Posts Tagged ‘Marcin Gortat’

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Stats: Suns Make A Run With Offense

April 21, 2012  ·  11:32AM

HANG TIME NEW JERSEY – At the All-Star break, the Phoenix Suns sat in 13th place in the Western Conference, four games out of the playoffs and six games behind the Houston Rockets.

Today, the Suns are in eighth place, tied with the Utah Jazz for the final playoff spot in the West and a game ahead of the Rockets. With most of our thoughts regarding the Suns involving Steve Nash‘s long-term future, the 38 year old has led his team to a 19-10 record since the All-Star break, a playoff run few expected.

The Suns, as they always have with Nash at the helm, have been winning with offense. No team has improved more offensively this season than the Suns, who are scoring 7.8 more points per 100 possessions since the break than they were before it.

Suns efficiency

Timeframe W L Pace Rank OffRtg Rank DefRtg Rank NetRtg Rank
Before break 14 20 94.5 13 100.2 16 102.7 23 -2.5 21
After break 19 10 95.1 6 108.0 3 104.2 16 +3.8 8

OffRtg = Points scored per 100 possessions
DefRtg = Points allowed per 100 possessions
NetRtg = Point differential per 100 possessions

A deeper look at the Suns’ numbers reveals that their offense has improved across the board. They’re shooting better from both inside the arc and beyond it. They’re rebounding better, turning the ball over less, and getting to the line more.

Suns offense

Timeframe 2PT% Rank 3PT% Rank OREB% Rank TO% Rank FTA Rate Rank
Before break 48.2% 6 34.0% 15 24.0% 26 15.5 11 .237 28
After break 50.9% 3 34.7% 19 28.0% 12 13.9 4 .289 10

OREB% = Percentage of available offensive rebounds obtained
TO% = Turnovers per 100 possessions
FTA Rate = FTA/FGA (more…)

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Hot Suns are worthy of discussion

April 14, 2012  ·  12:17AM





HOUSTON — Marcus Camby pulled down 18 rebounds in the first half on Friday night and gave the Suns something to talk about during the intermission.

“It was a discussion,” said coach Alvin Gentry. “Very much a one-way discussion. I think the point was well-taken.”

On the receiving end of the “discussion” were Gentry’s big men, center Marcin Gortat and forward Channing Frye. It was suggested that perhaps someone could possibly do something to make collecting rebounds a little more difficult than plucking daisies on a spring day for Mr. Camby.

So the Suns played with more energy, more urgency, more desperation and Camby didn’t get a single rebound in the second half, while Phoenix got a 112-105 win.

“We just got yelled at,” said Gortat, who finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds. “We just came out harder. Let’s say the first half was just a warmup. There’s not a situation with the team. We’re all committed to winning games.

“Yes, let’s call it a discussion. But there were no issues, no problems at all. I already talked to him four times as soon as the game was over. If the guy grabs 18 rebounds in one half, then someone is not doing his job, someone has got to get yelled out. Unfortunately, it was me. Really, it was a funny situation, a story that you can put in a book.”

If the Suns continue their amazing stretch drive, it could eventually be a chapter in a real-life fairytale. Phoenix appeared dead in the water just over six weeks ago, sitting at 14-20. But now the Suns have reeled off 17 wins in 8 games and are sitting just one game behind Houston for the final playoff spot.

“It was hard not to think of this as a must-win game,” said Steve Nash.

It’s hard to not think of the stretch run of the schedule that way for the Suns. Starting tonight in San Antonio, Phoenix will play six of its last seven games against teams with records above .500, all of whom have something at stake in the West race.

A few days ago, the Rockets appeared to be in good position, but stumbled twice at home. Denver has been up and down. Utah lost on Friday night in New Orleans. The door could be open for the Suns.

With Grant Hill back in the lineup just two weeks after knee surgery, with Nash on top of his game and feeding Gortat, Jared Dudley stepping up and the long-suffering Michael Redd just happy to be able to play and contribute again, would you really bet against the surging Suns?

That’s worth another discussion.

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Rosen’s Report: Dallas at Phoenix

March 8, 2012  ·  10:12AM

Despite the dismantling of their championship squad, the Mavs still nurture hopes of defending their title. For now, they are languishing in the lower-seeded playoff bracket but are only one game away from earning the third seed in the West. They also anticipate that their corps of veterans will have their respective A-games honed when the money season commences.

For the Suns, competing in the playoffs is both a distant memory and an unimaginable future. While Phoenix is still a moderately competitive team, two of their stalwarts — Grant Hill and Steve Nash — are learning that the older they get the faster they get old. Is it time, then, for management to utter the “R” word — Rebuilding?

