Charlotte Bobcats at Phoenix Suns preview -- Game 44; plus, thoughts on what pace really means in basketball

by David A. Arnott on Jan 26, 2011 11:57 AM EST

The Big Picture: Remember the study on pace in the NBA I linked a few days ago? Rohan Cruyff convincingly shows that "pace" is a little more complicated than what can be gleaned from a box score. For me, the most surprising nugget was something that confirmed what everyone's eyes have been telling them since Steve Nash returned to the desert, but that wasn't necessarily quantified before: the Phoenix Suns play way faster than anyone else in the league.

This relates to the Bobcats because under Larry Brown, the Cats played an artificially slow pace -- which isn't necessarily a bad thing, for reasons we'll get to in a moment -- and now, under Paul Silas, they're playing faster and finding a sort of "natural" speed that matches the flow their athleticism demands. Here's the rub: We assume it's a given that playing at the most comfortable speed for the players allows them to perform their best. However, weaker teams looking to maximize their production have to balance that desire with the evidence that playing at hyper-speed so discombobulates the opposition that it improves the faster team's per-possession performance, and the simple mathematical fact that playing an ultra-slow pace gives the weaker team a greater chance of winning because with fewer possessions there will be fewer raw points, and thus something fluky is more likely to happen.

Superior teams have the luxury of playing at whichever pace suits them, while inferior teams have to decide whether or not they can improve their production by playing a style the players may struggle executing.

Musical Interlude: Amy Winehouse -- "Tears Dry On Their Own"

Key to Victory: Neither Nash nor D.J. Augustin is noted for his defense, so it will be interesting to see how much penetration into the lane those guys get, especially given the lack of big shot-blockers -- or even shot-alterers -- in this game.

Also, given full health, I love the supporting cast the Suns have put together. Though their record is weak, the reason is because Vince Carter is horribly miscast at this stage of his career, and they'll be happy to send him on his way after this season. If they had a true scorer-type, even a no-defense one-trick-pony like Reggie Miller in his prime, they'd have something potentially great for a season or two with Nash. As it stands, though, they've got all the parts of a solid playoff team, minus the most expensive one.

Detail That May Interest .08% of You: The weather forecast in Phoenix today calls for 0% precipitation, sunshine, and a balmy 72 degrees.

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One thing strikes me immediately.

The scuttlebutt is that Amy Winehouse’s latest rehab has finally taken and she’s clean, alert, and brimming with real energy and vocal tuffs. Her new album should be a Lady Ga-Ga sized monster. I’m glad too, because in the clip you used she looks about 3 huffed rocks away from being the twin of Wanda Jackson from the LAST preview – and Jackson has a good 45 years on her.

Tonight’s game is going to be the latest chapter in the Saga Of A Season that the Bobats are having.

How many times have we said it already in the first 43 games? The Bobcats CAN get this win, but only if they play like they actually WANT it. If we play like last night, we have a solid chance. If the guys come out and half-ass it the way they have so many times already (I’m looking at YOU team captains!) we’re going down harder than the career of the Jonas Brothers.

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 12:31 PM EST reply actions

Amy's voice is golden

“Back to Black” is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. I’d be thrilled if she permanently got off the white horse, and went back to the studio 100% clean.

As for tonight’s game, Vince Carter is experiencing an epic 4-game shooting slump that would make Jack’s last few weeks look like all-star numbers. Let’s hope he doesn’t find his touch tonight.

Hopelessly scouring the internet for a free copy of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "Brujo." and "Hurricane Coming" by CCS.

by Newsinz on Jan 26, 2011 1:17 PM EST up reply actions

Now it's too late for you and your white horse to come around

by JDuaneHipps on Jan 26, 2011 2:57 PM EST up reply actions

Had to Google that to catch the reference

Sorry; I’m not a huge Taylor Swift fan.

Hopelessly scouring the internet for a free copy of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "Brujo." and "Hurricane Coming" by CCS.

by Newsinz on Jan 26, 2011 3:36 PM EST up reply actions

I wouldn't expect you too & be glad you didn't

Sadly I’m a 27 yr old who loves Taylor Swift and watches Disney. I like to blame it on my daughter but she has no part in it.

by JDuaneHipps on Jan 26, 2011 4:07 PM EST up reply actions

I overdosed long ago on tweeners heavily made up to look like they're 20-year-old hotties.

