Welcome to another wonderful installment in the web's best NBA team previews. So magical that you will be filled with wonder and astonishment and a mystical sense of the magical and mystical magic that is mystic, yet also magic. To check out all the entries in the series, you can click here.
Today, we will be discussing the Atlanta Hawks, a young talented team that has been young, talented, fun, and bursting with promise for a long time. Now, they are ready to collect on that promise.
Classification
Team That I Like
Things I Like
I basically really like every single player on this team. No seriously. The rotation is almost entirely unimpeachable. Of their starters, who are you going to criticize? There is no one. Maybe, Marvin Williams? You might, but I would never. I love Marvin Gaye Williams in all of his resplendent nerdiness and soulfulness. Mike Bibby is a consummate professional who is making precisely the correct amount he should be making. Al Horford is a legitimate and talented young center. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith are supremely gifted basketball players. And then you are bringing Jeff Teague, Mo Evans, and Jamal Crawford off the bench? Seriously? That's just beautiful.
This team is young, talented, and more athletic than just about any team they will ever square off against. They have all been fairly seasoned, they have all tasted the play-offs.
Hell, I even happen to think that "Hawks" is one of the better team names.
Things I Don't Like
Mike Woodson is not the best coach in the world and that statement isn't exactly the slightest of understatements.
Something about Zaza Pachulia's game annoys me. I don't know what. I'm intrigued by him because of his Georgian origin, yet it also gives rise to one of the more uncomfortable hypothetical questions in terms of NBA players: If he were alive today, would Stalin claim Pachulia as his favorite player?
Mythology
Jamal Crawford is the longest tenured player in the NBA who has never tasted the playoffs. Jamal labored with the Bulls during the dark years of the early part of the decade and then played for the Knicks during the height of the Isiah Thomas era. He managed to join the Knicks this year just in time for the post-Baron Davis disintegration of one of the most exciting teams of the decade. Jamal Crawford is a great player who has been stuck on terrible teams. Is Jamal Crawford cursed? It seems fairly likely. Though a cursory (GET IT?!) examination of Jamal's past turns up no evidence of betraying Roma fortune tellers, uncovering pharaoh tombs, or stealing any sort of Tiki-idols, my investigation has been far from exhaustive. The Hawks front office should investigate this to be sure. If ever a player and team deserves to be free of curses it's Jamal Crawford and the Atlanta Hawks
Prophecy
Marvin Gaye Williams will sing the national anthem and simultaneously solve a Rubix cube.
You will still not know who Joe Johnson is. Josh Smith will dunk the moon.
Related Media
VerdictWatch every game you can and love this team with few reservations. It's okay to cringe when Josh Smith jacks up threes.
Showing posts with label marvin williams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marvin williams. Show all posts
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Saturday Catch-Up: UNC and Michael Jordan.
UNC Alumni Game
Last weekend, the Dean Smith center in Chapel Hill played host to an exhibition game made up of former UNC basketball players. It was, in short ridiculous. Some highlights: Vince Carter dunking off a ball bounced off the backboard (twice). Wayne Ellington dunking on Antawn Jamison. Ty Lawson crossing over Raymond Felton. Danny Green, the surprising high scorer, was draining threes from all over. Everyone was there (except Rasheed Wallace), and it was beautiful. LIKE A DREAM.
Here are some highlights:
Here is the box score.
The others were all there. You'd see them around town all week. It was UNC basketball nirvana. Some bits of related miscellany:
Rashad McCants Still Looking For A Job
I love Rashad. He treats his fans pretty well, despite anything I may have said in the past. How many NBA players give out their Xbox Live handle, their AIM, and their BlackBerry Messenger info in an effort to keep talking and playing with all of his fans? Not too many. He's a good guy and a helluva baller, but his inablity to get a job right now apparently got the Carolina family concerned. This is a nice article about the resulting discussion.
Marvin Williams Middle Name
I love Marvin. I may have, however, unfairly called him a nerd. Why do I now step back from this? His middle name is Gaye. Marvin Gaye Williams. This man can not, by law, be a nerd. Apologies all round.
