FU Graph: Perimeter Player Classification

I'm combining my inner nerd again and I have a new graph for my loyal readers. The last one I did was a breakdown of the 30 teams along the spectrum of conventional/unconventional. For this one, I'll be categorizing the different types of perimeter players on offense. If I had more time, a lot more of my posts would have graphs attached to them. PowerPoint is addictive to a nerd like me. I decided to not give definitions because I expect my readers to know the difference. If you don't, then you should reading which names are where. Anyway, peep the graph below.

The first element of the graph that may be noticed is Kobe's name in the merged center of the Venn diagram. Even though Kobe's a scorer by trade, he remains somewhat efficient with his shots and shot selection. I actually gave long consideration to placing Dirk in the middle of the graph as well. As much grief as I give the Big German, he's turned the silkiness of his jumper into a weapon of mass destruction. I've never seen a player so feared when he rarely sets foot in the paint. He's what Rasheed Wallace should have been his entire career since 'Sheed decided to be strictly perimeter-based. That's enough praise for Nowitzki. Moving on.



What I discovered through my research is that there aren't many "pure" shooters in the NBA. Well, at least there aren't many that are worth mentioning. Once a player becomes labeled as solely a shooter, the other facets of his game—if there are any—are rarely developed. Ray Allen is only a shooter because his jumper is that deadly. He's a scorer at heart, and still attacks the basket. Rashard Lewis poses as a scorer, but we don't feel him (we need something realer). In order to ascend offensively, a player must be a threat off the dribble. More options equals more potency.

The third component of the graph is Tony Parker's name outside of the three circles. That's because Parker is a symbol for the point guards that score, but not really. This includes Rondo, Rose, Miller, and even Billups, Paul and Williams to a degree. Yes, they can score, but they aren't considered scorers. Only Billups as "Mr. Big Shot" has a label of shot-maker. And most of those names have a pretty high FG%, but the perimeter jumper isn't their strong suit. But with not being a part of the graph, point guards are able to float among the periphery of it. They're able to morph into whatever their team needs them to be outside of the distributor and floor leader. Nash's name should probably be among them; but I think he's the easiest to classify among the 1-guards.

As with any post, leave comments and disagreements in the appropriate box. These are my interpretations, meant only to inspire Basketball thought. There will be more graphs to follow.



Peace.

NBA Team Structure-Chaos Spectrum: An FU Graph

If you're new to FU, then allow me to explain the basis of how I see Basketball. I stand by the creed that Basketball is the only team sport in which a player fuses the game with his personality and soul. No two players can play exactly alike. Kobe can study all the Jordan film he wants, he'll will still shoot his fadeaway in his own Mamba way. Whether noticed or unnoticed, a player's "game" is defined by the kind of person he or she is. Richard Hamilton will never use screens the same way Reggie Miller does. Blake and Taylor Griffin are brothers; and even they have totally different inner methodologies that could never be copied. The shooting form in my banner pic is mine and mine alone. I'm not referring to how productive a player is on the court; so the last guy on the Nuggets isn't a worse person than Carmelo Anthony because he isn't as good as 'Melo. I'm theorizing that how a person sees Basketball is a reflection of their personality.

An addendum to my FU creed is that a Basketball fan's like/dislike of certain teams is also a reflection of how a person is. All 30 teams fall somewhere between "conventional" and "unconventional." This is along the parallel of my yin/yang series, as well as "Money" Mike Benjamin's "Form/Function" series over at Points Off Turnovers. Characteristics such as offensive tempo, play-calling, rosters, and the blurring of traditional positions are included in a team's mixture. And I, to the best of my ability, graphed them. Western Conference teams are on the left, and the East is on the Right. Peep the result and an explanation at the end of this sentence.
The first thing I think readers will notice about the graph is that the Lakers and Celtics are in the middle of Chaos and Structure. This doesn't mean they are "perfect" teams; but rather that they've achieved the most exact blend of those two ideals. The graph is also Conference exclusive. Eastern and Western Conference teams aren't necessarily compared to each other. For example, the Pacers are more conventional than the Bucks; but they're not necessarily as conventional as the Rockets with Yao. A third idea is that I'm not associating better teams with being closer to the center of the graph. As you can see, there are contenders scattered along the spectrum.