Cheetah Girls, Hillary Duff, et al – not to mention that now an entire second generation is suffering after having yet another Cyrus crammed down America’s throats.

Taylor Swift is tolerable to me. She does a lot with lyrics considering the somewhat simplistic world of puppy love that is still her primary focus. In 10 years, when she’s writing about adult opinions and experiences, she’s going to be a force all her own. I don’t think modern country radio is quite prepared for what’s going to happen when Taylor Swift breaks out of the carefully constructed persona her A&R people took so much time building and maintaining.

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 4:15 PM EST up reply actions

Do you have insightful post on everything relative in the world?

I completely agree though. I have all the CDs and listen to them daily. I think she’ll be one of those one per decade artist.

by JDuaneHipps on Jan 26, 2011 4:23 PM EST up reply actions

I know a bit about some things.

I’m also ever-so-slightly opinionated, as you might have picked up. I don’t know how much relevance or insightfullness any of it has.

That’s one thing about us crippled folk. We have a lot of time on our hands. Some curl up and have a lifelong pity party for themselves, but most use their time to read and self-educate. I’m on this computer roughly 20 hours per day and I do a LOT of digging and researching. I’m warped enough that for me, it’s more fun than just about anything.

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 4:30 PM EST up reply actions

"Pirates of the Carribean" counts, right?

If so, I’m a HUGE Disney fan!

(of course, there’s also Snow White, Pinocchio, Fox and the Hound, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, Little Mermaid, Wall-E, Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Jungle Book, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, Bambi, Sleeping Beauty, Lion King, just to name a few)

Hopelessly scouring the internet for a free copy of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "Brujo." and "Hurricane Coming" by CCS.

by Newsinz on Jan 26, 2011 5:01 PM EST up reply actions

Disney wouldn't have survived without Pixar.

But the classic Disney cartoons aren’t for kids only. I have almost every movie you listed except for Dumbo and Lion King. I still have VHS copies of those. I can’t wait to watch the first 7 minutes of the Lion King on Blu Ray.

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 5:08 PM EST up reply actions

What's in the first 7 minutes?

I will be googling. I remember the many symbols of a man’s “manhood” in Little Mermaid, and the spelling of Sex when Simba lies down.

I’ve read up on a few of the conspiracy theories.

by JDuaneHipps on Jan 26, 2011 5:40 PM EST up reply actions

It's a long story and it's nothing conspiratorial.

It’s just that the first 7 minutes are completely different than the rest of the film. Where other parts of the film are little more than splashes of watercolor, the detail of the “Circle of LIfe” opening. In fact, if you watch, at the sound of a drumbeat the screen goes suddenly black and then a few seconds later the logo for the movie shows up. That’s intentional. The animators were SO pissed off that they demanded there be that separation. Send me an email and I’ll tell you the full story. Suffice it to say that the circumstances that caused the problem resulted in Jeff Katzenbach leaving Disney and forming Dreamworks with Steven Spielburg and David Geffin.

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 8:52 PM EST up reply actions

Jack and Gerald stepped up and led the team again

last night. FINALLY, but Kwame and Dj really showed up as well. The regular performance from Dj has been AWESOME. I’d look for Dj to drive in the lane at will as the Suns lack a TRUE shot blocker. Especially if Kwame continues to just stand in a defenders way while Dj uses him as an unintentional screen. Watching Najera play last night was like watching a hyper kid run around. He ran into Kwame. He was in the way and looked LOST on D. Even shot a pull up jumper(NO! BAD NAJERA!) ala McGuire when LB was still here. To his credit, he did manage some meaningful rebounds. Be nice if Boris didn’t pick up some quick ticky-tacky fouls and stay in the game long enough for Narjera’s minutes to be minimal.

Fact: All you care about is points.

Blindly Optimistic follower of The Iowa Hawkeyes, San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Hurricanes, and the Charlotte Bobcats.

by HAWKEYESBABY on Jan 26, 2011 1:24 PM EST reply actions

It's hard for ANYONE to come out unscathed when the refs are calling almost 60 fouls in a single game.

This wasn’t even a situation where people were playing dirty or being uber physical. All but about a dozen of the calls last night were either phantom or ticky-tack variety. It was as if the refs felt they had to battle to keep control of the game, even though both squads were just doing their normal thing.