The Man
Also at the Alumni Game, there was a Man. His name is Michael Jordan. Last night he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Now, thousands of words have already been written about this event and MJ and what he means. I just want to make two points: When people talk about the greatness of Carolina Basketball, they usually link it to Dean Smith, and this is indisputable. The first NCAA Championship that Dean Smith won, however, is owed to Michael Jordan, that final winning shot against Georgetown. Without Jordan, Dean Smith has one championship. A great coach, but not one of the greatest of all time. Carolina Basketball, as an institution, plays down the role of Jordan, instead emphasizing a grand tradition of which Jordan is only a small part. Amazingly though, this is one area in which Jordan maybe doesn't get enough credit. Dean Smith is the Man in Chapel Hill, but what would he have been without Jordan?
The second point I want to emphasize is one about the NBA. The NBA, unlike most other sports leagues, is one where the central driving narrative of the league is easily and readily apparent. The individual struggles of the various cities and teams to win championships is a tiny, minor part of the NBA. If I were trying to explain to a Hollywood studio guy what the NBA is about in terms of it's spine or central story, the answer is easy: Who is the heir of Jordan? Is it Lebron? WILL HE FULFILL THE PROPHECY?
Jordan was the Greatest of All Time (some proof) and anyone who suggests otherwise is flatly wrong. Basketball since his reign, and even during the latter part of it, has been preoccupied with the search for a worthy heir. This is what has been driving the story of the NBA. For a while, we thought it was Kobe, but the sun is setting on him and it looks like he was merely a mirage. Unless he wins the championship every season for the next three seasons, and even if he does, it's hard to credit Kobe as a credible heir.
But what of Lebron, the Chosen One? Well, using some projections, it looks like he's going to have a real chance at surpassing the statistical achievements of Jordan, at least. The guys at Basketball Prospectus break it down here. Will he win six championships though? Much harder to say. But, this, the underlying thought behind this question, is the reason we watch the NBA. The spine, the essence, the main plot of the NBA is whether Lebron will meet expectations and surpass the achievements of Jordan. There are subplots, rivalries, and championships; these are interesting and entertaining details, but they really are just subplots. When boiled down to its bare essence, the question is as simple and elemental as you might imagine: Will anyone ever be as good as Jordan?
This is why we can't take our eyes off the Chosen One. The era of Jordan is officially done. Now, we live in the time of Lebron.
That is all.
Last weekend, the Dean Smith center in Chapel Hill played host to an exhibition game made up of former UNC basketball players. It was, in short ridiculous. Some highlights: Vince Carter dunking off a ball bounced off the backboard (twice). Wayne Ellington dunking on Antawn Jamison. Ty Lawson crossing over Raymond Felton. Danny Green, the surprising high scorer, was draining threes from all over. Everyone was there (except Rasheed Wallace), and it was beautiful. LIKE A DREAM.
Here are some highlights:
Here is the box score.
The others were all there. You'd see them around town all week. It was UNC basketball nirvana. Some bits of related miscellany:
Rashad McCants Still Looking For A Job
I love Rashad. He treats his fans pretty well, despite anything I may have said in the past. How many NBA players give out their Xbox Live handle, their AIM, and their BlackBerry Messenger info in an effort to keep talking and playing with all of his fans? Not too many. He's a good guy and a helluva baller, but his inablity to get a job right now apparently got the Carolina family concerned. This is a nice article about the resulting discussion.
Marvin Williams Middle Name
I love Marvin. I may have, however, unfairly called him a nerd. Why do I now step back from this? His middle name is Gaye. Marvin Gaye Williams. This man can not, by law, be a nerd. Apologies all round.
The Man
Also at the Alumni Game, there was a Man. His name is Michael Jordan. Last night he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Now, thousands of words have already been written about this event and MJ and what he means. I just want to make two points: When people talk about the greatness of Carolina Basketball, they usually link it to Dean Smith, and this is indisputable. The first NCAA Championship that Dean Smith won, however, is owed to Michael Jordan, that final winning shot against Georgetown. Without Jordan, Dean Smith has one championship. A great coach, but not one of the greatest of all time. Carolina Basketball, as an institution, plays down the role of Jordan, instead emphasizing a grand tradition of which Jordan is only a small part. Amazingly though, this is one area in which Jordan maybe doesn't get enough credit. Dean Smith is the Man in Chapel Hill, but what would he have been without Jordan?
The second point I want to emphasize is one about the NBA. The NBA, unlike most other sports leagues, is one where the central driving narrative of the league is easily and readily apparent. The individual struggles of the various cities and teams to win championships is a tiny, minor part of the NBA. If I were trying to explain to a Hollywood studio guy what the NBA is about in terms of it's spine or central story, the answer is easy: Who is the heir of Jordan? Is it Lebron? WILL HE FULFILL THE PROPHECY?
