 18-26 and getting man-handled by the Lakers to the tune of a 29-point blowout going into the All-Star break. After that embarrassing game the top brass concluded it wasn’t working that season and made a conscious decision to play for the draft. Houston positioned itself back in the coin flip for the 2nd year in a row. They selected The Dream and went on to win back-to-back championship after reuniting Olajuwon with Phi Slama Jama running mate Clyde Drexler.
From Coin Flip to Draft Lottery
This betrayal in morality may not be the first instance of tanking games, but it was without a doubt the most visible. With the potential for greatness in the ‘84 draft class and obvious losing tactics employed by the Rockets, new Commissioner David Stern had to take action. The NBA had taken a hit after the ‘83 season in the media and by the fans. Immediately following the 1984 NBA draft Stern did away with the prehistoric coin flip for his draft lottery system starting in 1985. At the time each of the 7 non-playoff teams would get an even chance for the #1 pick. This made sense because now, no matter how many games a team dumped, they would have no advantage in the draft. That resulted in Patrick Ewing to the Knicks in the famed “frozen-envelope” scandal in which the NBA allegedly rigged the lottery to send Patrick Ewing to a big market team the New York Knicks. After much controversy over the new system (among the bad teams really) that teams with the worst records weren’t landing the top picks therefore being stuck in mediocrity, the lottery system was changed three more times before we got to the current version.
1987 - Only the first 3 picks were decided by the lottery the rest would be decided by record.
1990 - The worst team would receive the best chance to get the #1 pick by getting 11 chances in the lottery (11 non-playoff teams). 2nd worst team 10 chances and so on.
1994 - The teams would be weighted based on record with the worst record getting a 25% chance at the number 1 pick and decreased down the line to a 0.5% chance for the best non-playoff team.
This weighting system essentially revived the tanking strategy as now there was some incentive to dump games again. Basically if at best a team would be the 28th seed why not try for 30 and get a higher percentage chance at the top pick? Tanking games is unquestionably unethical and a disgrace to the game, but it did pay off for Houston. By winning back-to-back championships in ‘94 & ‘95 when MJ decided to give the league a break for two seasons, the Rockets essentially paved the “tanking” way for the other teams as well.
The Most Recent Example of Dumping Games
In 1996, seven teams were vying for the #1 pick in the upcoming draft. The prize: Tim Duncan, a franchise-changing big man with a boring, yet undeniably effective game. By losing excessively down the stretch those 7 teams went a combined 13-57 in the last ten games of the season. The Spurs conveniently lost their last 6 (the only team to do so) and secured the 3rd worst record in the league at 20-62 or more accurately stated: 3rd best in the Tim Duncan sweepstakes. The record itself may not be enough to assume tanking but consider the following:
Questions were raised about whether David Robinson’s foot fracture had healed to the point where he could and should be playing.
Similar to the Houston debacle this team was suspiciously led by another well-past-his-prime superstar in Dominique Wilkins (age 37). At the same time other healthy, younger players were being sidelined and rested for no apparent reason. Here’s Barkley’s first hand account after a game vs. the Spurs in 1997:
That was significant in that the Nuggets, Sixers and Mavericks finished just 1, 2 & 4 games better than the Spurs, so winning even one of those last 6 games could have been the difference between getting #2 pick Keith Van Horn rather than Duncan. That was one of the biggest turnarounds considering the Spurs were 59-23 the previous season.
Two years later (a much faster turnaround than Houston) had San Antonio winning the 1st of 4 championships in 9 years - led by Duncan. With this much success from allegedly losing games on purpose, can we really believe it won’t happen again in the near future?
Opening Day Starter (2003-2008) 2008- Ryan Howard
2007- Ryan Howard
2006- Ryan Howard
2005- Jim Thome
2004- Jim Thome
2003- Jim Thome
2007 Recap
Following his historic MVP season in 2006, Ryan Howard clearly started off 2007 with a bit of a hangover from the constant media attention and award dinners’ circuit in the off-season. He quickly got back to his old self though, leading the NL in HR and RBI after the all-star break.
To put in perspective the 2 years that Howard has had with the Phillies, here are some stats.