This is a graph about the teams as a whole. Each of them has at least one player opposite of its place in the spectrum. And your like/dislike of a player has no bearing on how you feel about a team. So you may like watching Deron Williams; but that doesn't mean you enjoy watching the Jazz. And allegiance to one's favorite team does not apply to this graph because that bias will distort your view. It's understood that some players—particularly the Elite ones—exponentially add interest to their respective teams through fans' appreciation of their work. I'm a huge fan of Chris Paul, yet I cannot stand watching the Hornets. In this graph, an individual player does not correlate to the overall enjoyment of watching the entire team.

The Rockets and the Sixers were given two spots on the graphs because they had drastic alterations to their team's chemical makeup. Both teams became more successful when they were forced to abandon structure and become more chaotic to survive. Thaddeus Young became the hybrid SF/PF that Philly needs to get out and run; and the Rockets just played on pure guts and let Aaron Brooks be Atom Ant. It was a bit of Adelman's smoke and mirrors, but Houston somehow won 2 games without Yao against the future NBA champs. As for the Sixers, that first-round series with the Magic was a lot closer because they had to be fast break-oriented. Andre Miller, now playing in the Rose City, was the reason the transition from structure to chaos was seamless. Elton Brand must adapt himself to the fast-paced Sixers and not the other way around. It makes them much more dangerous.

Where our individual personalities factor in on this graph is that it will point out the many facets we have as people. I'm infatuated with the pure ruthlessness of the anarchic Warriors as well as the Spurs mechanization through the Big Fundamental. Portland's young near-completeness and Oklahoma City's developing Revolution are both microcosms of my personality. That's the beauty of Basketball. Just when you think you've figured out everything about your self, you discover something new about who you are as both a person and a hoops fan. Find yourself through this art. I have and am continuing to do so with each passing season.



Peace.

Superhero Mindstate

I have been away for awhile. I had dropped off a post about which Beltway player will get a ring first over at BeltwaySportsPage. Had to support the DMV movement.

So this year's Finals, like in recent years, have been anti-climactic. The Orlando bandwagon is all but empty; and even if you believe the Magic will stave off elimination tonight, most will agree that Kobe will end it at Staples in Game 6. But this post isn't about the series; or Kobe's validation with a championship, or how Lebron's still numero uno despite the Mamba's impending ring (foreshadowing to a future post). It's actually a journey into the mind of the elite player and how he approaches a big game/series. More after the random picture goodness...

You see, the reason why the Elite are the Elite, aside from being supernaturally gifted, is their intrinsic ability to rise when situations are most pressurized. Very rarely will the Elite play terribly when his team needs him the most. Now this doesn't necessarily mean that they will win everytime—as evidenced by Lebron's play against the Magic—but it will take the perfect storm from the opposition in order for the Elite to be defeated. But there's a process before the Elite decides to unleash his ultimate fury. If you're still with me, the first level is after the second random picture...

Observation State. If you play Basketball, regardless of level, then you are aware of the "feel-out" process that happens at the beginning of each game. The intensity isn't as high, and the tempo's a little slower than normal. People are still trying to loosen up get into the flow of the game. In this situation, the Elite will not force the issue offensively. Rather, he will sit back and attempt to get his teammates involved and into the game. This usually applies to perimeter, isolation-type players as opposed to big men. Post players always need a pass, but even they can decide to look opposite and dish out of double teams, or do this to set the tone. Now, the Elite's initial deferment does not mean he's isn't aggressive. It just means that he won't take those impossible shots that mere mortals wouldn't dare try, at home or otherwise. The Elite will remain in the Observational State as long as he feels his team doesn't need his heroics just yet. Then, he makes his progression to the next mental state...