Jordan was the Greatest of All Time (some proof) and anyone who suggests otherwise is flatly wrong. Basketball since his reign, and even during the latter part of it, has been preoccupied with the search for a worthy heir. This is what has been driving the story of the NBA. For a while, we thought it was Kobe, but the sun is setting on him and it looks like he was merely a mirage. Unless he wins the championship every season for the next three seasons, and even if he does, it's hard to credit Kobe as a credible heir.
But what of Lebron, the Chosen One? Well, using some projections, it looks like he's going to have a real chance at surpassing the statistical achievements of Jordan, at least. The guys at Basketball Prospectus break it down here. Will he win six championships though? Much harder to say. But, this, the underlying thought behind this question, is the reason we watch the NBA. The spine, the essence, the main plot of the NBA is whether Lebron will meet expectations and surpass the achievements of Jordan. There are subplots, rivalries, and championships; these are interesting and entertaining details, but they really are just subplots. When boiled down to its bare essence, the question is as simple and elemental as you might imagine: Will anyone ever be as good as Jordan?
This is why we can't take our eyes off the Chosen One. The era of Jordan is officially done. Now, we live in the time of Lebron.
That is all.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Consider Danny Granger
Somehow this has escaped my notice: Danny Granger, small forward for the Indiana Pacers, NBA All-Star and reigning Most Improved Player, is kind of a nerd. Currently he's encountered problems constructing his new home, because Batcaves don't actually meet a lot of building codes:
People have apparently been bothering Danny Granger for details about the Batcave ever since he tossed out this idea in a very revealing interview where he let his nerd flag fly. Not only does he reveal some slightly nerdy hobbies and interests, but he also shows off what a smart and nice guy he is. He may now be one of my favorite players. The interview is worth reading in it's entirety, but here are some highlights:
On Lord of the Rings:
On the ever-popular-in-the-NBA Superman:
There's also a really neat section where he talks about his college experience and his time spent studying engineering, and his apparently really sincere interest and love of engineering.
An excerpt:
Then there is this bizarre series of questions where the interviewer seems to be really pressing Danny Granger on being a nerd. He asks those borderline-asshole questions that just make him seem like he really looks down on the fact that Danny is smart and interested in lots of things other than basketball. Danny answers the question pretty perfectly though and really makes the interviewer seem like a bit of a dick.
Example:
Couple that with Danny Granger throwing in a really cute interlude about how and his fiance love to play Rock Band together, and you get the portrait of a really nice, smart dude who happens to be a great baller. Again, the interview is worth checking out in it's entirety.
Danny Granger is a nerd, but he's totally cool, and I salute him. I now dream that somehow he and Marvin Williams (Love in the Time of Lebron designated supernerd) will find themselves on the same team or at least in the same guild.
I wanted an underground tunnel entrance. I had to take that out. I found out there's so many state codes and laws against that (laughing) so we had to take that one out. But we still have the underground thing going on and I mean I've got cars and things that turn my cars and I even got sort of like a moat thing going on so it will be interesting to see.
People have apparently been bothering Danny Granger for details about the Batcave ever since he tossed out this idea in a very revealing interview where he let his nerd flag fly. Not only does he reveal some slightly nerdy hobbies and interests, but he also shows off what a smart and nice guy he is. He may now be one of my favorite players. The interview is worth reading in it's entirety, but here are some highlights:
On Lord of the Rings:
I'm really into Lord of the Rings right now. I've bought each movie at least twice because every time I'm in the store I pick it out because I couldn't find my other one so I get it again. I'm actually watching the second one right now but I've watched them over and over again. As the video games, I play online. The multiplayer games where you play with other people around the world and stuff. I'm really into the whole storyline of that.
On the ever-popular-in-the-NBA Superman:
I've just always been into mythical stuff. Stuff that wasn't really real – fantasy, which is why I was always into Superman and superheroes, stuff that kind of takes you out of this world. I really was into it. I have a robe with the Superman emblem on it. There's about a 6-foot or 7-foot figure of Superman I've always wanted to get. But it would just look really weird in my house. I was thinking of having one of those statues made with me in the suit. I don't know how much it would cost but I really want to do it with me in the suit. That would be pretty cool. I'm going to have to work on that.
