Posts Tagged ‘Steph Curry’

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Rookies Say The Darndest Things

June 26, 2011  ·  10:38AM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – We’ve got dreamers, late-bloomers, trail blazers and twins, oh and at least two guys — Kyrie Irving and to a lesser extent Derrick Williams – who are supposed to be franchise saviors.

The NBA Draft is the gift that just keeps on giving, year after year and player after player. The 2011 edition was no different, with tons of colorful sorts from lands near and far joining the party.

The rookies, whether they realize it or not, will probably never be more entertaining than they are right now and in the next few months, when all of this is still new to them, before they are no longer blinded by the lights, cameras and non-stop action that is the daily grind of NBA life.

Of course, we are not talking about Wizards rookie Jan Vesely, who seemed more than a little bit comfortable with the bright lights shining on him and his girlfriend, Eva Kodouskova, on draft night.

But even without the cameras around, the new guys can’t help but make you smile. Because rookies say the darndest things sometimes. After spending a few days with them leading up to the big night, we gathered a couple of examples to share with you:

“Well, I truly believe that Duke is a professional program.  The way we prepare, practice, we practice like professionals and that’s what he taught me and that’s what I’m going to carry to the next level is how to prepare like a professional:  Countless hours of film, breaking things down in practice, preparing for the next team, thoroughly.  There’s not one team that I thought we were unprepared for, even when I was hurt.

“So being a part of the Duke program and shadowing the coaches when I was hurt, I really learned a lot how to prepare like a professional.  When I was playing it was a little different, because things were happening really fast.  But when I was hurt, things ‑‑ it slowed down for me.  So I really got a chance to learn from them, learn from the coaches especially.”

– Irving on why Duke is such a great training ground for future professionals

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Warriors Need To Make Smart Move

March 18, 2011  ·  1:49PM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – With the assortment of wild and crazy stories and rumors we that make their way through the hideout each day, there’s usually nothing that truly shocks us.

But if there is any validity to these rumblings out of Oakland that Keith Smart is in danger of being ousted as coach of the Warriors, then we have our first truly shocking story of the month.

If there is “no problem between Smart and Warriors guard Steph Curry,” as my main man Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com states clearly, then why in the world is their “relationship” at the center of this chatter about Smart being weeks away from the unemployment line?

These details from Steinmetz might help explain the issue:

If you’ve been watching the Warriors all season long you’ve seen it. To say Smart has had Curry on a shorter leash than Don Nelson did a year ago would be an understatement.

You’d have to be watching a different game to not notice all those times Smart showed his frustration after a Curry mistake or misplay, which was typically followed with Acie Law at the scorer’s table.

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All-Star Saturday Night Revisited

February 20, 2011  ·  12:13PM

LOS ANGELES — Blake Griffin wasn’t the only man on center stage here Saturday night. He’s just the only one crazy enough to jump over the hood of a car.

A night that ended with Griffin standing on the hood of a Kia as he won the 26th Sprite Slam Dunk Contest was the capper on an at times brilliant All-Star Saturday night.

James Jones left a surprise winner, as did Steph Curry and Team Atlanta. The biggest winners, though, had to be all of us. All-Star Weekend hasn’t seen a Saturday night as satisfying as this one was in some time. And lucky for you, we’ve wrapped it all up in a nice box for you (courtesy of the crack crew in the HT audio-visual club) with All-Star Saturday night revisited:

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Celtic Pride on the (3-Point) line

February 8, 2011  ·  5:44PM

ATLANTA – From what we gather, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen get along fabulously. They’ve won a championship together. Allen attended Pierce’s wedding last summer. They have other common interests, perhaps. There’s a bond.

Oh, but can you imagine the trash-talking that’s going on between them right now?

Pierce will defend his 3-point championship in L.A. on All-Star Saturday and who’s the biggest threat? None other than the guy who’s poised to become the all-time 3-point shooter in NBA history. Yes, that would be Allen, who will take down Reggie Miller first for that career honor, then take aim at Pierce. Surely, this rift will divide the close-knit Celtic locker room and possibly destroy team chemistry for the season. Doc Rivers‘ job just got tougher, trying to referee such a bitter contest between two of his most important players.

OK. Joking.

Besides, Allen doesn’t talk smack; his verbal confrontation with Kobe Bryant years ago was the exception, not the norm. Still, there will be some good-natured give-and-take between now and Feb. 19. The burden is on Allen, obviously; he’s made a career from the 3-point line, while Pierce is a streaky long-distance shooter.

