[844] NBA All Sixth Man of the Year Lineup

Today I've decided to try and create an NBA team composed entirely of previous NBA Sixth Man of the Year winners. My choices are my opinion only and feel free to form your own team and opinions. I'm not looking for an argument, I'm just wanting to write something. By the way, apparently you can have up to thirteen (13) active NBA players so I'll be fielding 13 players.

First some minor things. I'll be creating this team with the intention of them playing in the present NBA, rules, mindset, and all. Since I only became an NBA fan in the mid-to-late 90s my bias will be towards players I've seen play. Anyway, on to my lineup. I'll be getting their averages from their Sixth Man of the Year season from basketball-reference.com and adding it here.

I'll be posting their stats in this format ppg / rpg (oreb) / apg / spg / bpg / topg fg% / 3p% / ft%.

Center

Kevin McHale. 1983 - 1984.

18.4 / 7.4 (2.5) / 1.3 / 0.3 / 1.5/ 1.8 .556 / .333/ .765

McHale is a low post beast, from what I've read about him in Bill Simmons' Book of Basketball. Don't let the 3p% fool you, he didn't even average 0.1 3pa in that season. Aside from that McHale is the only other big man I'd consider capable of playing center in the current NBA among those Sixth Man Award winners. Bill Walton was a lot older and injured when he won in 1986 and as impressive as Roy Tarpley's numbers were when he won in 1988, I never saw him play and all I know about him was he got banned for substance abuse issues for a few years. Also, rest in peace Roy Tarpley.

Forwards

Clifford Robinson. 1992 - 1993.

19.1 / 6.6 (2.0) / 2.2 / 1.2 / 2.0 / 2.1 .473 / .247 / .690

Toni Kukoc. 1995 - 1996.

13.4 / 4.0 (1.4) / 3.5 / 0.8 / 0.3 / 1.4 .490 / .403 / .772

For the two starting forwards I'm going with Clifford Robinson and Toni Kukoc. Uncle Cliffy is getting the start because of his defensive numbers, something I never expected. I always remember him as a stretch 4 / early stretch 5 during his twilight years in the NBA. I never knew he had good defensive numbers. Kukoc gets the nod at the other forward slot because despite his lack of defense, his range and passing skills will help the team keep the ball moving and give enough floor spacing for this team.

Guards

Manu Ginobili. 2007 - 2008.

19.5 / 4.8 (0.9) / 4.5 / 1.5 / 0.4 / 2.7 .460 / .401 / .860

Darrell Armstrong. 1998 - 1999.

13.8 / 3.6 (1.1) / 6.7 / 2.2 / 0.1 / 3.2 .441 / .365 / .904                        

I'm choosing Manu Ginobili and Darrel Armstrong to start. Armstrong is there for his defense, and Manu gets to start because he has the size and best all-around numbers among the guards I've chosen. Darrell Armstrong is also more of a traditional point guard so he would also help in ball movement and not try to do all the scoring by himself. I could have gone with Lou Will but I honestly feel that his size and defensive shortcomings would be to the detriment of the starters. Plus a Lou Will and Darrell Armstrong lineup would be too small in my opinion.

Now that we're done with the starters, let's focus on my core "big three" players off the bench. These guys will be getting the majority of playing time off the bench because of their versatility and scoring prowess.

Key bench players

Lou Williams. 2017 - 2018.

22.6 / 2.5 (0.5) / 5.3 / 1.1 / 0.2 / 3.0 .435 / .359 / .880
Lamar Odom. 2010 - 2011.

14.4 / 8.7 (2.1) / 3.0 / 0.6 / 0.7 / 1.7 .530 / .382 / .675

James Harden. 2011 - 2012.

16.8 / 4.1 (0.5) / 3.7 / 1.0 / 0.2 / 2.2 .491 / .390 / .846

Lou Williams would be THE sixth man in this all sixth man team. He provides instant offense, range, and some playmaking at the cost of defense. Lamar Odom gives the starting five a tenacious rebounder and good playmaker at the big man slot, plus he can spend some spot minutes at the center position if needed. I'm also a huge Odom stan so I'm making him the first forward / big man off the bench. James Harden is a taller Lou Williams, but at this stage of his career he still wasn't the MVP James Harden we all know today.