There's also a really neat section where he talks about his college experience and his time spent studying engineering, and his apparently really sincere interest and love of engineering.
An excerpt:
My focus changed. My whole approach to college was to use my basketball ability to get my degree. That's what I really wanted to do. I loved engineering. But I when got good at basketball – I kind of got good out of nowhere. I wasn't really expecting that. But I was winning awards and I was just a freshman and a sophomore. Then I was like, "I can probably go to the NBA." Then my focus switched.
Then there is this bizarre series of questions where the interviewer seems to be really pressing Danny Granger on being a nerd. He asks those borderline-asshole questions that just make him seem like he really looks down on the fact that Danny is smart and interested in lots of things other than basketball. Danny answers the question pretty perfectly though and really makes the interviewer seem like a bit of a dick.
Example:
Q. On a scale of one to 10 how nerdy are you do you think?
A. I can't be that nerdy. I'm in the NBA. I know what you mean, though. I don't think there's anything wrong with being nerdy. I'm not a genius that's going to hack a computer and all kinds but when it comes to knowing things I've always prided myself in educating myself. So I would say seven.
Q. A lot of kids are into the science stuff and have to wear the glasses. What would you say to them?
A. Go for it. That's what it's all about, if that's what interests you. It interested me and I don't care what people call me. Build stuff, put something together electronically. If you want to design a building that's what you do. You don't worry about what other people say about you. Go for it. You do what you go to do.
Couple that with Danny Granger throwing in a really cute interlude about how and his fiance love to play Rock Band together, and you get the portrait of a really nice, smart dude who happens to be a great baller. Again, the interview is worth checking out in it's entirety.
Danny Granger is a nerd, but he's totally cool, and I salute him. I now dream that somehow he and Marvin Williams (Love in the Time of Lebron designated supernerd) will find themselves on the same team or at least in the same guild.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Tuesday Odds and Ends: Now What? Edition
I think this pretty much will reveal that I'm doing too much reading and not enough writing. In today's gripping installment of Odds and Ends we bring you the following topics: Network theory, dishes made from Krispy Kreme, domain name hustling, Legos and then you know some stuff actually about basketball and Love in the Time of Lebron heroes.
Chris Paul's Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding
Chris Paul is the best point guard on the planet right now. This is indisputable. When all is said and done, he may go down as the best point guard to ever play. His favorite dish contains 24 Krispy Kreme donuts and 15,000 calories. The recipe and story are here. Suck it, Michael Phelps.
Mark Madsen Used to Own menstrualperiods.ca
In the "No, Really" department, former Timberwolf and current Clipper Mark Madsen is a key player in the first arrest for domain name theft. Basically, Mark Madsen paid about $100,000 to buy P2P.com, which allegedly had been stolen from some other guy. Why is Mark Madsen buying domain names? Because this is what he does. He buys and sells domain names. Seriously, this is his hobby. Highlights: schooners.ca and, yes, menstrualperiods.ca.
How Network Theory Explains the Ewing Theory
There is sports writer you may know about. His name is Bill Simmons. He has an idea, called the Ewing Theory. Basically, the Ewing Theory says that under certain circumstances a team will play much better without their star player. Why does this happen? Really interesting article that manages to incorporate network theory, the price of anarchy, the Nash Equilibrium, and shit-talking about my beloved Allen Iverson. Read it here. Fact of the Day: Nash Equilibrium not named after Steve Nash's work in the field of game theory.
Followups
Starbury is put into context be new favorite John Krolik here. It's the long-form contextual article that I wanted all along. Also, Shoals.
Haven't read enough about the Okafor for Chandler trade yet? Good. Here are some attempts to justify the trade for Charlotte: Basketball Prospectus says, "Look at the numbers: I think Charlotte actually won this one." Bobcats Planet says, "If you spin around three times and squint you can sort of see why this trade makes sense!"
Soooo, can the Bobcats sign AI now? Bobcats Baseline throws out some hypotheticals here, but doesn't really give enough credence to a Felton and Iverson backcourt. Barkley's Mouth is incredulous that AI doesn't have a deal yet.
Dream boy, Tyler Hansbrough aggravated an old injury. He will now have more time to visit all the women of Chapel Hill's dreams so they can dream about feeling awkward and ambivalent about dating such a bizarre angry manchild.