-Over the last 2 years, his only full seasons in the league, Howard has 105 HR (16 more than anyone else), and 285 RBI, (8 more than anyone else)
-Single Season HR Ranks – Excluding those who took steroids
1)Roger Maris, 1961 – 61
2)Babe Ruth, 1927 – 60
3)Babe Ruth, 1921 – 59
4)Ryan Howard, 2006 – 58
-Single Season RBI Ranks since 1950– Excluding those who took steroids
1)Manny Ramirez, 1999 – 165
2)Alex Rodriguez, 2007 – 156
3)Tommy Davis, 1962 – 153
4)Andres Galarraga, 1996 – 150
5)Ryan Howard, 2006 – 149
-Is already the Phillies all-time HR leader for a first-baseman
-In 2007, hit .377 and had a .568 on-base percentage with runners in scoring position and 2 outs
What We Need In ‘08
It’s hard to nitpick with someone who owns the stats mentioned above, but one thing Howard can do in 2008 is take a little bit of pressure off himself. Last year, he was coming off his MVP season, may have felt he was playing for a contract and spent part of the year without Utley in the line-up. As a result, he pressed at times, and ended with a very high strikeout rate, and a lowered batting average (from .313 to .268). In 2008, Howard needs to get back to making contact with the ball, spreading it to all fields and bring his batting average up and strikeouts down. But even if he doesn’t, I’m never going to complain about 47 HR and 136 RBI.
First-Baseman of the Future? Let’s just say we should hope Howard doesn’t get injured. There is really no quality 1B prospect in our system.
NL East First-Baseman Rankings 1. Ryan Howard, Phillies
2. Mark Teixeira, Braves
3. Carlos Delgado, Mets
4. Dmitri Young, Nationals
5. Mike Jacobs, Marlins
Top 3 First-Basemen in MLB for ‘08 1. Ryan Howard, Phillies
2. Albert Pujols, Cardinals
3. Prince Fielder, Brewers
Top 3 First-Basemen in 25 or younger
1. Fielder, 23
2. James Loney, Dodgers, 23
3. Adrian Gonzalez, Padres, 25
Best Season By a Phillies First-Baseman: Ryan Howard, 2006 (.313, 58 HR, 149 RBI, 1.084 OPS)
Best Season Ever By a First-Baseman: Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees - 1927
(.373 BA, 47 HR, 52 2B, 18 3B, 175 RBI, 149 Runs, 1.239 OPS). Only player to ever have over 45 HR, 50 2B and 15 3B in a single season. 5th most RBI, 3rd most total bases, 2nd most extra-base hits of any season, at any position. Among 1st basemen in a single season: Highest OPS and SLG% ever, most total bases and extra-base hits, 3rd most RBI, 5th most runs, 7th best BA. And not surprisingly, he played every game.
Chris Paul
Kevin Durant
Marcus Camby
Andrew Bynum
Manu Ginobili
Nate McMillan
I was about to start writing up my analysis of the Phillies 3rd base position and I looked in disgust at the list of opening day starters the last couple years. Wes Helms, Abraham Nunez, David Bell. It took all my energy not to punch through my computer screen when I saw those three names written together. However, before I could write a single word, I checked ESPN.com for the 1,156th time today, and just my luck, we’ve 
This series has been moved to 
by Filip Bondy
“Because you can count on him in the crunch, he’ll score the winning basket or pass it off. For being such a young talent, his maturity level exceeds all of the other attributes required.“
“First, young; second, has steadily shown highest quality basketball for a considerable row of games; third, no doubts about character or health. Gets a little nod over LeBron James and Chris Paul because of: First, his position (center); second, perfect physical data for his position as compared to Chris Paul. Chris Paul is shorter than most pgs. Not a big thing now, but what about early 30s, when his amazing speed decreases?“
“He is an elite NBA player, probably the best in the business. He has won NBA titles as well.“ 
“Best there is - a good defensive player and good scorer as well.“
“Because he is a do-it-all player… just give him enough support from his teammates, he can bring a championship on that team.“ 
This series has been moved to 
