Day 10: Spurs-Grizzlies (Game 4)

I skipped Days 7-9 of the Daily NBA Blog because I visited my brother at college this weekend and didn't have time to write as a result. Who knew that simply stepping foot back on a college campus unleashed in me the three habits I'd since kicked so well: too much pizza, beer, and irregular sleep patterns. I still managed to catch large chunks, if not every game in its entirety and came away with a few thoughts that I forgot to write down. So much for that.

Maybe it was the Guinness, but Zach Randolph dancing to DJ Khaled's "All I Do Is Win," after Memphis notched a 91-88 win to take a 2-1 series lead over San Antonio, was the weekend's most memorable NBA moment. Why? Because of the improbability of the scene. If you would have told me before the playoffs that Chris Paul would hop in his time machine, single-handedly will his team to two victories over the best team in the NBA, and, in a matter of days, convince NBA observers that he was still the best point guard in the NBA, I would have believed you. If you would have told me that Brandon Roy would make four clutch shots IN A ROW, with the game on the line, to even up the series in Portland, I would have believed you. If you would have told me the Knicks would struggle, LeBron would miss a game winner, and Dwight Howard would put up 30 and 15 despite showing very little interest in the games, I would have believed all that too. But Randolph, dancing at midcourt, soaking in an adoring crowd's attention? Not for a second.

Zach Randolph is the type of athlete who hometown fans are skeptical of embracing (see: Portland, New York, LA). The fact of the matter is that Randolph as been a remarkably consistent model of productivity in his ten years in the league. He's long figured out the on court stuff (to an extent, but let's not get into that). His off-the-court behavior is what garners him the most attention and why, even after putting together his fourth 20-10 season in the last five years, he is not mentioned with the game's elite players. Why would Memphis fans, knowing Randolph is due for a screw-up, let their guard down and become emotionally invested in him? Here's one big reason:



After the game, the Spurs exited the floor, and Memphis fans stood and applauded Randolph as he danced, seemingly in slow motion, as he always does, to the beat of his own drum. He had signed a 4-year 71 million extension with the Grizzlies just days prior. Since coming to Memphis, Randolph has stayed out of trouble and played well. He deserved this moment, and I was happy for him and the Grizzlies franchise on their first home playoff win.

The Grizzlies and Pacers agreed upon a trade the day of the February 24th trade deadline that reportedly was going to send OJ Mayo to Indiana in exchange for Josh McRoberts and a 1st round pick. The trade was voided because it didn't meet the 3 PM deadline. Both sides tried to blame the other for the mix-up, but this fact remains: both teams, at least for their first round series', are better without the trade.

Mayo has been the most valuable player off a Memphis bench that has outplayed San Antonio's bench this series. Not only can he come off the bench and provide an offensive spark for the second unit like he did in Games 3 and 4, but can play major minutes if Memphis needs his three-point shooting, like they did in Game 1. McRoberts has been one of the centerpieces of Indiana's physical play. Along with Foster, he has come off the bench and not only offered hard fouls, but been aggressive on the boards. Both of these areas have given the Bulls trouble. If the Mayo-McRoberts trade goes through, I don't think either Indiana or Memphis is as successful in their respective series' as they have been up to this point.

Much of the talk after Game 4 centered around the end of the Spurs dynasty. First of all, the series isn't over. I don't think anyone would be surprised if San Antonio could mount a comeback. But even if they can pull off a miracle and advance, they're not beating Oklahoma City. All dynasties must crumble, but the Spurs have done so in such surprising fashion. They've compromised some of the defensive end and have preferred to rest Duncan more and try and outscore teams. Their biggest advantage during the regular season was their superior three-pointing shooting; tops in the league. Through the first two games in which they went 1-1, they shot 40.6 percent from behind the arc. Since then, 0-2 and 21.2 percent in Games 3 and 4.

Tim Duncan was routinely stripped when the Grizzlies doubled him. He also had a difficult time trying to pass out of the double team. Tony Parker played well, but his counterpart Mike Conley, as he has all series, kept up with him. Conley mid-range game was surprisingly effective and he only turned the ball over once. Spurs fans had been begging for Tiago Splitter to make an appearance and he finally did. Splitter provided a spark, hitting 5 of his 9 shots, but his production was negated by the collective effort of the Grizzlies' bench. Every player but one on Memphis' roster scored in Game 4. That stat says it all.

If this is in fact the end of the Spurs, then perhaps we should reflect on their remarkable regular season. Most teams gradually fade into obscurity, slowing dipping in the Playoff standings before missing the Playoffs all together and dismantling the roster. The Spurs finished one game off the NBA's best record and were 46-10 at the All-Star break. They weren't always the most entertaining team, but they always managed to surprise us in one way or another. 