Assimilation State. In the Assimilation State, the Elite will begin to assert himself offensively. He knows that his team will need his amazing abilities, regardless of whether the team is ahead or behind. He'll start breaking sets and looking for more isolation opportunities. He won't shoot every possession, but he will try to get himself in a rhythm on offense for the latter parts of the game/series. He will see how and where the extra defenders are, which way they play him off the pick-and-roll, and how much space the initial defender gives him on various parts of the floor. He gathers all this information he has collected and analyzes it at halftime/when the series' scene shifts. He then reaches the next mental state...

Weapon State. Every team makes adjustments at halftime/when the series changes arenas. The Elite will see if these changes will greatly deter the plan of attack he has created. If not, then thre's a smooth transition to the fourth mental state. But if the Elite is forced to somewhat rethink his plan, he then briefly retreats back and combines both the Assimilation and Observation states and just plays a "regular game." There may be some scoring, there may be some assisting. but he will be more aggressive and look to begin bending the game to his will. On to the fourth mental state.

Destruction State. At some point, the Elite will have enough of the opposition believing it has a chance of victory, and he will begin to go all Super Saiyan. It's at this point that all jokes will cease; and the elite will show why he his vastly better than the billions of people that have ever picked up a basketball. The second half of Kobe's "81" game, Wade in 2006, and Lebron in Game 7 last year are all examples of the Elites of the game unleashing their full fury. This can lead to some gaudy stats at the end of the game, as well as the overstanding of why they are who we thought they were...word to Dennis Green. And even while the Destruction State will usually result in victory for the Elite, there is yet another, more devastating region in the Elite's psyche that only surfaces during the Destruction State.

Oblivion. While in the Destruction State, the Elite has come to the conclusion that he will not be defeated without using all of his powers to prevent it. But the moment, the Steve Buckhantz "dagger" that is the final blow, is what Oblivion is. The Elite, like all great assassins, recognize that a killing blow must always be delivered. It doesn't necessarily have to be a game-winning shot or a dunk; but it's always a play that only the Elite can make. It's a play that is a microcosm entitled, "I'm Than You: You Know It, I Know It." If you need a visual example, it's all of the plays in the "Where Will Amazing Happen?" ads that ran throughout the playoffs. Those are the moments that leave the opposition in a state of head-scratching shock, followed by deflated acceptance.

So there you have it. That's the journey through the mind of an Elite player. Bear in mind that in some instances, the Elite will go immediately into the Destruction State; but the path to it usually follows the aforementioned methods. Remember that as you watch those players throughout their careers.


Peace.

His Reputation Is Expanding Faster Than The Universe

I didn't want to do a Finals preview; and even if I did, but Shoals already masterfully did that. And rather give predictions and such—or join in the chastising of Lebron for both not reaching the Finals and having royal sour grapes—I'd like to just focus on The Most Interesting Man In The World. More after the random picture...

No basketball player is more polarizing than Kobe Bean Bryant. For example, he's the only player that you either love or hate. You won't meet anyone that's "just okay" with Kobe. I've already let you know that Kobe is driven by his natural human infallibility; and is a demigod because of it. He is the Perfect Shooting Guard, and has calculated angles in ways that not even MJ could grasp, especially at this age. Now he isn't the impulsive acrobat that Jordan was; but his spontaneity is so complex that something that seems lucky is made to look easy. He differs from Lebron in two aspects. First, where anything Lebron does has a hint of faith-summoning inevitability to it despite gigantic levels difficulty and awe, Kobe makes the impossible looks so easy, even though he's the Game's hardest worker. He pisses off (on?) adversaries by being devastatingly cold-blooded with the precision of a sniper and the weaponry and tactics of a shinobi; while somehow making it look effortless. He's a Swiss-Army knife if every gadget was lethal and constantly sharpened. Lebron inspires the fear of a deity, but Kobe brings about fear of a man possessed by his own inner desires.