Rounding out the second five

Detlef Schrempf. 1991 - 1992.

17.3 / 9.6 (2.5) / 3.9 / 0.8 / 0.5 / 2.4 .536 / .324 / .828

Anthony Mason. 1994 - 1995.

9.9 / 8.4 (2.4) / 3.1 / 0.9 / 0.3 / 1.6 .566 / .000 / .641

Schrempf has similar stats to Odom, and he also provides nearly the same skill set as Odom. Mase (also rest in peace, Anthony Mason) would be the de facto center off the bench. He was also one of the early prototypical point forwards in Don Nelson's Knicks experiment. This rounds out the second unit.

The specialists

Mike Miller. 2005 - 2006.

13.7 / 5.4 (0.6) / 2.7 / 0.7 / 0.4 / 1.9 .466 / .407 / .800

Dell Curry. 1993 - 1994.

16.3 / 3.2 (0.9) / 2.7 / 1.2 / 0.3 / 1.5 .455 / .402 / .873

Bobby Jackson. 2002 - 2003.

15.2 / 3.7 (1.0) / 3.1 / 1.2 / 0.1 / 1.8 .464 / .379 / .846

This brings us to the remaining players who, I believe, are versatile enough to fill different roles and positions for this team. Miller can play shooting guard and small forward while Jackson can play point and shooting guard. Dell Curry and Mike Miller are both excellent 3-point shooters, while Bobby Jackson, from what I remember, was great for his hustle and defense.

So there we go, my thirteen man NBA lineup featuring players who won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award. Looking at my lineup it does appear that the team is lacking in the center category, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make in exchange for versatility. Besides, only one true center won the award. The team also appears to be a bit lacking in terms of defense but with all the offensive firepower we have I think this team can at least make the playoffs.

I'm imagining McHale or Manu would be the "alpha" of the team. Remember that I'm picking the players based on the year they won sixth man so Harden still hasn't unlocked his unstoppable game and MVP caliber mindset.

As for the coach, I'm honestly feeling Don Nelson as the head coach of this team. I honestly think he can unlock the offensive potential of this team. He would probably need a good defensive coordinator as his lead assistant coach, though.

Anyway, that's my team. Feel free to make your own lineup.

Out.

[777] My Take on the Current NBA

So yesterday (Manila time) I found out Bron was signing with the Lakers. Today I find out Boogie Cousins is signing with Golden State.

Basically Golden State might be stronger than last year. Once Boogie is cleared to play and gets in relative game shape, the Warriors might be unbeatable.

I'm actually happy that the players now have control of where they want to play. Does it suck that one team gets stronger while other teams don't? Yes. However, players have earned their right to choose where they want to play. Who wants to play for a dysfunctional team, right?

Anyway to be honest I've lost interest in rooting for any specific player or team. I guess the Knicks still have a place in my heart (don't ask me why, maybe because of the Sprewell era). I stopped rooting for Sacramento when they drafted Bagley (don't get me wrong, I want to see him succeed, I just wanted the Kings to draft Doncic).

I'm interested to see what happens this coming season. Will Golden State beat their record of 73 wins? Will LeBron's finals streak come to an end? Will the East field any legitimate contenders for the championship? Will Boogie come back to form from his Achilles injury?

Finally, I don't think Golden State did anything wrong. I think they are setting a standard that other teams should strive for. Instead of wishing they get worse, I just wish other teams would get better. Raise the game and everyone benefits.

Out.

[737] Major NBA Retirements 2016

This 2016 off-season the NBA has lost three all-time greats to retirement. Kobe Bryant, announced before the start of the 2015-2016 season that he was retiring. Tim Duncan announced his decision to retire this off-season, as well as Kevin Garnett.

I grew up with these guys. Their careers started when I was in my mid-to-late teenage years. And to be honest I wasn't really much of a fan of them back then.

I was only starting to get to know the NBA during the mid-to-late 90s. We had cable TV and there were regular games showing every Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Unfortunately I was not allowed to watch TV during school days so I would get my fill during the weekends. If we weren't going out for the day. I usually tried to watch the games live in the morning here in the Philippines because I would be doing other stuff at night (like playing the guitar, playing video games, or reading).

