Random Basketball Notes and Thoughts

I spent the past few days with my buddy Paul watching a ton of College and NBA games ranging from the Knicks vs. Anyone (we love Knicks Color Guy Walt Clyde Frazier) to Loyola MD vs. Kansas. Here are some random thoughts we came up with:

- Nick Calathes is a fantastic point guard for Florida, he just has no one that knows where he is going to pass the ball. (I guess he got the talent in the family) Almost every single one of his turnovers came because no one rolled to the basket or the forward he was trying to get open had his back turned. He kind of looks like he was chizzeled out of stone. We also loved Thunder Dan Werner, hes like a poor man's Tyler Hansbrough in that he plays 100 mph each game. Jai Lucas was fun to watch as well, he's going to be a typical Lucas kid when he graduates though, great skills, great shooter, 10 Day contract in the NBA and cut once they realize hes too small. He'll be a stud in Europe though.


- Loyola MD vs. Kansas was an intreguing game for us to watch on ESPN Full Court. First off it was broadcast on the Kansas JayHawk network so the play by play guys were hilarious Kansas homers who would basically laugh at everything Loyola would do (Loyola was pretty awful yet somehow scored 60 points). The reason we watched this game was former Providence player Gerald Brown is on Loyola's roster. Gerald Brown is averaging close to 20 PPG this season for the GreyHounds after a huge season last year where he averaged 22. The 6-4 Brown is a physical guard who was a pretty good player at Providence a few years ago, I never quite understood why he transfered to a MAAC school. Brown looked alright against the JayHawks netting 13 points but overall this game was a bloodbath. Kansas is dangerous this season,I want nothing to do with them in the NCAA tournament.

- God the Knicks are awful. Somehow they beat Chicago last night, if anyone saw the highlights, Kirk Hinrich got abused by Jamal Crawford, it was real ugly. Really though, the only reason we watch Knicks games is to listen to Walt Clyde Frazier use huge words that no one knows the meaning of, come up with hilarious rhyming phrases and say "Da Knicks". Google Walt Clyde Frazier and you can find a ton of lists of his notorious phrases like "Spinnin and Winnin", its good stuff. Hes a real gem, makes Knicks games bearable. Also love when they get Mr. March Madness on there, Gus Johnson. When they pair Johnson and Frazier its must see TV, seriously, if you have MSG I advise watching Knicks games, you'll laugh at the basketball and the play by play, its fantastic.

- Seton Hall got robbed last night, they should've beaten Marquette if Timmy Higgins didn't get involved, but wow Seton Hall looked awful. They may be the sloppiest team I've ever seen on a basketball court. Their jerseys don't fit, no one on the roster seems to be able to hit a three pointer or a mid range jumper and that coach, don't get me started on him, he was obnoxious at Manhattan and gets worse each day. What was Eugene Harvey thinking when he decided to go there? Marquette also didn't look like the 16th best team in the nation, though I love the addition of Dominic James/Earl Boykins clone Maurice Acker, the 5'8 165lb transfer from Ball State. Speaking of transfers on Marquette there is Dan Fitzgerald, a transfer from Tulane. For anyone who hasn't seen him hes a 6'7 sharp shooting skinny white guy who wears a shooting sleeve and gels his hair in a side part. Enough said.

- Jason Kidd goes for another triple double last night against Charlotte but his team gets killed. How a6-4 guy who cant jump and is that old can average 8.8 rebounds a game is beyond me. Kudos to J-Kidd, now please trade him to the Lakers or the Mavericks so he can win a championship before he retires. I'm heading to the Nets v. Sonics game tonight and to Nets v. Celtics on Friday, I'll keep you posted if J-Kidd gets another 10-10-10 game.

- Hasheem Thabeet is scary, he finally realized that he can dunk everything when he is even close to the rim and hes doing it. Way to go Hasheem! Jeff Adrian cracks me up, he tries to do everything with so much power that its beginning to hurt him. He shoots a 15 footer like hes shooting a half court shot and he lays the ball in so hard that it pops out because hes so focused on slapping the backboard. Hell of a player though for his size, I'd take him at VU anyday.

- The Suns shot something like 60% from three the other night, even GRANT HILL is hitting threes on this team (hes shooting 35% despite being a career 20ish% three point shooter). Send Andre Miller there (career 15% three point shooter) and see what happens. What gets into these guys when they get to Phoenix?

- Kyle Lowry's minutes are being eaten up by Greg Oden's boy Mike Conley over in Memphis. I'm really disappointed in that development, Lowry was having a stellar season getting 10-4-4 in 25 minutes a game now he is collecting splinters on the bench. I hope he gets out of Memphis ASAP, Bill Simmons of ESPN suggested he should end up on a team like the Spurs. I sure hope that happens.

- It has become a right of passage in the NBA to block Yao Ming. Last night he was blocked and astonishing 4 times against Washington and it seems every time Sports Center comes on Yao is getting stuffed. I love how he called his team out for being soft, please.

- Has anyone seen Frank Caliendo do his impressions of Bill Walton or Charles Barkley? If you havent go on youtube and enter Frank Caliendo Charles Barkley/Bill Walton Impression, you wont regret it.

Thats all for now, time for my lunch break.