by Stop Mike Lupica on December 4 at 12:57PM
Okay, I'm kinda hungover today. Well, not hungover... I don't really get those, thankfully.
It's more like I'm still drunk.
With that in mind, rather than to try to put thoughts together incoherently, here are some quick links. I'll be back in a bit with a new post.
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The Indian Playa sent us this conspiracy theory link from the Freakonomics blog at the NY Times on the Giants and whether or not they were trying to cover the spread.
I would say that while it presents a mildly interesting theory, if any other blogger (i.e. me) wrote this, it would probably be laughed off as ridiculous. After all, didn't Joe Gibbs just prove this week that NFL coaches, even the Hall of Fame ones that have been in the league forever, make silly strategic blunders all the time?
Still, it's always good to see people take the influence of point spreads into account when something fishy or "out of the ordinary" occurs in an NFL game.
For another article that deals with gambling, see this Slate article on how British online gambling website Betfair helped bust a rigged tennis match.
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Here's a great Fire Joe Morgan post on the Angels signing of Torii Hunter (found via Tremendous Upside Potential). It's also worth checking out FJM's link to an article from The Guardian on how scientists think they have found a way to get light waves to travel at 300 times the speed of light.
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Here's a link to Gabe Muoneke's blog on HoopsHype, which might be one of the best blog by a basketball player (along with Rod Benson and Gilbert Arenas).
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Speaking of Rod Benson, here's a semi-funny YouTube clip of what happens when that "No Homo" game goes a little too far.
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Here is a Marc Berman piece in the NY Post on the e-mail message he got from Stephon Marbury yesterday, about how he dealing with the death of his father Don Marbury.
It's apparent that Marc Berman has become friends with Marbury, by the way. I mention this back when I was analyzing the Marbury AWOL situation: it's important to note the motivations behind why newspapers report certain things differently. For example, while the Daily News has taken on the voice of its "sources" (like when they reported that Marbury got into it on the plane with Isiah, and threatened or "blackmail" him), it's clear that it doesn't have any access to the players. Or Knicks management. Or any in, really. So it's hard not to question where 80% of their info is coming from, and if it is really reliable.
The Post, on the other hand, does have a clear relationship with Marbury. So some of the stuff they have been reporting (like that Marbury actually got the news of the benching from Isiah at the hotel, not on the plane) is spun a bit towards Marbury. Berman has repeatedly commented on his blog that Stephon is getting scapegoated by the organization for the poor start.
He does so again, and even calls out Quentin Richardson hard. He also adds some heat on Curry and Crawford at the end.
We agree on calling out Curry and Crawford, whose lax defense (especially Crawford) hurts the Knicks more than Marbury's play. They are both nice young guys who the media likes (since they are "nice" guys), so they don't get called out enough.
The Knicks big problem is defense, and the big problem there is perimeter defense. Guards getting open shots on the perimeter without a hand in their face, or easily blowing past the Knicks' guards to get into the basket. Curry and Randolph may not be shotblockers, and so they get called out a lot for being poor defenders, but it's not their guys killing the Knicks every night... it's the opposing teams' backcourts. The Knicks need better defense on the perimeter from their guards, both Marbury and Crawford.
And this is why you are seeing Fred Jones so much more on the court lately.
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Speaking of Marbury, does his absence opens the door for Nate Robinson's return (he's DNP in the last two games). Alan Hahn wonders so.
Of course Alan Hahn is a noted Nate Robinson "fan", so he's lobbying on Nate's behalf for more playing time. See how everyone has their angle?
Regardless, I think Nate's not going to get much burn. I'm not sure what he did that Zeke is down on him, but it's clear he is. Or perhaps he's just "up" on Fred Jones. Fred Jones is what the Knicks need in some ways - a defensive-oriented guard who will get into passing lanes and defend on the perimeter. The Knicks were +18 (!) in the 18 minutes Fred Jones played against the Bucks on Friday, as he helped spur that comeback win.
But Fred Jones can be a liability if he plays too many minutes. And he's not as good a ballhandler as Nate. Look for both to play around 20 minutes each (unless Mardy Collins gets involved) against Jason Kidd. Look for Isiah to also try weird things, like putting Jeffries out there to guard Jason Kidd or Vince Carter. Balkman should also get minutes against the Nets....
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It's more like I'm still drunk.
With that in mind, rather than to try to put thoughts together incoherently, here are some quick links. I'll be back in a bit with a new post.
*****************
The Indian Playa sent us this conspiracy theory link from the Freakonomics blog at the NY Times on the Giants and whether or not they were trying to cover the spread.