I am sad that the players I grew up watching are now retiring, but I am happy that these guys were able to have long, successful NBA playing careers. I never really was a big fan of these three guys but I really respected their games and contributions to the NBA game.

Out of the three Tim Duncan would be the player I like the most. He was quiet, efficient, and a team player. He rarely made waves and was willing to take discounts to make sure his team was almost always successful.

Kobe Bryant is the player I would say is the closest link to Michael Jordan. His game was almost the same as His Airness. And for someone who really misses MJ (despite the fact that he's not even in my top three favorite all-time NBA players) Kobe was the guy I loved watching because of how "old school" he was.

Finally there's Kevin Garnett. I never really liked him. I was impressed with his versatility and his defensive prowess but I never liked his "tough guy" attitude. That's just my opinion.

Anyway, thanks to those three for all the memories you gave me and countless other NBA fans. May you find the success and happiness you found on the court in your new lives as retired NBA players.

Out.

091/365 - NBA Global Games Philippines 2013

Jump ball!

This could very well be the one and only time I get to watch an NBA game. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Special thanks to my Mom, who gave me two tickets she got for free.

The first time two NBA teams play in the Philippines. I was there. 10th of October 2013, at SM Moa Arena.

Out.

Edit 13 Oct. 2013 - I apparently forgot to link the set I uploaded on Flickr. You can see some of my shots here.

NBA Draft Live Blog

I'm listening to a live broadcast of the 2011 NBA Draft via ESPN at work. And I'll be blogging my thoughts as this happens, when I have the free time since I am at work. Cleveland Cavaliers with the first pick and five minutes left. I guess they're doing the draft in New Jersey because Madison Square Garden's under renovation? I'll try and add the local time as I type my thoughts.


Oh and I'll only cover the lottery picks. Then I'm logging out.


7:46am - Wilt Perdue is on at ESPN with a few other ESPN broadcasters and they're doing a lot of talking to fill the time while Cleveland decides who to pick. Kyrie Irving or Derrick Williams?


7:49am - Cleveland selects Kyrie Irving with the first pick. Nice. I heard a quick promo of Irving saying he's not in John Wall's league or something.


7:55am - Minnesota selects Derrick Williams second. As expected. I heard earlier the Lakers had offered Odom for this pick. Damn you, Lakers. Where Odom goes, so does my loyalty. Now that the Wolves have Williams, what happens to Beasley, Martell Webster, and even Anthony Randolph? Minnesota could stand to make a few trades to give Williams a chance to develop.


8:00am - Utah gets Enes Kanter. What the fuck?!? I thought Brandon Knight was going to be drafted by the Jazz. Utah now has five bigs (Millsap, Al Jefferson, Derrick Favors, and maybe Memo Okur?) with Kanter on board. I sense a trade will happen. Maybe Utah will get  "The Jimmer" with the 12th pick?


8:06am - Cleveland next picks Tristan Thompson. Say what? Wow, I did not see this coming. Thompson basically plays the same position as JJ Hickson and Antawn Jamison. I guess this was their next choice since the Jazz got Kanter. I always thought the Cavs would get a big man to help Varejao. Interesting.


8:12am - Toronto gets the fifth pick and they get Jonas Valanciunas. What? I thought Colangelo was going for a more American flavor for the Raptors and they get another Euro big? I hope this guy can rebound. I don't get this pick.


8:14am - An ESPN announcer said Tristan Thompson reminds him of Durant. Seeing as how I don't get to watch NCAA games, I'll have to take his word for it. With a grain of salt.


8:16am - Washington gets Jan Vessely with the sixth pick. This guy was supposedly the "Blake Griffin of Europe." I have no idea at all.


8:20am - Sacramento gets Bismack Biyombo. This guy could help the frontcourt. DeMarcus Cousins could handle the offense, and Biyombo could take care of the defense. I'm not sure if this is true, but aren't the Kings trading this pick to the Bobcats? Does this mean Bismack Biyombo is going to Charlotte?


