Leaderboard

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/586258-golden-state-warriors-mid-season-grades After a strong and riveting start, the Golden State Warriors gave fans hope for a strong season and a possible shot at playing in the postseason. It did not take too long for the Warriors to change that record around to become a below .500 team. Injuries and lack of depth have been a main concern for this group during the first half of the season. New faces have emerged on the team to become fan favorites while other players have fallen and could be dealt by the trade deadline, which is approaching us in about a month. With that being said, here are the individual player grades for the first half of the 2010-11 NBA season: Monta Ellis – Monta has emerged as the Warriors' leader this season. The "one man fast-break" should be an All-Star the way he has been playing this year. As Kobe Bryant said, “his offensive game is complete.” Ellis is unstoppable in the open court and is one of the best players in the league when it comes to taking the ball hard to the rack. His mid-range game is also one of the best in the league and is automatic. His play-making can improve, but he is a natural shooting guard and struggles at times passing the ball without Curry in the game. Monta’s perimeter defense has improved and he could be a good defender if he did not play over 40 minutes a game every night. He will be exhausted by the end of the season. Grade: A Stephen Curry – Curry might look like he has regressed a bit, but in reality he just has a bit of the sophomore slump case. He is still the best shooter in the NBA and can still pass well, most of the time. He still struggles with turnovers because of too many fancy pass attempts. On defense, he gambles for steals numerous times which causes him to be called for silly reach in fouls. Expect Stephen to play much better in the second half of the year. Grade: B- Dorell Wright – As expected, Wright has used the up-tempo style of play to his advantage. He leads the league in three-pointers and has been aggressive on offense. His defense is average at best, but his versatility helps him on that side of the floor. He has been better than everyone expected in a Warriors uniform. Wright will be up there in the Most Improved Player voting at the end of the year. Grade: A David Lee – While Lee has not lived up to his huge contract, he has provided some help for Golden State. The team’s rebounding numbers are higher than they were last season. His mid-range game has been getting better as the season has progressed and it came in handy during close games, late in the fourth quarter. Lee’s passing for a big man has been amazing. He passes out of the post well to open shooters. Lee is slow for his position and his defense is below average. Grade: C+ Andris Biedrins – Nellie’s gone, but Biedrins’ game is still not up to the caliber it once was. He has shown some little signs as of late, but has struggled for most of the year so far. He has an offensive move or two but is very limited, especially with his horrid free throw shooting. His rebounding numbers are down too, but that was expected with the acquisition of Lee. Grade: D Reggie Williams – Inconsistency is the first word that comes to mind when it comes to describing Williams. He is another one of the Warriors good D-League finds, but he can be very streaky. He is a good player to come off the bench, but can struggle and frustrate at times. But when he’s hot, he can be dangerous. Grade: C Vladimir Radmanovic – Who knew Space Cadet has this in him? After an atrocious start to the year, he has come up big for the past couple of months. He’s provided a spark off the bench and been clutch when called upon. Grade: B- Acie Law – Law can struggle at times finding his own shot, but is decent in creating for others. He is not the most legit back-up point guard, but he will be needed to get Ellis some rest. Grade: C- Lou Amundson – I had big expectations for Amundson, only to be disappointed. He might be still trying to get back to where he was prior to his injury, but more will be needed from him to be seen as better than Ronny Turiaf was in a Golden State jersey. Grade: D+ Dan Gadzuric – Better than I expected and he gives it his all every minute he’s out there. He is a decent back up forward. Grade: C Ekpe Udoh – Will never live up to being the sixth pick in the draft, but already the best interior defender on the team. Grade: B- Brandan Wright – I thought he would be the second best player in his draft class, but the injuries have taken a toll on him to be what he had potential to be. I would not be surprised to see him dealt by trade deadline. Grade: D Charlie Bell – Looks sharp in a suit. Grade: F+ Jeremy Lin – Not as good as advertised, but could be a solid back-up by the end of the season if given consistent minutes. Grade: C http://bleacherreport.com/articles/586258-golden-state-warriors-mid-season-grades

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Go Portland, take it to them.