Honestly, I'm not sure what makes Kobe so polarizing. I lean towards his duplication of His Airness. The one element of his legacy he can't seem to add to his formula is power over the masses. Yes, he leads in jersey sales; but Lebron, Wade, and Howard seem to illict more smiles. Kobe makes you respect him because of his showmanship through mechanization. Never has a reverse layup or turnaround, 18-foot fadeaway looked so orchestrated. Kobe lives vicariously through himself; a self whom wants to and does live directly through the Ghost of Airness Past. Even though it seems to have limited his career legacy by following so closely to the Jordan Method, he compels respect because he's done so and kept his sanity.

Another main reason why Kobe is so divisive among Basketball fans is approach to leadership as a veteran. He's the last superstar that believes that the best way to maximize a supporting cast is to be a disciplinarian. Other elites like Lebron, Paul, 'Melo, and Durant recognize that lesser players tend to be more fragile mentally; so constant berating may be too much. Kobe believed that if his teammates watch him work, then they'd be inspired to do the same. But he seemed to overlook that even with that, they're still not as good, as driven, and as focused as he is. And that's where this new, Big Brother Mamba has unveiled. Kobe, the walking variable—constantly seeking to answer all the Y's with various X's—became friendlier to the lesser Lakers; complete with daps and hugs. Genuine or contrived, it's led to back-to-back Finals appearances. Yes, the previous two years' worth of Laker teams have had more talent, while before then there was Kwame and Smush (moment of silence for Smush). He had to appear human and incorporate cooperative emotions like trust and companionship to achieve his ultimate goals. That rebuilding period was the awkward moment he had; but not so he could see how it feels. Kobe had to experience trial and tribulation to further exponentially increase his will to win and propel him to the highest of heavens. Like I tell Kobe supporters, no one called Kobe The Best in the Association until 2005—the first of those mediocre years.

With the Realm of Basketball sharpening the Game's most complete weapon, Kobe's legacy went from lock Hall-of-Famer to top ten player ever. Love him or hate him, respect his Mamba. Stay thirsty, my friends.



Peace.

Remove The Snake-Colored Glasses

The postseason has already started. And while this year's playoffs is adding to the evidence that point guard and not center is now Basketball's most important position, this post won't be about that. Actually, I'd like to spend a few words on an ever-growing hype I have. More after the random pic...

About six weeks into the regular season, it had become apparent to me that there is a new holder to the, "Best Basketball Player in the World" crown. I'm not changing my mind, nor am I going to restate any of the major points of why Lebron reigns supreme in this post. Just reread it. At the time, I was fine with those that held onto the idea that Kobe is still numero uno because The Mamba is still a devastating basketball Shogun. But if there's one rule that I have when debating sports (or anything) is that both parties must willing to hear the other side's arguments. In a perfect world, this would be the norm. But nope.

It seems that Lakers fans are having a tough time with the thought of Lebron or anyone being better at Basketball than their precious Mamba. I don't like to generalize, but every single LA supporter I've run into is the same way. I feel like Lakers fans are the NBA version of Patriots fans. It's not a stereotype, it's just based on the info that I've gathered since the turn of the year. I'm fine with respectful disagreements coupled with properly substantiated reasons and acceptance of opinions on the other side of the spectrum. However, the Laker fans that I've come across just can't seem to grasp this brand new concept. They can't see beyond Kobe's butterfly crown tattoo. Kobe fans, meet me after the random picture.

