Links and Random Topics Thread

[moofs]

This was handy in the offseason, and we've had it before, so everyone give a hearty re-welcome (hopefully) to the random crap thread!!!



Let's start it off

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_d ... nba,200187

[TMU]

It's amazing to see what Morey's capable of. While many questioned his acquisitions - whether that may be Brooks, Lowry, Ariza, etc. - he's consistently proven his critics wrong. We really shouldn't complain about this team because: 1. The Rockets have $40m-dollar men sitting on the bench (keep in mind that Morey didn't inherit those part-time superstars, 2. He's managed to build a competitive roster with only $35m. With or without T-Mac and Yao (or any other superstar), as long as Morey is in charge, I will support this team to the fullest.

p.s.: At times I feel sorry for the other fans whose teams are run by some clueless idiots.

[RaoulDuke79]

http://shutupwomangetonmyhorse.com/

Yes it's been seen a million times, but it never gets old. In fact, I would argue it gets better every time.

[Teckon]

Found a good article about the Rockets. Very good read.

http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/rockets ... 11_03.html

On Budinger and Lowry:

One other note about Budinger: pay special attention to the special on-court bond forming between him and point guard Kyle Lowry. Those two connected from the opening days of training camp and that alliance has subsequently manifested itself in the sparkling way they operate when sharing the floor together. Both players excel in the open court and Lowry especially has delighted in finding the rookie for frequent alley-oops, back-door cuts and wide-open threes when the Rockets are racing up the floor in transition.

Says Adelman: “I think Kyle especially senses Chase when he’s out there because, one thing about Chase from day one – and he did it last night about three times – when we get the rebound, he’s gone and he really runs the floor. Kyle has a real good sense to look for him and he also has a great sense to look for him in the open court for the transition three. We did that about five or six times last night where we took that transition three. But you only get that if all of your guys run and you flatten the defense out.”

On Adelman:

“He’s actually one of my favorite coaches I’ve ever had in my life,” says Lowry. “He’s really good at what he does. He puts us in situations where we can succeed and he pushes us. He knows his team, he studies us and he plays us in a way where we’ve got to succeed and we don’t want to let him down.

“He’s a player’s coach. He’s one win away from tying Jack Ramsey so obviously he knows what he’s doing. Even playing against him in Memphis, I noticed his offense. It’s a great concept, it works and it’s a tough thing to guard.”

Adds Battier: “I’ve really, really enjoyed playing for Coach. He has a style that I’ve never played under before and a style that really gives a player ownership in the team. When you win a game, a lot of coaches will try to take credit but he deflects all the credit to the players and really makes the players feel like they earned the win; it’s an amazing trait. He has amazing patience, more patience than I could ever have, and he wins games. He knows the game and he’s just been a real treat for me to play for.

“All successful coaches have an ego but the way Coach deals with his is he really tries to spread the credit around. He’s done an unbelievable job and he should be up for Coach of the Year every single year. He never is, that’s one of the travesties of this league and one of the farces of the award, because he’s done a masterful job coaching through injuries and adversity. His teams are always there and they always play hard and always play together. They play the way that basketball teams should play. I think all of our wins so far have been a reflection of him. He preaches unselfishness and team basketball and that’s the only way we’re going to win. That’s all Coach Adelman.”

[moofs]

http://www.thedreamshake.com/2009/12/3/ ... rey-taking

I'm shaking my head at Bill Simmons' analogy...

Combine all these variables and what do we have? According to a formula called "Expected Win Probability When Going For It," Pattani believed that the Patriots had an 80.5 chance of winning the game. By punting, they had a 79.0 chance of winning. So my argument (made on Monday's podcast) that Bill Belichick should have "played the percentages and punted" was technically wrong. Barely. Belichick did play the percentages if you took those percentages at face value.

I am not disputing the numbers or the methods for achieving them. But by Monday night, based on various columns and message boards (as well as e-mails to my reader mailbox), you would have thought Belichick was a genius for blowing the game. He played the percentages! It wasn't as crazy as it looked! By this logic, Belichick also should have held a loaded pistol to his head on the sideline, spun the chamber and tried to shoot himself like Chris Walken in "The Deer Hunter." If those 1-in-6 odds came through and he succeeded, we could have said, "Hey, he played the percentages: 83.6666 percent of the time, you don't die in that situation! You can't blame him for what happened!"