The title will probably be decided by a Celtic, because the rest of the field isn’t as good as it could’ve been. There’s no Kyle Korver, a 41-percent shooter. Or Matt Bonner, the Spurs’ specialist who’s making half his shots this season. Or Steph Curry, who lost to Pierce in the final round last year (perhaps Steph is being punished for that). Or Mike Bibby, a veteran 3-point shooter, or Kevin Love, a rare power forward with range. At least there is an interesting subplot between James Jones and Dorell Wright; the Heat gave up on Wright last summer partly because they were sold on Jones.

I suspect Pierce, in order to gain a psychological edge, might remind Allen of that 0-for-13 stretch in the NBA Finals last summer. Is that out of bounds? We’ll see.

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Did You See What We Saw?

December 9, 2010  ·  10:56AM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – The folks at NBC refer to their Sunday night studio show as “Football Night in America.” That’s a healthy play on words for one game.

A Wednesday night around here is much more suited for a slick moniker like that — how does “Basketball Night around the Globe” strike you? — since we have 11 games to watch and countless story lines in each one to focus on.

Since it’s probably not reasonable for you to stay up and watch all 11, the crew here at the Hideout makes sure to take the time to do that for you.

And with the Prime Minister locked down in his bunker and yours truly stationed on the observation deck, we don’t miss a bounce of the ball.

Now, all you have to figure out is Did You See What We Saw?

NEW YORK 113, TORONTO 110

Looking good: Six straight and counting for Amar’e Stoudemire, Raymond Felton and the crew. We raised the question yesterday about Stoudemire’s MVP candidacy and the legitimacy of these Knicks, who continue to take advantage of some excellent schedule work by the folks at the home office. That’s six straight 30-plus point games for Stoudemire and counting. When your starting five scores 105 of your 113 points, it’s clear that you are getting the absolute best out of your big guns. Maybe the Knicks really are ready for prime time …

Sound the Alarm: We’ve taken of unfair shots at Andrea Bargnani in the past, but we have to give it up to the big fella after his 41-point effort last night. He battled Stoudemire and Felton shot for big shot in the fourth quarter. His 3-pointer with 26 seconds to play tied the game but his air ball at the buzzer needed another foot.

HT’s Take: In addition to playing winning basketball these days, the Knicks are fun to watch and entertaining in ways they never were before Stoudemire and Felton joined the party. And Felton’s arrival doesn’t get the fanfare it deserves. In hindsight, he was one of the better pick ups in the celebrated free agent summer of 2010.

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League Pass Spotlight: Weekend Watching

December 3, 2010  ·  3:59PM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – We’re not done with you yet LeBron James.

You didn’t really think we’d just go away now that you got that trip home to Cleveland out of the way, did you?

As your fans have reminded us so many times the past month, one game does not a season make. So we’re diving right back in with you and the Heat this weekend now that you have your pre-“The Decision” flow back.

The Heat finally look like the team we thought they’d be, a metamorphosis that began at Quicken Loans Arena Thursday night, cathartic moment for James that was captured dramatically by my main man Israel Guiterrez of the Miami Herald:

The Heat, for the first time all season, looked unified. The Heat looked like a collection of talent instead of a frustrated bunch of individuals.

That’s because, for the first time this season, the Heat was playing for an actual cause. Not just the goal of improving, but for the cause of supporting James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas in their return to Cleveland.

No longer was Dwyane Wade playing concerned, wondering whether he was doing too much and not involving James enough.

No longer was James waiting his turn. No longer did the defense look confused or allow a point guard to devastate it.

The Heat played with a purpose. A playoff-like purpose.

This historic return home for one of the NBA’s greatest might have become his biggest victory to date.

He came out of this not only with the reassurance that he made the right choice, but he left more confident about it than ever. He came out of it knowing that Wade isn’t a player with whom he’s competing for touches, but possibly the best teammate he could have in moments like this.

He came out of it knowing that, just days after he reportedly turned on his head coach, the Heat would still come together to support him.

“There are times where we don’t like each other,” Spoelstra said of his team. “That can be a good thing as well. You only really get to know each other and get tested when you’ve seen both sides and you’re able to respond and move on.”

Now LeBron can move on.

He can move on to Saturday night’s home game against Southeast Division rival Atlanta, a game featured prominently on the must-watch list known around here as HT’s League Pass Spotlight: Weekend Watching (sorry, there is no discount for Miami Heat fans or anything, but you can click here to make sure you don’t miss a second of the action):

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League Pass Spotlight: Weekend Watching

November 19, 2010  ·  3:22PM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – There’s always some intrigue involved when the master, the Zen Master in this case, faces off against one of his pupils.