Look, I understand what you're going through. I know, you're not over it. It can be tough when something that has been so understood for so long come into question. But what you must realize is that Kobe being the best Basketballer was a temporary idea, and that it's shelf life has expired. What you fail to get is that when I and others say that Lebron is better, it does not mean that Kobe Bryant is terrible and overrated. Every sane hoops fan recognizes Kobe as the game's most cerebral and complete entity. Both of Kobe's fadewaways against Lebron this season are two of the best executed jumpers I've ever seen. Just because he isn't my overwhelmingly favorite player doesn't mean I relinquish my Basketball opinion for eternity. During my interactions with Kobe supporters, they seem to overlook Lebron's skill and use his physical imposition as a flaw. When this occurs, I begin to sense some distortion in the Laker fan, as if his precious Mamba's character has been insulted and he must defend his honor. I said Lebron was better; I didn't talk about Kobe's Mama.

So that is what it has come to. Showtime supporters need to check themselves just a little bit. All we are saying is that Kobe Bryant, in the rankings of people that play basketball worldwide, is #2. Until Lakers fans accept this, I can't talk about this topic anymore with them. I'll just direct them to the post. If you want to talk about Lebron/Kobe, you better like the T'Wolves or somebody. Laker fans, ya cut off.



Peace.

Call Each Other 'Cuz 'Cause Of How We Relate

(If you're wondering where I've been, peep my posts—one about AI and my contributions to March's Madness—over at Money Mike's "Points Off Turnovers." Many kudos to Jeff Scott for the 'Melo post. To my latest...)

I'm starting this post the FreeDarko way with a random picture first for a reason; so I guess the picture isn't so random after all. As I'm sure you know, that is the latest pregame ritual that Lebron and his teammates partake in. Now the Knicks fan in me would deduce that he's taking pictures to preserve memories in Cleveland before he bolts for Gotham. But obviously, that isn't the case. Bluntly put, it's because he's a funny guy. He is genuinely a friend to every person on that roster—even Lorenzen Wright. So why is that important? Well...
Everyone, including me, talks about how Kobe alienates his teammates and somewhat thinks of them as lower than he. But while cruising the YouTube, I found the interview he and Lebron did for ESPN/ABC. In it, you see Bryant chuckling it up with his fellow Team USA peers; and he looks really happy. Kobe has a personality and sense of humor; but only displays it to those that share the same exalted Basketball stratosphere. Basically, if you're great, you're cool. If you ain't, you ain't.

As usual, I examined the why behind this, and as with many Kobe juxtapositions, I can trace it back to Jordan. While cruising YouTube, I found the Top 13 all-access moments in Team USA Basketball from Dream Team to Redeem Team. I don't want to spoil it, but the moment with MJ in it has him kidding with Sir Charles over his "Be Like Mike" Gatorade commercial. Briefly searching my memory banks has led me to believe that the only time I've seen Jordan's smile with that much wattage is when he was hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Like MJ before him, Kobe finds true kinship with the other elite players in the Association. To me, he has to truly respect your superstar abilities in order for you to receive the privilege of sharing a smile with him. I believe it's due to his concentrated work ethic. It's a bit bourgeois, but when he was born the son of a pro athlete and bred himself to be Basketball Hokage, all lesser beings are treated as such.

Even though I believe Lebron ranks numero uno in "World's Best Basketball Player," this isn't a detraction against Kobe. Some people choose to lead in different ways. Lebron, Paul, and Wade find joy in leading others, and will take their flawed men and sprinkle a bit of their aura on them to elevate their play. They want to find out about their teammates off the court so they can have true synergy on it. It also helps that they are natural jokesters. Kobe uses the emotion of awe to get the best out of his fellow Lakers. The Jordan Farmars of the team have visions of Kobe's wrath if they don't live up to what he expects them to be. A glare from the Mamba and it's enough to force any Luke Walton to properly run the Triangle. I guarantee Kobe won't be taking pictures of Josh Powell and Chris Mihm.

Peace.