The Case For Keith Bogans

Bulls fans are spoiled. As if six championships in the 90s and watching the greatest player ever wasn't enough, all I've been hearing for the last three months is the Bulls need to upgrade the shooting guard position. As if a 37-16 record without a full roster, and one game left before the All-Star break wasn't enough. We need to get better! And the only way is to get another shooting guard, anyone except Bogans. Rip Hamilton, Stephen Jackson, JR Smith, Arron Afflalo, Anthony Parker, Courtney Lee, OJ Mayo--ANYONE.
Derrick Rose can't just be considered one of the best point guards in the game, he has to be considered the best. Derrick Rose can't just be an MVP candidate, he has to be the MVP favorite. The Bulls can't just have one All-Star, they need at least two.
More. More More. Nothing has been good enough this year, has it Bulls fans?
I understand that the last 12 seasons have been tortuous, mixed with a little good here and there. It was fun watching Elton Brand compete with some pitiful Bulls teams early in his career. The 2007 playoffs in which we swept the defending champion Heat in the first round, and battled back from a 3-0 series deficit to take the Pistons to six was memorable, and left many of us foolishly thinking the Bulls had turned the corner. The 2009 first round series with Boston was quite possibly the greatest playoff series ever and best Chicago Bulls moment of the last 12 years--even though we didn't win that series.
I also understand the Miami Heat have created an "arms-race" mentality in the NBA. Three big names teamed up in Miami and the same will probably happen in New York. The Celtics already have their Big Three, now Big Four. Conventional thinking then says that in order to keep up with these teams, you need to stockpile the biggest names and most talent. This line of thinking is true to an extent, but disregards the issue of chemistry and a player's willingness to adapt to a certain role.
That's why I'll take Keith Bogans over any of the players I just mentioned above. He plays great defense and is rarely caught out of position. He's never once tried to do too much on the offensive or defensive end. Ask yourself if any of the above players be content with six shots a game? I doubt it, and that's twice the amount of shots Bogans takes per game. I'd rather not deny Rose the ball if it means the shooting guard replacement needs more shots.
The biggest critique of Bogans is that he doesn't score enough. On the surface, it's hard to argue with that. He averages 3.9 points per game. But lets look at this scoring "conundrum" a little closer.
With Noah back, the Bulls will average about 80 points per game from their starters, tied for the fourth highest total in the NBA. The only teams higher are the Knicks (85), Warriors (82), and Heat (81). The Knicks and Warriors push the ball up the court, take quick shots, and play very little defense. They also have thin benches. Their teams philosophies are perfectly suited to scoring a lot of points. I know, they're a combined 3-1 against the Bulls, but neither are championship contenders and wouldn't beat the Bulls in a seven game series. The Heat have the two best players in the NBA, who combine for 52 of those 81 points. In comparison, the Bulls' top two scorers, Rose and Boozer, combine for 44.
Hopefully, my point about Bulls fans being spoiled is starting to get clearer. How many points do they expect the starters to score? The fans seem to think we should be able to add a 12-14 point per game scorer to the starting lineup. If we did that, we'd not only have a starting lineup that averages more than 90 points per game, but outscores the 2nd highest scoring lineup by 7 or 8 points a game.
The average NBA team gets 70 points per game out of their starting lineup. The Bulls get 80, but the fans want over 90. Ludicrous!
Let's also acknowledge that Bogans has been shooting the ball much better of late. In the first 31 games of the season, he shot 37 percent from behind the arc, in line with his career average. In the last 22 games, he's shot the three-pointer at a 47 percent clip. How about the a happy medium, 42 percent? I think that's more than doable, considering nearly every Bogans three pointer is uncontested. He's seeing more wide open looks than he ever has in his career. A five percent increase from his career three-point shooting percentage isn't out of the question.
72 percent of Bogans' field goal attempts are threes, a number that I'd like to see closer to 80. He only attempts 2.5 shots per game, so the lack of scoring isn't his fault. There's simply not enough shots to go around, which is why it would be ridiculous to think a starting lineup could average over 90 points a game. If Bogans took even six shots a game, he'd be averaging 6 or 7 points, a number that is well in line with most fourth or fifth options. There's always going to be an odd man out and Bogans is that man. Why he's being criticized for it, I have no idea.
The Bulls have never won or lost a game because of Keith Bogans. They won't win or lose a game because of his potential replacement. We're good enough to contend with the team we have right now. It's been 12 rough years for God's sake. Stop trying to act spoiled now.