HOW THE MAVERICKS CAN WIN

Unless he’s double-teamed, Dirk Nowitzki’s dreadnaught arsenal of off-balance, step-back, wrong-footed shot-releases can seldom be deterred. Plus, he’s a dead-eye shooter with 3-point range, is virtually unstoppable when driving left, and has the most convincing shot-fakes in the NBA. Nowitzki has certainly recovered from his early-season slump, yet he remains somewhat erratic — especially before the halftime intermission.  However, Nowitzki usually has long arms whenever a game is up for grabs. Even though Jared Dudley is Phoenix’s best defender, Nowitzki will still have to be two-timed — which will create opportunities for Nowitzki’s timely passes to generate open shots for his teammates.

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Hang Time Podcast (Episode 51)

April 5, 2011  ·  9:38AM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – In a game of one-on-one, New York Knicks rookie Landry Fields would have a hefty size advantage over Portland Trail Blazers point guard Patty Mills, who is roughly eight inches shorter than the nearly 6-foot-8 Fields.

Have them battle using their own comedic work off the court, however — Fields has the highly entertaining “Andy (Rautins) and Landry Show” while Mills has the equally hilarious “On The Streets With Patty Cakes: Meet Pat Stacks” — and we’re talking about a completely even match.

That’s why we were honored to have both Fields and Mills join us on Episode 51 of the Hang Time Podcast, so they could talk about their comedic stylings as well as other much more serious and pertinent topics.

One of those topics is the work Mills is doing to help the flood victims back home in his native Australia with the wearsmyshirt.com campaign.

But we didn’t stop there. NBA.com’s LeMont Calloway, who handles the Dunk Ladder and all of the drama and highlights that come along with it, carved a few minutes out of his busy schedule to join us. He schooled us on the difference between a “throw down” (think Blake Griffin over Timofey Mozgov or Marcin Gortat) and a true dunk (think Griffin over most everyone and everything else).

LISTEN HERE:


As always, we welcome your feedback. You can follow the entire crew, including the Hang Time Podcast, co-hosts Lang Whitaker of SLAM Magazine and Sekou Smith of NBA.com, as well as our super producer Micah Hart of NBA.com’s All Ball Blog.

– To download the podcast, click here. To subscribe via iTunes, click here.

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The Dunk of The Year (That Wasn’t)

March 21, 2011  ·  9:16AM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — Your legend is safe Timofey Mozgov.

Thanks to the offensive foul called on Clippers All-Star Blake Griffin on this dunk over Suns center Marcin Gortat last night, you can rest easy knowing that you remain Griffin’s most famous victim this season.

Despite Griffin’s protestation to the contrary, Steve Javie felt that Gortat was in place before Griffin elevated over him for the Dunk of the Year (that wasn’t).

For the record, Griffin did take off a good foot and a half from the circle underneath the basket. Gortat was just happy to come away without any cuts or bruises.

“I was just standing there, and I hoped he wasn’t going to crush my face,” he said. “I think it was a good charge. I think it was the right call.”

Suns coach Alvin Gentry didn’t care that the dunk was wiped out by the charge. He also didn’t complain much about Griffin fouling out on the play, with more than four minutes to play in a tight game. But he knows a monster dunk when he sees one.

“That might be as impressive of a dunk as I have seen in the NBA in 23 years,” Gentry said. “I don’t care if it was a charge. … That might be the best dunk he’s had since he was in the league.”

We will have to defer to our main man LeMont Calloway over at the Dunk Ladder and see what he thinks about, coach Gentry. But it was wicked, even if it didn’t count.

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Camby To Orlando Intrigues

December 29, 2010  ·  10:49AM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – When I made the joke to NBA TV analyst Brent “Bones” Barry Tuesday during The Jump about this being a great time for NBA trade rumors, he reminded me of the flip side.

“It’s not a great time for player to hear their names in all these rumors,” Barry said.

Count Trail Blazers center Marcus Camby among those players that don’t seem terribly excited about being in the trade-rumor mix these days. The pre-Christmas chatter had Camby and veteran teammates Andre Miller going to Charlotte in a deal for D.J. Augustin and Gerald Wallace — a scenario (rumored, mind you) that apparently outraged the 15-year veteran to the point that a source told ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard:

“If he was traded to Charlotte, he would think about retiring,’’ the source said. “He’s made plenty of money. He’d rather play, but he’s at the point in his career where he doesn’t want to get bounced around from team to team. If he’s traded, it would have to be to a contender.’’

Surely, Orlando qualifies as just that, a contender.

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Blogtable: Suns in playoffs for sure now?

December 22, 2010  ·  12:55PM

Each week, we’ll ask our stable of scribes to weigh in on the three most important NBA topics of the day — and then give you a chance to step on the scale, too, in the comments below.

Pick a winner Saturday and tell us why: Heat or Lakers.

Magic: Better, worse or the same after the big trade?

And …

Suns, playoff team for sure now, or not?