We’re still not sure if that’s the sort of relationship Lakers coach Phil Jackson enjoys with Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis. But for the purposes of our weekend schedule, we’re going to go with it.

The Lakers are always on our radar — ALWAYS!

And it has nothing to do with us being frontrunners or jumping on the bandwagon of a two-time defending champion. It’s more about loving the way they play and what they bring out of the competition.

If you remember, it was the Lakers that launched this current basketball renaissance for our friends in Minnesota. Since the Lakers’ 99-94 defeat of the Timberwolves Nov. 9 at Staples Center Rambis has watched his team win three of five games and turn a corner, of sorts, in this young season.

Everything comes full circle tonight, with a return match at the Target Center. And that’s just one of several games on the must-watch list known around here as HT’s League Pass Spotlight: Weekend Watching (and once again, the free preview is over but you can click here to make sure you don’t miss a second of the action):

FRIDAY

LA LAKERS at MINNESOTA 8 p.m. ET

Why we’re watching: Who doesn’t want to watch the hottest young frontcourt tandem in the league (Michael Beasley and Kevin Love) against the best frontcourt technician on the planet (Pau Gasol) and one of the most versatile frontcourt performers in the game (Lamar Odom). Beasley and Love aren’t just playing well right now, they’re playing as well or better than anyone other pair of forwards in the league. We didn’t even mention Kobe Bryant yet, which should tell you how much fun this game could be. The Timberwolves are feeling pretty good about themselves right now. That’s usually a perfect time to catch an up and coming squad against behemoth like the Lakers, who will surely enjoy the challenge.

SATURDAY

MIAMI at MEMPHIS 8 p.m. ET

Why we’re watching: We got a little excited after Chris Bosh torched the Suns for a season-high 35 points the other night and then heard about it from all sides for a) celebrating such a performance when it was clear the Suns could not defend him and b) trying to praise him after blasting him for three weeks for not showing up. Well, we’re going to give it another shot against the Hang Time Grizzlies, a team with a little more in the paint than the Suns. If Bosh can go to work against the likes of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, then maybe we can get an accurate read on where he is right now in his quest to regain his pre-Miami form.

NEW JERSEY at DENVER 9 p.m. ET

Why we’re watching: We’re calling this one the Carmelo (Anthony) Bowl. The Nets have made it pretty clear that they wanted the Nuggets’ All-Star and best player to wear their uniform. And the Nuggets have made it equally clear that they won’t to part ways with Anthony, no matter how inevitable the split seems to the rest of us. These teams only match up twice a year and this is the Nets’ only trip to Denver. We imagine their will be some die-hard Nuggets fans in the crowd with a few choice words for the Nets and their traveling party, so we’re hoping they keep it PG-13 with all the impressionable ears that are sure to be in the Pepsi Center.

SUNDAY

GOLDEN STATE at LA LAKERS 9:30 p.m. ET

Why we’re watching: When you bookend a LPS:WW with the Lakers and Timberwolves and then the Warriors and Lakers, you can’t really go wrong with whatever is between the bread of that sandwich. While Gasol and Odom have to fend off challengers to their crown on Friday night in Minnesota, Bryant and Derek Fisher have to deal with a similar threat in Monta Ellis and Steph Curry. Fine, we’re stretching it a little bit there. But what better way to end a weekend of basketball than watching the Warriors take another shot at the Lakers — they tried it on Halloween in a battle of unbeatens and got smacked around 107-83. We’re expecting a much tighter game this time around.

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Right Place, Right Time

November 17, 2010  ·  10:19AM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – When the credits rolled on the wild and crazy Summer of 2010, the names Dorrell Wright and Hakim Warrick were barely legible compared to the bold type afforded guys like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar’e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Joe Johnson, David Lee and many others.

Yet when the midseason report cards get handed out, both Wright and Warrick will be on the honor roll.

While some of the more high-profile movers from the summer are still trying to settle into their new digs, Wright (in Golden State) and Warrick (Phoenix) have made seamless transitions with their new teams.

It’s clearly a case of the right player being in the right place at just the right time. The 19th pick in their respective drafts (Wright in 2004 and Warrick in 2005), neither player had found the right fit, until now. And their new teams are reaping the rewards of these unions in ways their former teams wish they could.

The Warriors uncovered a true gem in Wright, a prototypical small forward who can defend on one end and more than hold his own on the other end with dynamic scorers like Monta Ellis and Steph Curry dictating the pace and tempo. It’s a totally different look for Wright, who was used primarily as a defensive specialist in Miami, if he was used at all.