Biyombo sounds funny. Just saying.


8:26am - Detroit gets Brandon Knight. Nice. Now they can move Stuckey to the shooting guard position. Knight and Greg Monroe seem like good building blocks for Detroit.


Could Kentucky get 7 players drafted in the first round this year? We shall see.


8:32am - Charlotte gets Kemba Walker with the 9th pick. Bye-bye DJ Augustin?


So the Milwaukee-Charlotte-Sacramento trade sounds like it's going through. Why do I get the feeling that after the lockout there will be tons of trade activities for teams? Why did the Bobcats get Walker when they had a point guard already. God, I'm so excited for the up-coming season. I just hope there is a season.


8:37am - Jimmer Fredette goes to Milwaukee. I think this pick is included in the trade so maybe Fredette goes to Sacramento? Yep, his rights are going to Sacramento.


8:43am - Golden State gets Klay Thompson from Washington State University. Finally, a tall shooting guard for Golden State.


8:50am - Utah gets Alec Burks from Colorado with the 12th pick. I'm starting to like Utah's young guys, Favors, Kanter, Hayward, and now Burks. I hope they've got a plan.


So the Morris twins are still on the board. I thought Marcus was going top ten. Guess I was wrong. Maybe both end up top twenty. I hope so.


8:57am - Speaking of Morris. The Suns get Markieff Morris. Wait, isn't this the defensive Morris? Good pick by the Suns. They've got enough offense already, now it's time to get defensive. I'm just suprised Marcus wasn't picked first. Unless the Suns thought this was the "better" Morris. Yeah as if that would happen.


I just realized the Suns have two halves of twins in the NBA. And they've got the "lesser" of the twins. They got Robin Lopez, and now Markieff Morris. Both supposedly not as good as their twin, both supposedly the better defensive player.


Apparently Markieff has a jump shot. I hope it helps get him playing time. But he has to fight with Channing Frye and Warrick for PF minutes, and Gortat and Lopez for C minutes.


9:04am - And Marcus Morris goes next to the Rockets. Huh. Scola. Patterson. Now Morris? Stocking up on PFs I see. Again, trades I foresee.


And that's the lottery. I'm ending it here because I really need to use the bathroom.


Out.

Playing NBA GM Once Again - Hawks and Suns

Once in a while I like to go to ESPN's NBA Trade Machine and play NBA GM, trying to make trades happen for different teams. I know I've posted at least one trade I made on this blog. Well I've got another one. This one is a trade between the Atlanta Hawks and the Phoenix Suns.


Click here for the trade.


The Hawks would send Josh Smith to Phoenix for Marcin Gortat, Jared Dudley, Gani Lawal (one of my favorite NBA players since we have the same name), and Garret Siler. You could throw in some draft picks if you wanted, but I'm focusing on the players more.


How would this benefit each team?


Atlanta finally gets a legit center, allowing Al Horford to move to his more natural power forward position. They also get an energy guy who can hit threes and is a decent defender, Jared Dudley. Gani Lawal and Garret Siler are more of throw ins, just to balance the salary cap. But it could also be a homecoming of sorts for Lawal, who I think studied in Georgia Tech.


Phoenix gets the high flying Josh Smith. Having two respected and successful veterans (Grant Hill and Steve Nash) on the Suns could be beneficial for him since there are so many articles saying he has "issues" (whatever they may be). Plus can you imagine the highlights he'd get receiving passes from Nash? Alley oops and fast break dunks galore.


I know my explanations for the trade seem short, but if you like and follow the NBA as much as I do, you'd see the sense in my trade without too much explanation.


I just hope there won't be a lockout next season.


Out.

Playing NBA GM

So Chris Paul wants to be traded, and his first choice is the Orlando Magic.

I played around with ESPN's Trade Machine and came up with this.

Send Okafor and Paul (rumor has it that any team who wants CP3 has to get Okafor's contract too) to Orlando for Vince Carter and Jameer Nelson.

Vince can still draw fans if he plays inspired, and Jameer could be a fine replacement for CP3. Plus both those guys contracts expire in 2 years, so the Hornets will have the cap space to keep Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton.

Out.