All-Star Reserves 2011

By: Amil Delic

The NBA All-Star Starters have been announced and my buddy John has weighted in with his picks starters predictions. So i'll be weighing in with my picks for the reserves in fine pre-game fashion. Enjoy my NBA fanatics.

EASTERN CONFERENCE RESERVES (alphabetical order, so east goes first)
(ALL players are shown as to what they might be wearing to the ALL-STAR game in LA Feb 20th, 2011)

Rajon Rondo - Boston Celtics 10.6PPG 4.5REB 12.5AST -bonus for the 3-piece suit and that 20 AST you promised us!





Raymond Felton - New York Knicks 17.1PPG 3.7REBS 8.9AST - added points for the one piece





Paul Pierce - Boston Celtics 19.1PPG 5REB 3.3AST - enough said





Chris Bosh - Miami Heat 18.5PPG 8.2REB 1.8AST - deserves it for being the third wheel. Awkward Chris?




Brook Lopez - New Jersey Nets 19.6PPG 5.6REB 1.4AST - He gives this team hope for the future




Al Horford - Atlanta Hawks 16.1PPG 9.9REB 3.6AST - He stands out in the ATL




Ray Allen - Boston Celtics 17.3PPG 3.6REB 3AST - He's eight 3 pointers shy of tying Reggie Miller all-time 3-point recond of 2560. Nice Job Ray. While shooting .398 from three..thats .003 better than Reggie.


And he might have new MJs for the all star game??


WESTERN CONFERENCE RESERVES

Russell Westbrook - OKC 22.4PPG 5.1REB 8.5AST - His first all-star game, he's excited!




Deron Williams - Utah Jazz  22.9PPG 3.7REB 9.9AST - back problems due to the load that he carries for this Jazz team




Zach Randolph - Memphis Grizzles 20PPG 13.2REB 1.5AST - His nickname ZeBo references the blockbuster flick "Friday". That's pretty cool Ice Cube. And so are you Zebo! Let me think about this one...




Kevin Love - Minnesota Timberwolves 21.4PPG 15.5REB 2.5AST - 20/15, no big deal. "I also sell a men's fragrance on the side" "We're not together"




Blake Griffin - LA Clippers 23.0PPG 12.7REB 3.6AST - I enjoy watching Clipper games and he produces the show NBA ACTION every week.




Monte Ellis - Golden State Warriors 25.1PPG 3.3REB 3.6AST - The Warriors are terrible with him on the floor but he does his time...40+ minutes/game - and he might wear that to the all star game. Hope not!




Lamarcus Aldridge - Portland Trial Blazers 21.3PPG 9.0REB 2.0AST - with everyone out, this guy has stepped up and somehow kept this team in contention. #respect




Pau Gasol as starting Center in place of Yao Ming (Come on China!! Do you not follow the NBA? He didn't Play!)

The Pau and Yao Show! copyrighted 2011 by After the Half

  "Yeeaaah!! I have better hair than you!" screams out Pau. "Ohh..Com'on Man! Long hair doesn't look good on me." replies Yao.



Side note; I'm feeling Bosh's baby blue suit! Hope he brings big baby as his date. Nice job supernova! d-uche move Chris Frosh!

 HA! NBA fit.. get him 30min/game and we'll see!

Blake Griffin is a Beauty and a Beast

By: Amil Delic

What the f* was that? How old is he? Did he just put that dudes head in his crotch? Is he taking passengers on his next flight? These are the questions that come to mind when I see Black Griffin play. Bank Shot! What!?! The man is a mix of Tim Duncan and Vince Carter but stronger. That’s a pretty deadly future hall of fame combination. And yes, *Vince Carter is a future hall of famer.

Critics have been bitching about how Mr. Griffin shouldn’t even be considered for the “Rookie of the Year” award because technically it’s his second year in the league. It’s hard to see eye-to-eye with critics these days especially when they are trying to feed us a load of BS and I’m not talking about Bill Simmons because I love the shit he feeds us. Most NBA columnist who decide to write or speak before doing their research usually get themselves in to trouble with us bloggers who have every day jobs but know our ball. The Blake Griffin rookie of the year talks should end right now. The guy is taking the award home and that was official after week 2 in the NBA regular season. Memo to D Stern; push for Blake to start at the All-Star game in Los Angeles and people might start liking you. But now I’m getting off topic; the point that I’m trying to make is that there were two other NBA players who postponed their road to the NBA to either go back to college or attend the United States Navy by commitment. Both men still came back to the NBA to win the rookie of the year honour and eventually became hall of famers. Any guesses?

 Larry Bird (drafted 6^th overall in 1978) and the admiral David Robinson (drafted 1987 1^st overall) both decided to take a year off before entering the NBA. The Admiral had already made a commitment to the United States Navy and didn’t make his NBA debut till the 1989-1990 season where he won the rookie of the year award with one bicep.