Nerdy starter Marvin Williams re-signed with the Hawks after an awkward free-agency period. His deal includes all the season of the X-Files on DVD as well as the entire series run of The Lone Gunmen.
BONUS: Here are 100 awesome dunks from last season. This is the only link you will click.
DOUBLE BONUS: Here is a blog filled with pictures of Lego-based Allen Iverson dioramas. This is only link you need to click.
Chris Paul's Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding
Chris Paul is the best point guard on the planet right now. This is indisputable. When all is said and done, he may go down as the best point guard to ever play. His favorite dish contains 24 Krispy Kreme donuts and 15,000 calories. The recipe and story are here. Suck it, Michael Phelps.
Mark Madsen Used to Own menstrualperiods.ca
In the "No, Really" department, former Timberwolf and current Clipper Mark Madsen is a key player in the first arrest for domain name theft. Basically, Mark Madsen paid about $100,000 to buy P2P.com, which allegedly had been stolen from some other guy. Why is Mark Madsen buying domain names? Because this is what he does. He buys and sells domain names. Seriously, this is his hobby. Highlights: schooners.ca and, yes, menstrualperiods.ca.
How Network Theory Explains the Ewing Theory
There is sports writer you may know about. His name is Bill Simmons. He has an idea, called the Ewing Theory. Basically, the Ewing Theory says that under certain circumstances a team will play much better without their star player. Why does this happen? Really interesting article that manages to incorporate network theory, the price of anarchy, the Nash Equilibrium, and shit-talking about my beloved Allen Iverson. Read it here. Fact of the Day: Nash Equilibrium not named after Steve Nash's work in the field of game theory.
Followups
Starbury is put into context be new favorite John Krolik here. It's the long-form contextual article that I wanted all along. Also, Shoals.
Haven't read enough about the Okafor for Chandler trade yet? Good. Here are some attempts to justify the trade for Charlotte: Basketball Prospectus says, "Look at the numbers: I think Charlotte actually won this one." Bobcats Planet says, "If you spin around three times and squint you can sort of see why this trade makes sense!"
Soooo, can the Bobcats sign AI now? Bobcats Baseline throws out some hypotheticals here, but doesn't really give enough credence to a Felton and Iverson backcourt. Barkley's Mouth is incredulous that AI doesn't have a deal yet.
Dream boy, Tyler Hansbrough aggravated an old injury. He will now have more time to visit all the women of Chapel Hill's dreams so they can dream about feeling awkward and ambivalent about dating such a bizarre angry manchild.
Nerdy starter Marvin Williams re-signed with the Hawks after an awkward free-agency period. His deal includes all the season of the X-Files on DVD as well as the entire series run of The Lone Gunmen.
BONUS: Here are 100 awesome dunks from last season. This is the only link you will click.
DOUBLE BONUS: Here is a blog filled with pictures of Lego-based Allen Iverson dioramas. This is only link you need to click.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Thursday Odds and Ends
Hypothetical Bobcats and Bobcat Hypotheticals
It's been a quiet season for the Charlotte Bobcats as they have yet to make any move aside from not extending a qualifying offer to Sean May. Charlotte needs scoring, a guy who can take over games, and someone who will help them sell tickets. Yet, all has grown quiet on the AI front, when all I want in my heart of hearts is for The Answer to come to Charlotte. Why is this? Is Charlotte really standing pat? The best answer I have seems to be that Charlotte isn't going to make any moves until they have secured a deal with Ray Felton. Inexplicably, this is, apparently far off, despite Felton wanting to play in Charlotte and Charlotte wanting Felton to play there. FIGURE OUT THE MONEY SO WE CAN GET AI.
That said, maybe Charlotte, like our esteemed friends at Queen City Hoops, has realized what a good team they have on their hands. If you project Charlotte's performance at the end of the season, after all their trades, across the whole season, Charlotte would have been the best defensive team in the league. Nice. They still would be sub par offensively, but there's still time to get a relentlessly amazing future Hall of Fame scoring guard. I mean, if that's what you think would help.
Note: Hypothetical Cats sounds like a super twee indie rock band.
The Answer
Iverson to Miami or Memphis doesn't make any sense to me. Both are totally stupid. Now imagine AI to the Clippers: Baron Davis, Allen Iverson, Blake Griffin, Marcus Camby, Chris Kaman, and Eric Gordon. That's got to be at least thirty wins right? Wrong. They will have fifteen wins or fifty-five. It's so stupid it might work.
