I love your work…keep it up!

Question: you said that this year “72% of our field goal attempts are jumpers (league worst)”…what about last season? Weren’t we still taking an overwhelming amount of our FGA’s via jumpers? I tried going to 82games.com myself but couldn’t find where you dug the stat up this season. Thanks in advance for your help.

What Popovich assistant might be due for a crack at head coach?

That would be Mike Budenholzer. He is in his 15th season with the team, 13th as a coach, and second year as Pop’s top assistant (replacing Carlesimo). He got a lot of interest last summer during the interviews stage, and is expected to get a Head Coaching job in the next few years possibly as early as this offseason. He’s considered the Spurs best coaching prospect. As you can probably guess since it’s the Spurs, his rep is for being a defensive minded coach. Budenholzer has also gotten a lot of credit for predicting what plays the opposition will run in the final minutes of games (’99 Finals Game 5 vs NY) — dedicated and does a lot of work in the film room.

Congrats! THAT, right there … ??? … IMO, is the best [i.e. most productive] comment you’ve ever written on either Arsenalist’s old blog or RR. : )

He is what he is…what I don’t get is how the concerned parties who see him come up short time after time after time in clutch situations continue to ride that pony….I understand those in the States who don’t really watch Raptor games and only see highlights and stats..but what exactly is Raptor management seeing? (and don’t get me started on the yentas that pass for colour commentary analysts and their insipid drivel during the broadcasts).

Just bringing one player that could pass for a go-to guy into this culture of passivity and complacency isn’t going to turn anything around unless it’s a D Wade or a LeBron and that ain’t gonna happen…Triano isn’t going to coach Bosh to anything other than more of the same…Triano has been a cog in the culture of mediocrity for far too long… anyone who has to resort to temper tantrums to get the dunderheads on his bench to do something they discussed in a huddle seconds before is doomed…

You need a Popovich (what Popovich assistant might be due for a crack at head coach?)…no excuses, total accountability, replete with plays and strategies and a SYSTEM.

But I personally don’t think it’s worth keeping Bosh.. because of what he’s going to cost….Marion neither…Parker is a 6th man kind of player…if you can’t re-sign him for very little I’d say adios….if Delfino doesn’t cost too much, fine, bring him back.
Paul Millsap is terrific, there are a shitload of players in Golden State that I would love to get who may be available, Scola, Landry, Varejao, Turkoglu…the Hawks may be due for a shake up…

I’d move heaven and earth to get something for Kapono (if I can’t get rid of him I get a coach who uses him in the way he needs to be used and forbid any golf playing unless his 3 pointers go up and his fouls go down )…I shitcan Voskuhl, O’Bryant, Jawai and Banks (trade him for basketballs)…

I think Calderon will be better with a good coach but I entertain any offers for him…I still love Bargnani’s potential..he’s the one I would be most reluctant to let go…it would have to be for something earth shattering…someone who would play beside Bosh but make the crowd chant MVP when HE shoots free throws.

It may surprise most here, but I don’t want to be angry anymore..it’s exhausting….I just want what Portland and even the Thunder have right now…a team worth rooting for….

Sorry, I forgot …

On the street, defintely CP3. : )

Neither Ed O’Bannon nor his brother [Charles] would qualify as “one of my boys. : )

At the NCAA level my preference would actually be for Chris Paul. Same with FIBA competitions. The advantage gained by going with a bigger, competent PG like a Chauncey Billups, a Brandon Roy [even playing out of position], a Deron Williams or a [young buck like] Russell Westbrook at the NBA level, minimizes the importance of selecting a PG like CP3 in the Draft Lottery. : )

FACT IS … I did not miss out on Chris Paul. CP3 just happens not to be the sort of Point Guard I particularly value; hence, he should not be properly termed, “one of my boys”. : )

Bargnani on the bench and Dirk as your starting 4.

Hey, now the team isn’t looking too bad lol

Biedrins/Rasho

Nowitzki/Bargnani

Nocioni/Delfino/

Ginobli/Barbosa/Belineli

Nash/Calderon/Ukic

From the subsequent years, you would not be considered wrong by me if you identified the players highlighted here in bold, from the 1st Round, as ones who I liked the day before their Draft Class was announced and, therefore, might properly be termed “my boys”:

2004 NBA Draft

1 Dwight Howard
2 Emeka Okafor
3 Ben Gordon
4 Shaun Livingston
5 Devin Harris
6 Josh Childress
7 Luol Deng
8 Rafael Araujo
9 Andre Iguodala
10 Luke Jackson

2005 NBA Draft

1 Andrew Bogut
2 Marvin Williams
3 Deron Williams
4 Chris Paul
5 Raymond Felton
6 Martell Webster
7 Charlie Villanueva
8 Channing Frye
9 Ike Diogu
10 Andrew Bynum

2006 NBA Draft

1 Andrea Bargnani
2 LaMarcus Aldridge
3 Adam Morrison
4 Tyrus Thomas
5 Shelden Williams
6 Brandon Roy
7 Randy Foye
8 Rudy Gay
9 Patrick O’Bryant
10 Saer Sene
11 J.J. Redick
12 Hilton Armstrong
13 Thabo Sefolosha

2007 NBA Draft

1 Greg Oden
2 Kevin Durant
3 Al Horford
4 Mike Conley
5 Jeff Green
6 Yi Jianlian
7 Corey Brewer
8 Brandan Wright
9 Joakim Noah
10 Spencer Hawes
11 Acie Law
12 Thaddeus Young
13 Julian Wright
14 Al Thornton
15 Rodney Stuckey
16 Nick Young
17 Sean Williams
18 Marco Belinelli
19 Javaris Crittenton
20 Jason Smith
21 Daequan Cook
22 Jared Dudley
23 Wilson Chandler
24 Rudy Fernandez
25 Morris Almond
26 Aaron Brooks
27 Arron Afflalo

2008 NBA Draft

1 Derrick Rose
2 Michael Beasley
3 O.J. Mayo, Guard
4 Russell Westbrook
5 Kevin Love
6 Danilo Gallinari
7 Eric Gordon
8 Joe Alexander
9 D.J. Augustin
10 Brook Lopez
11 Jerryd Bayless
12 Jason Thompson
13 Brandon Rush
14 Anthony Randolph
15 Robin Lopez
16 Marreese Speights
17 Roy Hibbert
18 JaVale McGee
19 J.J. Hickson
20 Alexis Ajinca
21 Ryan Anderson
22 Courtney Lee
23 Kosta Koufos
24 Serge Ibaka
25 Nicolas Batum
26 George Hill

If you examine them closely you should then be able to form a picture of the different types of NBA players that I value the most.