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 4:18 PM EST up reply actions

72 in Phoenix...no thanks

I love my winters here in NC. I am excited to see the DJ vs Nash match-up. DJ is turning into another version of Nash if he keeps up his performance.

"You run plays to get open. If you're open, and you don't shoot, what's the point of running the play?" - Coach Paul Silas of the Charlotte Bobcats

by D.W.G. on Jan 26, 2011 1:34 PM EST reply actions

winter? where?

lol. Sorry, I’m from Iowa.

Fact: All you care about is points.

Blindly Optimistic follower of The Iowa Hawkeyes, San Francisco 49ers, Carolina Hurricanes, and the Charlotte Bobcats.

by HAWKEYESBABY on Jan 26, 2011 1:35 PM EST up reply actions

i cant say that today, its just rainy and misreble, ill take 72

JVG 2011

by unccatfan on Jan 26, 2011 1:37 PM EST up reply actions

I'm SO glad I don't live in New England anymore.

That mythical global warming thing already has temperatures plummeting to 60 degrees below zero – and that’s WITHOUT accounting for either sheer, or wind-chill factors. In the almost 20 years I spent there, not once did the temp EVER drop below minus 15 or so – and that was in the shank end of Feb, just before things began to warm. The numbers I’m seeing weather-wise are intollerable. A lot of folks don’t realize that the primary effect of fictitious global warming involves extremes of temperature and weather at BOTH ends of the scales. It isn’t just early and unusually hot summers, it’s also brutally cold winters and monstrous hurricane-sized storms followed by high pressure systems that literall suck all the heat out of the ground. Three weeks ago 4 storms came out of the arctic. They had the classic counter-clockwise rotation and even the “eyes” of tropical hurricanes – only they were dumping unprecedented snow and sleet as they descended from the arctic instead of rising up from the tropics.

This crap scares the hell out of me.

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 4:25 PM EST up reply actions

2012 is near my friend

The weather lately reminds me (at a much slower pace) of “The Day After Tomorrow”

by JDuaneHipps on Jan 26, 2011 4:30 PM EST up reply actions

Ahh, but the Mayans didn't say it was the end of the world - just the current cycle of it. lol

I seriously wish a few of you guys lived closer to me. If you’re into talking about things like that (current issues, climate change, philosophy, world religion, music etc.) I could really get into hanging out. Of course, I’m moving even further away from where most everyone lives this weekend. As of Saturday I’ll be residing between Pinnacle and Pilot Mountain. It’ll take me about 45 minutes to get back down to Winston, let alone out to Hickory, Charlotte and the other more civilized and urban areas of our state. I’ll be as close to Roanoke, Va. as I will be to the Cable Box.

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 4:35 PM EST up reply actions

I have no idea where those places are

Do they have cable TV there? Internet? Radio? Just kidding why are you moving to the outskirts of Bobcats country?

by JDuaneHipps on Jan 26, 2011 4:38 PM EST up reply actions

Money. Plain and simple.

3 years ago I was pulling almost 50K a year and my bride was bringing in almost 40.
Now I get less than 13K a year on my disability and Sandra has been out of work for almost 10 months because of a severe allergic reaction to black mold in her workplace. All savings and retirement are now gone.
Her aunt has a trailer that became empty about a week ago and is letting us stay there for a song. It’ll likely save us over $600 a month compared to where we are now. If it weren’t for the kindness of my in-laws we’d be in some serious (insert the brown word) for sure.

I’ll be downgrading from Cable to a level of DSL that’s almost as quick, and switching from Time Warner Cable to Direct TV. I’m hoping like hell they carry SportsSouth. It’s all good, but we’re gonna be about 10 miles south of Mount Airy – the town the Andy Griffith show is based on and less than 15 miles from the Virginia border.

It was that or go the food stamps/welfare route and I’ll avoid that any way I can.

Besides, I like it out in the country. Fresh air, well water, and they’ve got this new thing called indoor plumbing that folks are all kinds of excited about!

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 5:17 PM EST up reply actions

I'm also stoked because I'll be able to set up my practice drumkit again.

I get an excellent workout (even though I can only handle one foot pedal now) and up there the only thing the noise might do is give the deer and bears a headache. I’ll actually be a lot closer to the Bobcats too – only where I’ll be they tend to walk on all fours and are covered with fur instead of ink.