In Search of Yang...or Yin: Part Six

The yin/yang intermission is over (O HELLZ YEZ - Warning: Ignorant and profanity-laced). If you feel you need a refresher, then go back and at least read Part (2 + 3) since this one will be the derivative of it. In the last post, I stated the semi-obvious: that His Airness is the perfect fusion of both forces; and that's why he never had the Bird to his Magic. Jordan's precise mixture of yin and yang—of form and function—gave hope, perhaps too much of it, to swingmen whose games were influenced by MJ. The result is Kobe: a flawless player with a flawed legacy, but the result is also Jerry Stackhouse and Vince Carter: flawed players due to being falsely placed on the flawless pedestal.

The general consensus is that what separates Jordan from the rest of Basketball are his work ethic and moxie, also known as that "Jordan swagger." For about five or six years post-Jordan, every player between 6'4" and 6'9" tried to be equally yin and yang in hopes of being exactly like Jordan. This was doomed to fail from the beginning, not because Jordan was so great at every facet of the game, but because of the fact that those players tried to follow his methods too closely. They tried to re-create Jordan in themselves instead of using him as a guide for their own inner formula. It sounds similar, but operative word being "own."

Let's return to Jordan's idea of moxie. It wasn't that he was pure by birthright. His will to win is driven by the fact that he was naturally deficient. He approached challenges as a way to push beyond his limitations and be supernaturally perfect. It's what we call, "putting on the superhero cape." Where Jordan was different is that his entire career was this way. As I said on the last post, he was the lone samurai: human but so extraordinary that he couldn't (wouldn't) associate with his peers, and wanted to best them with every fiber of his being. He would come back each season, as all elite players do, with a new wrinkle in his fabric; a new tool—more like a weapon—with which to continue his onslaught through the Association. His unyielding confidence created a mystique of invincibility, thus making any parts of his game he couldn't quite perfect perfect in the eyes of the opposition. He is every human "superhero" that we know: Batman, The Punisher, The Grey Ghost, etc. Human with the aura of a god. And yes, Kobe is the same way.

It may seem like a sudden twist, but this brings me to Kevin Durant. People have said that he's a taller George "Iceman" Gervin because of his slender build. However, I (better substantiated by Bethlehem Shoals at FreeDarko) feel that he has that Jordan-like reinforced steel nerve that will propel him into super-stardom—even if he's naturally not supposed to be there. He's supposed to be great, but not so great that he will be talked about for all eternity. But his mental fortitude is taking him above his destined heights. Most believe that he needs to become stronger in order to maximize his effectiveness; but this recent scoring stretch and general play this season is refuting that by the game. He's taking the constant chatter about his lankiness and is letting it be the accelerant for the dormant fire that lies within his calm exterior. The result is this season, highlighted by his 46-point outburst in the Rookie/Sophomore game. He even said that he, "approached it like a real game." Tell me that doesn't have a hint of Jordan in it. He's competitive even when it's not supposed to be real competition.

But it's his future that intrigues me. When he sneers after a monumental basket, I get the sense that I'm looking into future of an NBA world in which Durant is a silky-smooth silent assassin. As I said with Jordan and Kobe, Durant looks to punish the rest of the League because they know he is fallible. He wants to create an alter-ego that intimidates, but he doesn't appear to distance himself from his teammates like Jordan and Kobe. He looks to lead by actions with a firm and fair hand, and take his teammates along on his journey to the top. The one blemish on Jordan and Kobe to me is that they saw their teammates as pieces needed to attain self-actualization; whereas Lebron, Chris Paul, and Durant see them as companions needed for a team goal. I cite Kobe's reaction to Bynum's injury as proof of the first idea, and Paul's chemistry with Tyson Chandler as evidence of the second. Durant plays like a god because he doesn't want his team to lose rather than he doesn't want to be individually defeated.

So, if you did read the post about the Fear of Lebron, then you know that Future Kevin Durant is awe-inspiring to me. It's because he's a product of the new thinking among elite swingman prospects. Wade, 'Melo, Lebron, Durant, and even OJ Mayo to an extent, found the right blueprint to "be like Mike," which is: instead of copying his moves or mannerisms, find something to drive them and push them to a level no amount of practice could help attain.

Peace.