Again, Iverson to the Bobcats makes way too much sense to be plausible. The NBA follows the rules of comic book and movie logic. Which is to say that there is a low premium on plausibility and you know, making a damn bit of sense.
Good Job, Chris Bosh
All hail the anointed Twitter Champion, Chris Bosh. Oddly, he doesn't thank me for my endorsement, which I am sure pushed him over the top.
UNC Guys in Summer League
One line summaries for the four 2009 Draft picks:
Tyler Hansbrough was way better than expected and one of the best players in Orlando.
Wayne Ellington and Danny Green have been the leading scorers on their team in at least one game and almost completely disappeared in another.
Ty Lawson has played in two games and made only one of fifteen field goal attempts, but the one that went in was such a sweet dunk that David Thorpe tweeted about it. So, yeah.
Of course, if Vegas Summer League action isn't enough and you want to watch a bizarro summer league where Flip Saunders, Sean May, and my nerdy hero Marvin Williams with the help of about half of UNC's incoming freshmen team square off against other pro's, college players, and a few high schoolers and other assorted weirdos, then allow me to introduce you to the NC Pro-Am Summer League. Billing itself as the Rucker's of the South, you can watch a truly bizarre collection of players from mostly around North Carolina go at it in a gym on the North Carolina Central campus. Seriously.
Mercuriality Update
For the many amongst you who are keeping track of which players are the most mercurial, as I know so many of you are wont to do, allow me to submit another name that should have been obvious: J.R. Smith. Mercuriality of 384. Well-done. That's good for a starting spot at shooting guard on the Love In the Time of Lebron All-Mercurial Team. Again, for those of you who keep track of such things.
It's been a quiet season for the Charlotte Bobcats as they have yet to make any move aside from not extending a qualifying offer to Sean May. Charlotte needs scoring, a guy who can take over games, and someone who will help them sell tickets. Yet, all has grown quiet on the AI front, when all I want in my heart of hearts is for The Answer to come to Charlotte. Why is this? Is Charlotte really standing pat? The best answer I have seems to be that Charlotte isn't going to make any moves until they have secured a deal with Ray Felton. Inexplicably, this is, apparently far off, despite Felton wanting to play in Charlotte and Charlotte wanting Felton to play there. FIGURE OUT THE MONEY SO WE CAN GET AI.
That said, maybe Charlotte, like our esteemed friends at Queen City Hoops, has realized what a good team they have on their hands. If you project Charlotte's performance at the end of the season, after all their trades, across the whole season, Charlotte would have been the best defensive team in the league. Nice. They still would be sub par offensively, but there's still time to get a relentlessly amazing future Hall of Fame scoring guard. I mean, if that's what you think would help.
Note: Hypothetical Cats sounds like a super twee indie rock band.
The Answer
Iverson to Miami or Memphis doesn't make any sense to me. Both are totally stupid. Now imagine AI to the Clippers: Baron Davis, Allen Iverson, Blake Griffin, Marcus Camby, Chris Kaman, and Eric Gordon. That's got to be at least thirty wins right? Wrong. They will have fifteen wins or fifty-five. It's so stupid it might work.
Again, Iverson to the Bobcats makes way too much sense to be plausible. The NBA follows the rules of comic book and movie logic. Which is to say that there is a low premium on plausibility and you know, making a damn bit of sense.
Good Job, Chris Bosh
All hail the anointed Twitter Champion, Chris Bosh. Oddly, he doesn't thank me for my endorsement, which I am sure pushed him over the top.
UNC Guys in Summer League
One line summaries for the four 2009 Draft picks:
Tyler Hansbrough was way better than expected and one of the best players in Orlando.
Wayne Ellington and Danny Green have been the leading scorers on their team in at least one game and almost completely disappeared in another.
Ty Lawson has played in two games and made only one of fifteen field goal attempts, but the one that went in was such a sweet dunk that David Thorpe tweeted about it. So, yeah.
Of course, if Vegas Summer League action isn't enough and you want to watch a bizarro summer league where Flip Saunders, Sean May, and my nerdy hero Marvin Williams with the help of about half of UNC's incoming freshmen team square off against other pro's, college players, and a few high schoolers and other assorted weirdos, then allow me to introduce you to the NC Pro-Am Summer League. Billing itself as the Rucker's of the South, you can watch a truly bizarre collection of players from mostly around North Carolina go at it in a gym on the North Carolina Central campus. Seriously.