I would say that while it presents a mildly interesting theory, if any other blogger (i.e. me) wrote this, it would probably be laughed off as ridiculous. After all, didn't Joe Gibbs just prove this week that NFL coaches, even the Hall of Fame ones that have been in the league forever, make silly strategic blunders all the time?
Still, it's always good to see people take the influence of point spreads into account when something fishy or "out of the ordinary" occurs in an NFL game.
For another article that deals with gambling, see this Slate article on how British online gambling website Betfair helped bust a rigged tennis match.
***************
Here's a great Fire Joe Morgan post on the Angels signing of Torii Hunter (found via Tremendous Upside Potential). It's also worth checking out FJM's link to an article from The Guardian on how scientists think they have found a way to get light waves to travel at 300 times the speed of light.
****************
Here's a link to Gabe Muoneke's blog on HoopsHype, which might be one of the best blog by a basketball player (along with Rod Benson and Gilbert Arenas).
****************
Speaking of Rod Benson, here's a semi-funny YouTube clip of what happens when that "No Homo" game goes a little too far.
************
Here is a Marc Berman piece in the NY Post on the e-mail message he got from Stephon Marbury yesterday, about how he dealing with the death of his father Don Marbury.
It's apparent that Marc Berman has become friends with Marbury, by the way. I mention this back when I was analyzing the Marbury AWOL situation: it's important to note the motivations behind why newspapers report certain things differently. For example, while the Daily News has taken on the voice of its "sources" (like when they reported that Marbury got into it on the plane with Isiah, and threatened or "blackmail" him), it's clear that it doesn't have any access to the players. Or Knicks management. Or any in, really. So it's hard not to question where 80% of their info is coming from, and if it is really reliable.
The Post, on the other hand, does have a clear relationship with Marbury. So some of the stuff they have been reporting (like that Marbury actually got the news of the benching from Isiah at the hotel, not on the plane) is spun a bit towards Marbury. Berman has repeatedly commented on his blog that Stephon is getting scapegoated by the organization for the poor start.
He does so again, and even calls out Quentin Richardson hard. He also adds some heat on Curry and Crawford at the end.
We agree on calling out Curry and Crawford, whose lax defense (especially Crawford) hurts the Knicks more than Marbury's play. They are both nice young guys who the media likes (since they are "nice" guys), so they don't get called out enough.
The Knicks big problem is defense, and the big problem there is perimeter defense. Guards getting open shots on the perimeter without a hand in their face, or easily blowing past the Knicks' guards to get into the basket. Curry and Randolph may not be shotblockers, and so they get called out a lot for being poor defenders, but it's not their guys killing the Knicks every night... it's the opposing teams' backcourts. The Knicks need better defense on the perimeter from their guards, both Marbury and Crawford.
And this is why you are seeing Fred Jones so much more on the court lately.
***************
Speaking of Marbury, does his absence opens the door for Nate Robinson's return (he's DNP in the last two games). Alan Hahn wonders so.
Of course Alan Hahn is a noted Nate Robinson "fan", so he's lobbying on Nate's behalf for more playing time. See how everyone has their angle?
Regardless, I think Nate's not going to get much burn. I'm not sure what he did that Zeke is down on him, but it's clear he is. Or perhaps he's just "up" on Fred Jones. Fred Jones is what the Knicks need in some ways - a defensive-oriented guard who will get into passing lanes and defend on the perimeter. The Knicks were +18 (!) in the 18 minutes Fred Jones played against the Bucks on Friday, as he helped spur that comeback win.
But Fred Jones can be a liability if he plays too many minutes. And he's not as good a ballhandler as Nate. Look for both to play around 20 minutes each (unless Mardy Collins gets involved) against Jason Kidd. Look for Isiah to also try weird things, like putting Jeffries out there to guard Jason Kidd or Vince Carter. Balkman should also get minutes against the Nets....
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I actually just got done typing up an e-mail to ESPN's Tuesday Morning Quarterback about Tom Coughlin's late-game strategy. TMQ loves to call out coaches when they make stupid mistakes, so I figured if any mainstream media writer would point it out, he would. I thought the Giants should kneel on first down, make the Bears use their final timeout, then they can kneel again, get the clock under a minute, maybe run a play on third down to get intot he end zone, and if they dont succeed, kick the FG as time expires.
Bill Belichick had a similar brain-fart last night. After the Patriots scored their go-ahead TD with 44 seconds left, various penalties assessed on the kickoff had the PAtriots kicking off fromthe Ravens 35. Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski kicked it out of the end zone for a touchback. But if the Patriots had attempted an onsides kick, they could have iced the game right then and there, and if the Ravens recover, they basically get the ball where they started with it after the touchback anyway.
It's amazing to me how often coaches screw up late-game time management...