The extra year gave Robinson the freedom to get stronger and work on his game just as Griffin did last year due to his injury. Larry Bird decided to finish off his senior year at Indiana State University (bachelor in physical education) before moving up to the pro game during the 1979-1980 NBA season and taking the league by storm. These are just two marvellous examples of great players developing their game and moving on to the next level to win the rookie of the year award and a number of NBA championship titles.

Now this is where you start to see similarities in potential greatness. All three players had a large impact on the league in their first official season via dedication & loyalty, cultural effects or bring awareness to the game through their great skill sets. The chart below shows how dominant all three really were/are in their perspective rookie seasons:

Player	Rookie Year	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Larry Bird	1979-80	82	82	36	.479	.406	.836	10.4	4.5	1.7	0.6	21.3
David Robinson	1989-90	82	81	36.6	.531	.000	.732	12.0	2.0	1.7	3.9	24.3
Blake Griffin	2010-11	40	40	37.1	.525	.500	.608	12.8	3.4	0.7	0.7	22.5

Blake Griffin is a shoe in for Rookie of the Year and there is not arguing that Associate Press. Griffin is a soft spoken guy who lets his game do all the talking or that death stare that he tends to give opponents from time to time. He doesn’t ask his coach to fine him so he can learn his lessons and become tougher.

He goes out every night like Robinson & Bird did and leaves it all on the floor. Both Bird and Robinson are part of the 50 Greatest players in NBA history and I think when the NBAs 75^th anniversary rolls around, Blake Griffins name will most likely be on that list. Critics can speak all they want but they never said a word when Larry or David won the rookie of the year award and I've got a feel not much will be said when Blake Griffin takes the award back to moms house.

BOOM! ROASTED!

After The Half: The Clipper Cure

After The Half: The Clipper Cure: " By: Amil Delic CLIPPER CURE!

The Clipper Cure

 

By: Amil Delic

Maybe you haven’t heard but the Los Angeles Clippers have been on a tear lately. I know, who would have thought!! The curse that they have carried for so many years might have been cured. The Clipper boys have won the last 9 of 11 games and they’ve been playing basketball that would scare the poorly tailored pants off of Freddy Krueger.

The Clippers went head to head last night with the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Staple Centre and were up almost the entire game by a fair margin. Comfortable enough to sit Blake Griffin for most of the 4^th quarter and rest him up for tonight’s game in Portland. Not the smartest move by Vinny D if you ask me when you consider Griffin’s streak of 28th straight double-double games coming to an end last night. What caught me off guard was Blake’s (29pts, 8reb and 6 assists) great reaction to his streak coming to an end by saying “it gives me a chance to start another streak”.

 You can already tell that this guy will be a professional for many years to come. He isn’t bragging about how many points he scored or how many triple-doubles (double-doubles) he racked up during his rookie season..cough cough Brandon Jennings and Lebron James. You don’t catch Griffin talking about his personal achievement or any of his teammates singling themselves out because this team is playing as a unit and playing off one another. They only one thing on their minds and that is to make the playoffs. Last time the Clippers made the playoffs was just over 5 years ago and that was with a young Elton Brand and the very handsome Sam Cassell. Before that it was in 1997 with slam dunk champion Brent Barry and 300lbs centre Stanley Roberts. The Clippers might have made a flurry of terrible draft picks throughout the years but I think they might have hit the jackpot this time around.  

The 2010-2011 LA Clippers are a very different team with Blake Griffin (Mr. Double-double), Eric Gordon (Dunk Contest?), Baron Davis (Overweight Assists Man) and Deandre Jordan (Go DJ!!) leading this franchise to a potential .500+ season and maybe a playoff berth.

 This hot streak will most likely keep going as they play Blazers, Warriors, Mavericks and Rockets the next 4 games. This team is only getting better month to month and I am tuning in to every 10:30 Clippers game.  Their points per game are improving every month to go along with their rebounds and assists Turnovers are down and the fouls are up due to this team’s tough play and low post physicality. This toughness has been shown against many teams in the league especially the Lakers. The chart below shows the Clippers month to month improvements:

Los Angeles Clippers 2010-2011 Month Splits

Month	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TPG	FPG	A/TO	FG%	3P%	FT%
Oct.	87.3	43	17.7	7.3	4	16.3	19.7	1.1	.377	.246	.688
Nov.	99.7	41.2	20.9	6.47	4.2	16.8	22.6	1.2	.469	.340	.708
Dec.	96.3	44.7	23.5	7.33	5.07	16.5	21.1	1.4	.460	.347	.660
Jan.	108.9	46	25.4	7.25	5.88	15.6	21.9	1.6	.473	.367	.697

   

The people of Los Angeles will have a hard time picking a team. The Clips are back and Snoop Dogg probably looks better in red, blue and white anyway. Plus, Blake Griffin needs crazy fans like this one to vote him in as a starter to the All-Star game in LA February 20^th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNBsg43cdTc