Mercuriality Update
For the many amongst you who are keeping track of which players are the most mercurial, as I know so many of you are wont to do, allow me to submit another name that should have been obvious: J.R. Smith. Mercuriality of 384. Well-done. That's good for a starting spot at shooting guard on the Love In the Time of Lebron All-Mercurial Team. Again, for those of you who keep track of such things.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Marvin Williams Can Solve A Rubix Cube
After helping the University of North Carolina Tar Heels win the national championship in 2005, Marvin Williams, as a freshman, was drafted second overall in the NBA draft, landing with the Atlanta Hawks. Since then, he has slowly but steadily become a reliable contributor for the talented, but still young, Hawks. This season saw Marvin expand his offensive arsenal with the addition of a 3-point shot before injuries limited his playing time at the end of the season and playoffs. Right now, Marvin Williams is a free agent. He is also a nerd. I base this on this video:
It's not that he speed-solves Rubix cubes, it's the way he talks about it. Listen to how he describes getting into it. There isn't any doubt in my mind: Marvin Williams is a nerd in the most John Hodgman sense of the word. He may be an incredibly skilled athlete, making millions on his basketball skills, but I am convinced that Marvin Williams is no jock, but rather the nerdiest geek and the geekiest nerd who ever geeked or nerded. If the video isn't sufficient proof, I present to you some TRUE FACTS as evidence.
Marvin Williams promised himself he wouldn't even start the final season of Battlestar Galactica until playoffs were over. His favorite comic books are golden age adventure comics but he has a soft spot in his heart for the Alan Moore run of Swamp Thing. He likes xkcd, but thinks that it's a little obnoxious and preachy sometimes. Marvin Williams's preferred browser is Opera but he isn't a snob about it. He once got into a heated argument with Josh Childress about whether Star Wars or Star Trek was better; this was the reason that Josh Childress left and the reason that Mike Woodson won't let Marvin wear his Starfleet insigna during practice or games. Marvin Williams considers himself to be a 5th level/5th level barbarian/ranger with above average ability scores and a plethora of magical items. Marvin Williams will never tell them this, but he thinks Josh Smith looks a cave troll and Adam Morrison looks like Frodo Baggins. He once told Rajon Rondo he looked like Gollum and Rondo's staunch refusal to acknowledge this led to a physical altercation. This was during the 2008 Playoffs. Marvin Williams takes his Tolkien that seriously. He plays a blue counterspelling permissions deck when he plays Magic: The Gathering. He is considering trying to get a little more into steampunk.
Watch the video of him solving the Rubix cube again. I'm not trying to be mean. How could these facts not be true?
It's not that he speed-solves Rubix cubes, it's the way he talks about it. Listen to how he describes getting into it. There isn't any doubt in my mind: Marvin Williams is a nerd in the most John Hodgman sense of the word. He may be an incredibly skilled athlete, making millions on his basketball skills, but I am convinced that Marvin Williams is no jock, but rather the nerdiest geek and the geekiest nerd who ever geeked or nerded. If the video isn't sufficient proof, I present to you some TRUE FACTS as evidence.
Marvin Williams promised himself he wouldn't even start the final season of Battlestar Galactica until playoffs were over. His favorite comic books are golden age adventure comics but he has a soft spot in his heart for the Alan Moore run of Swamp Thing. He likes xkcd, but thinks that it's a little obnoxious and preachy sometimes. Marvin Williams's preferred browser is Opera but he isn't a snob about it. He once got into a heated argument with Josh Childress about whether Star Wars or Star Trek was better; this was the reason that Josh Childress left and the reason that Mike Woodson won't let Marvin wear his Starfleet insigna during practice or games. Marvin Williams considers himself to be a 5th level/5th level barbarian/ranger with above average ability scores and a plethora of magical items. Marvin Williams will never tell them this, but he thinks Josh Smith looks a cave troll and Adam Morrison looks like Frodo Baggins. He once told Rajon Rondo he looked like Gollum and Rondo's staunch refusal to acknowledge this led to a physical altercation. This was during the 2008 Playoffs. Marvin Williams takes his Tolkien that seriously. He plays a blue counterspelling permissions deck when he plays Magic: The Gathering. He is considering trying to get a little more into steampunk.
Watch the video of him solving the Rubix cube again. I'm not trying to be mean. How could these facts not be true?
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