A casualty of the Heat’s huge summer haul, Wright’s career numbers (15.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 37.6 minutes) must look pretty good to a Heat team scrambling right now to find solid role players to complement James, Wade and Bosh. Wright spent six seasons with the Heat, the team that drafted him, but never could find his niche playing alongside Wade. (more…)

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Did You See What We Saw?

November 11, 2010  ·  11:03AM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — The hump day schedule in the NBA is usually a robust 12 or 13 games deep, but we went with the diet plate (just 10 games) this week.

Lucky for us all, there was no skimping on the action.

Between John Wall‘s triple double, the Bucks’ beatdown of the Hawks, Michael Beasley‘s 42 points in a Minnesota win, David Lee‘s triumphant return to Madison Square Garden and a second straight epic comeback for the Utah Jazz in Florida, our table is loaded with plenty for you to chew on.

So all we have to figure out now is Did You See What We Saw?

The Prime Minister kicks things off with this special report on that Jazz-Magic thriller:

UTAH 104, ORLANDO 94

Looking good: Another night with Jerry Sloan‘s comeback kids! The Jazz rode the back of Deron Williams in the third quarter and Al Jefferson down the stretch to rally from an 18-point hole and sweep their annual trip to Florida. In their last five quarters (four regulation, one overtime), Utah outscored its opponents (Miami and Orlando) 153-112. And, as our man Dick Scanlon points out, the Jazz have rallied from 16-, 19- and 10-point halftime deficits in the last four days. Safe to say, the Jazz have this whole comeback-wins thing down.

Sound the Alarm: For Stan Van Gundy‘s bottle of Pepto Bismol, which is surely taking a pounding right now. Unlike when the Jazz beat the Heat two nights ago, Orlando’s lack of killer instinct wasn’t an aberration. Van Gundy was not pleased that after nearly blowing an 18-point lead against the Bobcats two games ago, the Magic didn’t learn from their mistake and totally blew their big lead against Utah. A jingle of the bell, too, for starter Ryan Anderson, whom Van Gundy cited for a lack of effort in his postgame comments.

HT’s Take: Big props for Sloan, who in back-to-back nights made crucial in-game adjustments. One night after the Jefferson-for-Kyrylo Fesenko center swap down the stretch in Miami, he switched to a zone defense in the second half against Orlando. That move flustered Orlando’s shooters and kept Dwight Howard a little more under control, allowing the Jazz to get some stops and sway momentum their way. Jefferson’s little rest in Miami worked out well last night, too, as he nailed a bunch of clutch shots in the post to seal the win.

***

MILWAUKEE 108, ATLANTA 91

Looking good: An early 13-point deficit for the Bucks disappeared when the reserves hit the floor. Corey Maggette and Ersan Ilyasova entered the game and promptly turned things upside down. By the time the Bucks’ reserves had finished their first half work they were up 54-40 and the rout was on. The Bucks are finally looking like the team many of us thought they’d be with a healthy Andrew Bogut back in the mix.

Sound the Alarm: The Hawks did that for us. Did you hear what they had to say about their power outage on their home floor? “I don’t understand what happened,” Al Horford said. “When adversity hit us in the face we went our separate ways,” Josh Smith said. Not exactly the sorts of things coach Larry Drew wants to hear from a team that was undefeated as recently as Sunday morning .

HT’s Take: The Bucks weren’t just good last night, they were fantastic once they got going. Like Bucks coach Scott Skiles said, if you get up 30 on the Hawks in their building, you’re doing work. If the Bucks can keep this up, they might look back on this early stretch of the season as the turning point. It certainly helps that Brandon Jennings (19 points and 4-for-5 from deep in the win over the Hawks)  is heating up right now, too.

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About Last Night

November 9, 2010  ·  6:35AM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – The Dallas Mavericks have been so good for so long it’s almost like we take them for granted.

We know they’re going to be formidable every season. We know Dirk Nowitzki is going to handle his business every season. And we know 50-win seasons are the norm every season.

But a little reminder never hurts. And that’s exactly what they gave us with Monday night’s win over the Boston Celtics, one of six games you can catch up on with your morning coffee in the Daily Zap:

As always the Top 10 is loaded with crazy plays, but you owe it to yourself to make sure and see Goran Dragic‘s wicked, behind the back move on a fast break layup:

And Monta Ellis isn’t the only scoring wiz working for the Golden State Warriors. Steph Curry will keep him company on most nights, like he did with a 34-point effort in a win over the Toronto Raptors for the surprising 5-2 Warriors.

** Don’t Forget to tune into The Jump this afternoon at 1 p.m. on NBA.com and 5 p.m. on NBA TV **

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