David Aldridge: There’s no guarantee they make the playoffs; Houston is getting its bearing again after losing Yao (again), Portland could yet right the ship, and I haven’t given up on Golden State just yet; the Warriors could be interesting if they could ever stay healthy for more than a week. The Suns are better, if a lot more expensive. (more…)

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Hang Time Podcast (Episode 37)

December 21, 2010  ·  9:37AM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – When a monster trade happens and you need an extensive breakdown, we’d like for you to be able pull up a chair here at the hideout and get all your questions answered.

We’ll take care of everything, including asking all the right questions of the people in the know.

So on a weekend that sees Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat, Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu all change teams on the same weekend (in two different deals instigated by Magic GM Otis Smith), we want to make sure you come here for the breakdown.

And we took care of all that and more on Episode 37 of the Hang Time Podcast.

LISTEN HERE:


Several friends of the program were kind enough to lend us their time to make sure we covered all the bases. Our main man Michael Lee of the Washington Post joined us to break things down from the Wizards’ angle. Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post weighed in on from the Magic perspective.

If this is just the start of a crazy couple of months before the February trade deadline, two more teams that could be in the middle of the movement mix are the Hawks, the only team in the Southeast Division yet to overhaul their operation in the past two seasons, and the Knicks, who are desperately pursuing another All-Star (Carmelo Anthony) to play alongside Amar’e Stoudemire.

So naturally, we decided to take a proactive approach in that regard. Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution helped us out with the Hawks’ thinking as we head to the deadline, while Alan Hahn of Newsday helped us finish off the show in style with some Knicks chatter.

As always, we welcome your feedback. You can follow the entire crew, including the Hang Time Podcast,  Lang Whitaker of SLAM Magazine, our super producer Micah Hart of NBA.com’s All Ball Blog and your host Sekou Smith on Twitter.

– To download the podcast, click here. To subscribe via iTunes, click here.

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Superman relives NBA Jam

September 24, 2010  ·  11:30AM

It’s been a busy week for Dwight Howard in the Big Apple. Not only did he help the league and adidas debut new uniforms, Superman took part in the presentation of two new NBA video games.

EA Sports has brought back the arcade classic NBA Jam for the first time on Wii, while NBA Elite is the rebranding of the popular NBA Live for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. (Kevin Durant is on the cover of NBA Elite this season. Howard was last year.)

Howard, a video game aficionado, is singing the praises of NBA Jam.

“It’s like the old school with the new-school graphics,” he said. “I like it. It looks real. For those who played the old-school NBA Jams, it’s the same way. It’s the same setup, but it’s the new school.”

NBA Jam brings back the two-on-two action so many remember. Spins, shoves, alley-oops and backboard-breaking dunks are all there with an updated twist. It’s got the three players from all 30 teams, plus loads of unlockables.

Speaking of techno advances, EA Sports introduces a new hands-on control and real physics engine to revitalize NBA Elite. It fixes a long time issue with basketball videogames — getting stuck in canned animations.  Now each player moves independently of one another.

Howard vouched for the realism.

“When you’re playing the game, you know other players’ tendencies and weaknesses,” he said. “Those that don’t play in the NBA maybe aren’t sure of what players can and can’t do.”

But are the videogame versions of players also entirely accurate with their real-life counterparts?

“I’m not as fast as I am in real life,” Howard corrected. “They’ve got to me slow. I’m a pretty fast guy. I’m the second-fastest guy on the team.”

Howard’s appearance in New York helped launched EA Sports Triple Double, a three-day event running through Sunday at 960 Avenue of the Americas celebrating the past, present and future of NBA basketball. The interactive experience, which is free to the public, showcases basketball, videogames and art.

Howard and his Magic teammates routinely play videogames in their rooms on the road, on the plane and at each other’s homes. He said Marcin Gortat is probably the best on the team when it comes to combat games. I can see that from the burly backup center.

Asked who would win a team-wide tournament on either NBA game, Howard didn’t hesitate.

“I would probably say myself,” he said. “I’m just being honest.”

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End double trouble of Double T

May 27, 2010  ·  1:58PM

Posted by Fran Blinebury

LOS ANGELES — Is there any call in the NBA more unsatisfying and frustrating than the double-technical?

Well, there’s the double-technical that leads to one of the sinners being suspended for the next game of the playoffs, of course.

Kendrick Perkins and the Celtics avoided that damaging pothole when the league office rescinded his half of the double-T that he received for jostling with Marcin Gortat.

Maybe it’s time that the NBA stopped counting double-technicals as part of the running total that leads to a one-game suspension.  After all, the idea of threatening with suspension is to inhibit bad actors from continuing to act up consistently.  But the double-technical is often a horse of a different color, frequently used by referees as a deterrent to situations that could get out of hand.  Many times a double-technical is called simply as a lid to keep on the pot.

Perhaps a compromise would be to continue to count a double-technical against players inside a specific game.  If you get two T’s you’re gone for the night.  But they don’t add to your running total toward a suspension.  That way a referee gets to keep control and head off potential trouble in a game.  Yet one preventative act doesn’t lead to a suspension and possibly change the outcome of an entire playoff series.

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