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 5:22 PM EST up reply actions

Yea the country is nice

especially well water. Andy Griffith…what a show!

Keep your head up brother. Maybe you’ll write a masterpeice book while you’re out in the sticks

by JDuaneHipps on Jan 26, 2011 5:38 PM EST up reply actions

lol I'm actually quite happy with the way my life has worked out.

Even the disability. It’s like I told my neurologist and spinal orthopedic specialist. The told me my injuries were caused mostly by the constant abuse to my spine from 14 years of drumming and decades of soccer. If that’s the price I owe for those incredible times on the road and in studios and being among the first Americans to travel to Europe to represent my country on soccer fields, I’m getting out cheap. If I knew this would happen at the start I’d have still done every bit of it.

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 8:56 PM EST up reply actions

Sign me up for the music discussions

Hopelessly scouring the internet for a free copy of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "Brujo." and "Hurricane Coming" by CCS.

by Newsinz on Jan 26, 2011 5:03 PM EST up reply actions

I seriously everyday pray Crash gets traded

now you all need to stop praying that he doesn’t or we will have to find out who has favor with God.

by JDuaneHipps on Jan 26, 2011 4:09 PM EST reply actions

...and this is what I dream about

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine

I then wake up with soiled linens

by JDuaneHipps on Jan 26, 2011 4:20 PM EST up reply actions

That's been apparent for a few weeks now.

by Charlotte Bobcat on Jan 26, 2011 4:47 PM EST up reply actions

Just waiting on God to answer my prayers

probably will be upping the Hail Marys with every passing day

by JDuaneHipps on Jan 26, 2011 4:50 PM EST up reply actions

God ALWAYS answers everyone's prayers.

It’s just that sometimes the answer is, “Not a chance!”

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 5:19 PM EST up reply actions

C'mon he wouldn't do that to me!

by JDuaneHipps on Jan 26, 2011 5:36 PM EST up reply actions

It's for your own good.

I think we all need to reminisce for awhile on how much fun it was to watch Crash last year.

by ClipCat on Jan 26, 2011 5:46 PM EST up reply actions

My girlfriend was "fun" last year but I ended up trading her

for “younger cheaper talent”

by JDuaneHipps on Jan 26, 2011 5:56 PM EST up reply actions

I have about 600 punchlines to go with that and decorum demands that I not post a single one of them.

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 8:57 PM EST up reply actions

Goddell says he'll cut pay to $1 if they have a lockout

Maybe there is a .08% chance Stern will do the same…

by JDuaneHipps on Jan 26, 2011 4:10 PM EST reply actions

Stern gets a chubby everytime anyone anywhere says the word "lockout."

He’s been lobbying for it for two seasons now. All this lunatic “contraction” talk came from 1 comment he made at a press conference months ago. The amount of power he wields (and uses) in the NBA is ghastly. You don’t see the commissioners of the other major sports pulling his crap. His insatiable need to be involved and manipulating even the minutia of the league makes George Steinbrenner look like the most humble guy that ever lived.

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 4:40 PM EST up reply actions

I know it's tough to find good pump up songs for an 80 something game season, HOWEVER

The past two have been Amy Winehouse and a duet with Adam Sandler and Elmo. Do you need some suggestions for pump up songs??

by jkp1516 on Jan 26, 2011 4:22 PM EST reply actions

You got a problem with Elmo?

Elmo and Winehouse have so much in common. They both sing, both like to be tickled, and both go for long periods where nobody can figure out what the hell they’re saying. I’m just waiting for the inevitable duet album to come out. Besides, have you HEARD some of the sonic dreck the labels are releasing of late? It’s no wonder sales have plummeted. It isn’t even piracy, because most people don’t even want that crap for free.

P.S. - Is it an interim fling or a permanent bromance?

by Ourdaywillcome on Jan 26, 2011 4:44 PM EST up reply actions

You missed Wanda Jackson. Also, I changed the name from “Pump Up Music” to “Musical Interlude” specifically because there’s so much more thoughtful stuff out there that doesn’t fall under “Pump Up”.

Rufus on Fire -- SB Nation's Charlotte Bobcats Blog

by David A. Arnott on Jan 26, 2011 6:24 PM EST up reply actions