Even without Rasheed Wallace

Quarter1--2--3--4Final Denver31 20 28 34113 Cleveland15 35 26 2096 Jordan Player of the GameWilson ChandlerRecord: Cleveland (0-2), Denver (1-1) Cavs cold 4th quarter ends Home Opener with frustration http://community.2ksports.com/community/storage/media/v/l4/l3956/m3959060.jpg Kyrie shows his emotions after the second loss of the season. http://www.factory-outlet-stores.info/images/com_sobi2/clients/558_under_armour_clinton_img.jpgUnder Armour Top 5 Performers (Team by Team) Cavs J. Sullinger: 21 pts, 15 boards, 6 assists 2 blocks K. Irving: 19 pts, 4 assists, 7 turnovers T. Young: 15 pts, 5 boards J. Pryzbilla: 12 pts, 7 boards S. Weems: 12 pts, 5 boards, 4 assists Nets W. Chandler: 19 pts, 4 boards A. Afflalo: 24 pts, 7 boards, 5 assists C. Billups: 19 pts, 11 assists Nene: 12 pts, 6 boards D. Gallinari: 11 pts http://community.2ksports.com/community/storage/media/v/l4/l3955/m3958818.jpg The Q was rocking througout the first three quarters. It got quiet quick a few minutes into the 4th. http://www.thinkinguncommon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/gatorade_thumb.jpg Gatorade "That's G" Game Recap After a tough loss to New Jersey, the Cavs came out much more aware. However, the Nuggets, one of the most potent offenses, would not stop nailing shots from around the perimeter. The Cavs found themselves scoring 15 points in the first quarter for the second straight game. However, the 2nd quarter was very promising. The Cavs came out rolling. They were running the Nuggets back and forth down the court, forcing quick shots and running plays on the offensive end with much efficiency. The Cavs eventually took their first lead since the opening minutes when Sonny Weems jammed a dunk to the roar of the crowd. The Nuggets, however, managed to score in the final seconds to go into the half with the lead. The 2nd half started fairly well for Cleveland. The Cavs were up 56-51. However, the Nuggets went on a 9-0 run to take a 65-56 lead. The Cavs responded with the same aggression from the 2nd quarter to tie it up at 67 after Jamison got a lay up for the and one. Eventually the 4th quarter rolled around, and the Cavs were down 79-76. It was about as brutal as it gets. The Cavs couldn't strike at all, and the Nuggets kept pounding away on the offensive end to extend the lead. The final score wasn't close to indicating type of game this was. http://media.cleveland.com/startingblocks/photo/new-cavaliers-secondary-logojpg-3e1cc85a3e691cec_small.jpgCavaliers Extra Post-Game Comments Byron Scott: "We scored 10 more points, but you have to be able to score more when you play these offensive oriented teams. And during practice tomorrow, I'll make sure we hamper down on defense. Right now, we're giving up 113 points a game, and that's unacceptable." http://community.2ksports.com/community/storage/media/v/l4/l3955/m3958601.jpg Sonny Weems monster dunk gave the Cavs its first lead since the opening minutes. Game Notes - Jamison played more tonight, and put up 9 points - Joey Graham may have found himself out of the rotation, playing no minutes tonight - Sonny Weems is impressing Coach Scott -Irving and Sullinger are playing solid. They had a tough time handling their first close game of the season, but that will fade with time. Game 3: @ Indiana (10/30/11)

