|
Written by Zach Harper
|
|
Wednesday, 28 October 2009 11:41 |
|
We were entertained to a solid night of basketball on opening night and other than the nearly unwatchable Lakers-Clippers game (thanks purple and gold for being just uninterested enough to keep the score close), I really enjoyed watching every game.
Say what you want about the biased TV deciders making the Cavs-Celtics matchup the predictable first game but watching Pierce and LeBron toss knives at each other (whoops! Sorry for the bad memories, Paul!) was a great way to start off the season, Gilbert Arenas' return versus Dirk screaming and beating his chest after huge 3rd quarter shots and the Travis Outlaw-Aaron Brooks battle was a very nice lineup.
But first thing's first - the old gang at the Hardwood Paroxysm got together for a GChat NBA Preview discussion. I recommend you check it out if you have an hour and a half to kill. Seriously.
Now, let's see what others are saying about the games:
Celtics 95, Cavaliers 89
From Cavs: The Blog - "And after a hot start thanks to a couple of nice post-up baskets, Shaq really wasn’t helping the first team offense all that much. The lane looked extremely cluttered with him and Andy down there, he wasn’t opening much up passing from the low-post or working off the ball off the penetration of others. The worst thing was how disinterested he seemed setting screens and moving away from the basket. He’d just sort of amble over to an area, put his hands over his crotch, and stand there laconically as the man he was supposed to be screening went right around him and disrupted the play. If Shaq wants to play with Varejao, he has to make an impact with activity and good screens on the perimeter. Ben Wallace was able to be a part of a very good offensive unit last season doing only these things."
From Stepien Rules - "The Cavaliers were basically just a team of guys who looked like they never played together before, and that's to be expected. LeBron looked like LeBron, and eventually, if he just keeps looking like LeBron, I think everyone else will figure out what they need to do to best compliment him. Looked like the defensive schemes are still a work in progress as well, but I expect the Cavaliers to be on all cylinders at both ends of the floor by game 10."
Read more after that jump
From Celtics Hub - "The difference between these two teams to me right now is quite simple really. It’s trust. Through the 4th quarter….and the majority of the game for that matter, the Celtics showed trust in each other on the floor. When the C’s are playing well, they are playing unselfishly. They also trust their game plan and know where they are supposed to be on the floor. Thanks to this faith in one another, no one hesitates to make the dish to any player on the floor in any spot. This formula ends up providing the C’s high percentage shots."
From Red's Army - "The bench depth did prove valuable late in this game. With the Cavs playing off Perk, Doc made the move to Sheed. Even though he missed two threes, the substitution changed Cleveland's defensive scheme. After Pierce nailed that 17-footer, Doc pulled him for Marquis Daniels because Pierce had 5 fouls. Would Doc have made that same move if say, Tony Allen was coming off the bench? I doubt it."
Wizards 102, Mavericks 91
From Agent Dagger - "Blatche exploded against the Mavericks in 35 minutes off the bench. The 23-year-old shot 8-14 on the way to scoring 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Blatche looked smooth on the floor. The power had great position all night, both offensively and defensively. The once clumsy, but athletic, forward looked collected and had nice touch on shots out to 20 feet."
From Truth About It - "He looked great. I could say “he’s back” like everyone else, but it was a bit different. The knee definitely looks like it’s made a solid return. Arenas was stopping on a dime, pulling up for mid-range jumpers. Sure, a 36-year old Jason Kidd was guarding him on many of those, but Arenas looked so quick, so fluid in doing so. I don’t think many defenders could have gotten a good contest on his shot. Arenas also showed no hesitation getting into the lane, especially with the smaller J.J. Barea on him. All those inside shots Arenas missed in the preseason are long forgotten. He was playing the angles off the glass like Minnesota Fats used to play the angles on a pool table. Arenas got to the line (8-9), had good lift on his jumper, and most importantly, a 3-1 assist/turnover ratio."
From Bullets Forever - "What impresses me the most is that the Wizards made a big second-half run with Caron Butler sitting on the bench. Who would have ever imagined that happening in the past? Frankly, who would have ever thought of Caron Butler actually staying off the floor in the fourth quarter? Again, major props to Flip Saunders for sticking with what was working."
From Two Man Game - "But if you absolutely must take away something from the Mavs’ flub against the Wizards, take this down and circle it: The Mavs were just…off. Dirk Nowitzki hit an unexpected dry spell in the first half, when he shot just 3-12 from the field. Jason Terry’s jumper went half-way down on more than a few occasions. Erick Dampier and Drew Gooden were just slightly out of position to receive an entry pass or challenge a shot. The team defense, the rebounding, and just about everything else was a step slow and a bit flat…and yet the Mavs were still within a stone’s throw of winning this game. Had Foye and Blatche not channeled their inner demi-gods, we could very well be celebrating one in the win column. The Mavs still have a lot of work to do, but they also have nothing but time."
Blazers 96, Rockets 87
From Blazers Edge - "The team defense tonight roughly resembled what Nate McMillan promised at the beginning of training camp, guards looking to pinch angles when the ball was moved out to the wings and quickly closing out when the ball was swung from side to side. It wasn't perfect, but it was leaps and bounds above anything the Blazers showed during the preseason. The Blazers held the Rockets to 37 percent shooting, just 28 percent from distance, and won the rebounding differential by nearly 20 (51-33), grabbing 39 defensive rebounds. All numbers Nate will be happy with."
From Bust A Bucket - "Oden looked anxious out there. While he is showing a good-to-great ability to pass out of the double team, he now needs to slow down again and execute his offensive set with less brevity. In the preseason when he was playing so well, he slowed down and took his time in the post. He felt his defender out and made the best offensive move based on what the defender gave him. Tonight it seemed as if he knew he was going to drop-step and spin with his first touch. Bottom line is Oden gave us exactly what we needed -- defense and rebounding. Against a team that doesn't get above 6'9", Oden was able to dominate the boards and paint like a man his size should. He didn't cut the guard cutting to the basket off with his hips like years past. He's learning. He's still a year or two away from being consistently comfortable."
From Rockets Buzz - "The Rockets are going to continue to be pests for their opponents. This can be traced back to last year. They never seem to go away. Down by as much as 20 points in the third, they cut the lead to six in the fourth quarter. Rick Adelman might have found something in the lineup including Budinger, Brooks, Lowry, Anderson, and Landry. This fourth quarter squad outscored the Blazers 31-21. The up-tempo offense that we have heard about in the offseason really started to click, as the Rockets scored more fast break points in this quarter alone than they had in the entire game."
Lakers 99, Clippers 92
From ClipperBlog - "This is a far better conditioned squad, and it’s evident in Chris Kaman’s arms, in the team’s third quarter run, and in the fact that the Clippers racks ass all night, never taking a single possession off. There’s a reason the Clippers were a lousy third quarter and an awful rebounding team last season: They were out of shape. Basketball is a frenetic, aerobic game and there’s absolutely no way to remain competitive if you can’t match your opponent’s physical effort. The Clippers lose the game, but not because they can’t endure."
From Silver Screen and Roll - "Perhaps most heartening for Laker fans was the play of Bynum. We spent all preseason hearing how good he looked, but you don't want to invest emotionally until you see what happens when real bullets start flying. Against a tall and skilled Clippers front line, he performed splendidly, to the tune of 26 points, 13 reebs, a block and only one turnover. His vertical mobility doesn't seem all there yet, but laterally he's moving better than ever, and he showed great instincts to get open and make himself available for feeds near the hoop. We couldn't have hoped for a more promising start to his season."
|
|
|
Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site.. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 