I go to high school dude, so I'm not home during the day. ---------- Quarter1--2--3--4Final Cleveland15 23 29 19113 New Jersey22 32 26 3386 Jordan Player of the GameTerrence JonesRecord: Cleveland (0-1), New Jersey (1-0) Nets Drown Cavs http://community.2ksports.com/community/storage/media/v/l4/l3953/m3956842.jpg Manny Harris' body language says it all. http://www.factory-outlet-stores.info/images/com_sobi2/clients/558_under_armour_clinton_img.jpgUnder Armour Top 5 Performers (Team by Team) Cavs J. Sullinger: 26 pts, 3 boards K. Irving: 14 pts, 3 boards, 9 assists, 10 turnovers S. Weems: 13 pts, 4 boards J. Pryzbilla: 10 pts, 7 boards, 5 blk T. Young: 9 pts, 5 boards Nets T. Jones: 30 pts, 3 boards, 3 assists (FG: 12/21) S. Vujacic: 19 pts, 4 assists D. Favors: 12 pts, 3 boards Z. Randolph: 12 pts, 9 boards D. Harris: 11 pts, 11 assists http://www.thinkinguncommon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/gatorade_thumb.jpg Gatorade "That's G" Game Recap It was a tough opening night for Cleveland, who felt confident it could beat the Nets, predicted to be one of the worst teams in the league this season. The Nets just had it going tonight. The game was pretty even to start. The Cavs had a rough time getting the ball in the basket in the first quarter, but did much better on the offensive end as the game progressed. The closest part of the game was halfway through the second quarter, when the Cavs cut the lead to 33-30. The Nets then went on a huge run. Terrence Jones, in his NBA debut, put up 30 points. He shot the ball almost any time he had the slightest look, and it kept going down. Coming out of the half, the Cavs were determined to get back in the game. They made it a thirteen point game heading into the fourth, but the Nets went on an 8-2 run to start the fourth quarter, virtually killing any energy left in the Cavs systems. The Cavs kept the rookies in there though to get some experience. The whole fourth quarter, though, was just a dagger to the Cavs, who looked poised to make a comeback. Key stats in this game include field goal attempts. The Nets had 90, while the Cavs had 71. That mostly came from the Nets dominance in second chance attempts. They had 10 offensive rebounds to the Cavs 3. http://media.cleveland.com/startingblocks/photo/new-cavaliers-secondary-logojpg-3e1cc85a3e691cec_small.jpgCavaliers Extra Post-Game Comments Byron Scott: "I think we were prepared, we just didn't execute. We turned the ball over and lost the rebounding battle. Those things we can control. Also, we need to get to the line more." Sullinger: "I mean, it was awesome finally playing, but this isn't how I wanted our team to come out. We'll just have to be ready for Denver Saturday because I really don't want to lose like this again." http://community.2ksports.com/community/storage/media/v/l4/l3953/m3956243.jpg Sullinger has a solid debut. He blocks one of Randolph's shots here. Game Notes - Irving had 9 assists, but also had 10 turnovers - Jamison only had 5 points, forcing Scott to limit him to only 14 minutes of play - Thaddeus Young had no mid-range game tonight, and the Cavs will need that - Boobie will be back in 8-10 weeks Game 2: Home Opener vs. Nuggets (10/29/11) ---------- I'm not the best 2k player, but don't expect this too often.

Been here since day 1. Crazy been here since I was 13. haha.

Damn Dee, I was supposed to create this topic! Six years is crazy. It's scary. I know a lot of you more than I do my old HS friends. I'm very, very proud to say that, in these six years, OTR has never been sold. It has never merged with another site. I have never put it on the market, never decided to seek a merge. Same owner since 2005, same name (otrforums changed to otrbasketball, but you know what I mean), same board software, same direction. No restarts (only one, but technically not a restart because it was forced by an SQL injection hack). People have been known to criticize OTR, about how strict we are, or how we have less activity than most troll-invested sites...but how many six-year basketball sites can you name? It's true...I love bragging about the site. I love bragging about the community. I will stand here and speak it until my face is blue: we have the best core of posters a site could have, in regards to basketball knowledge (without a doubt), and maybe even sports in general. On a personal level, I have worked my ass off for this place. However, that work I do doesn't show if everyone else doesn't work as hard, either. I can put up a board, team sites, and post 100 times a day...but nobody knows it if people don't work hard to create that posting atmosphere, to start/lead/engage in discussions. For that, the only way I can repay everyone for that hard work is to hold the fort. Thanks to my staff, former staff, current and former members...everyone that has had a positive contribution to OTR over the last six years. It has never gone unnoticed. On with number seven.

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At 33 years old, Gary Payton was a top five defender in the NBA. Same with Dennis Rodman, at 34 years old. Same with Scottie Pippen, 34 years old. Out of the list, everyone over 32 is either far too old to even play basketball (Ratliff and Smith) or never played defense to begin with (Fisher). Kobe's knee is the excuse for him, although he doesn't close out on shooters as much as he should. Artest's defensive rating is as low as Luke Walton's, and Ron has absolutely no excuse for it. Gasol's defensive problems are due to physicality (lack of). He's 30, not 38...and it's something he has had a problem with since the days he looked like a 14-year old boy in Memphis. Odom doesn't know how to contest a shot. Half of the time, he puts his hand up a little, then brings it down and turns to watch the rim before the shot is even released. Defense isn't just about a player's knees (athleticism). Our players' defensive IQ's, the lack of help, the lack of focus, the missing physicality...being 30-32 years old shouldn't change all of that.

obviously you're not a golfer

Fish is a tank. FISHTANK!