Tag Archives: steve nash

The Knicks let Lin leave!? Talk about Linsanity!

Posted by gruesomegreg on

Now, I must say that I’m not the biggest fan of NBA basketball (gimme the NCAA any day!), but I found myself tuning in to a lot of those Sunday afternoon 1 o’clock games on ABC last season, for pretty much one reason: Jeremy Lin.  The man came outta nowhere (Harvard, actually), was signed off the street and burst out of the gate for the Knicks, earning a spot in the rookie-sophomore game on All-Star Weekend, and ultimately putting up impressive totals of 14 points and six assists per game in his first significant NBA action.

But while his final numbers were pretty impressive, the start he got off to was simply ridiculous.  After being pressed into starting duty due to a rash of injuries in February, Lin reeled off six straight 20-point performances and scored 20 in nine of his first 10 games–including a 38-point effort to beat the Lakers on Feb 10th.  Linsanity had arrived, and though he missed the last 17 games of the season and the Knicks’ playoff series with a knee injury, his run through February and March is what put the team in the playoffs in the first place.  Not only that, but he became a mass media and social media phenomenon in the process, and as the first Asian-American to play in the NBA, a role model for an entire demographic–of which a large portion live in the Big Apple, where his jersey and t-shirts were flying off the shelves.  This is a man who single-handedly made basketball in New York matter again–and yet, when the Houston Rockets made him a three-year, 25-million-dollar offer, the Knicks decided to walk away when they could’ve matched it.  What gives?

I suppose leaving Lin behind would’ve made sense had New York signed Steve Nash, a guy who, let’s face it, is clearly the young PG’s role model.  But the Steve Nash sweepstakes landed in La-La Land, disappointing many fans on the East Coast, especially in Toronto, where the Raptors are now stuck with Landry Fields in a gamble that didn’t pay off.  Did I mention that Fields was also a Knicks free agent–one who they didn’t opt to re-sign?

After losing out to the Lakers, however, the Knicks offered themselves a consolation prize in Raymond Felton, who had starred in Carolina with UNC and the Charlotte Bobcats, and put together a solid season of 17 points and nine assists per game with in New York before being dealt to Denver for Carmelo Anthony a couple years back.  That said, his numbers took a dive on the West Coast; he averaged just 11.4 points and a respectable 6.5 assists with the Portland Trail Blazers last season–and Bleacher Report is calling him riskier than Jeremy Lin.  Sure, he’s a seven-year vet, whereas Lin really only has two solid months of NBA playing time under his belt–but there’s no doubt who’s going to sell more jerseys and put more butts in the seats.  Felton simply isn’t a captivating player and a feel-good story like Lin and it looks like the Knicks will be fading back into national obscurity due to this questionable decision.

Then again, the New York Jets did just trade for Tim Tebow, so perhaps the Big Apple wasn’t big enough for both of them?

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So, NBA basketball’s back. Meh, I hardly noticed it was gone…

Posted by gruesomegreg on

Admittedly, basketball’s not my favourite sport, but I’m hardly ignorant of its existence.  As a matter of fact, I was one of those weird kids that played basketball instead of hockey when I was growing up.  (Saved my parents a ton of money on equipment!)  Last season, I tried to keep tabs on the Toronto (C)Raptors, mostly during commercials/intermissions of whatever football or hockey game I was watching, but it got to the point where I just couldn’t be bothered, since I knew they were gonna lose anyways.  The only game I went to last year was when the Phoenix Suns were in town to A) See Steve Nash in the flesh and B) Boo Vince Carter.  Suffice to say that the Suns still won, though I can’t even remember the final score.

Sure, there was some excitement when Vince was in town, and the team was headed to the playoffs–I’ll admit, I even bought his jersey–but lately, the Craptors have been prime practitioners of bad basketball.  Without Chris Bosh anymore, the team will be relying on a handful of young players, none of whom have shown they can play defence, and it doesn’t look pretty.  (Mind you, Bosh didn’t D up much either when he wore a Raptor uni…)  In fact, in a recent Toronto Star poll (scroll down for it), 82 per cent of respondents had the Raps winning less than 30 games this year, with 27 per cent pegging their win total at 10 or less.  Even with the lockout knocking 15 games off the calendar, Toronto’s still gonna be in for a long season.

Mind you, after they announced the end of the lockout earlier this month, it took me a good two weeks just to remember the names of Toronto’s starting five.  This made me realize that not having the NBA from Halloween through Christmas wasn’t such a huge loss.  Somehow, a league of overpaid multimillionaires with a salary cap that’s soft like Charmin playing a large slate of high-scoring games where points don’t mean much–and most games don’t really matter till you get to the playoffs–has made such a small impact on me that I didn’t even notice it was gone.  Hey, wake me when it’s April, alright?

That’s not to say I haven’t been watching basketball though, having caught all but a couple of Gonzaga’s first nine games.  Although Toronto has been Canada’s Team by default since the Grizzlies moved to Memphis (why they never changed that team’s name is beyond me!), the Gonzaga Bulldogs, with two key starters from north of the border, have a lot more Canuckian hoops cred than a team that’ll be bringing Jamaal Magloire off the bench for the first time this year.  Unlike the NBA playoffs, which resemble the clutch-and-grab postseason play of the pre-lockout NHL, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is one of the most exciting events in sports, with its fast-paced, frenetic, one-and-done format–and I fully expect the Zags to make their 12th straight appearance come March.  As for the Raptors chances?  Well, I think I’ll leave that one to Jim Mora…

For the future of Canadian basketball, look no further than Gonzaga University!

Posted by gruesomegreg on

Personally, I’ve been a fan of Gonzaga Bulldogs men’s basketball since the late 90′s, when they made their first run in the NCAA Tournament.  See, in Calgary, we got all of our American network TV from Spokane, WA–home of Gonzaga U–and this was sort of a big deal.  Ever since then, I’ve kept tabs on the team, even after moving to Toronto.  (Online streaming plays a big part in that.)  I’ve actually got a Toronto Raptors program with Adam Morrison on the cover from his rookie year in Charlotte, and a Number 23 Gonzaga jersey, even though I can’t think of any Zags who wore that number.

But lately, supporting Gonzaga isn’t just a matter of watching the team I used to see on local cable–it’s a matter of national pride.  Robert Sacre, a seven-foot centre from North Vancouver, is playing the best basketball of his career, and if I was the Raptors, I’d take him in the second round next season.  Not only that, but their new starting point guard, Kevin Pangos, is a freshman from the GTA who lit up Washington State for 33 points in his second collegiate game.  Fans of Canadian basketball, your future plays its home games at McCarthey Athletic Center.

I gotta say, Sacre has progressed by leaps and bounds over his college career.  He went from a timid frosh who’d get all his shots blocked to a veteran leader, double-double guy who can shoot the hook with both hands, has a decent mid-range J, and did I mention that he’s an 85 per cent free-throw shooter, at a legit seven-foot, 260+?  Like I said, the Raptors could use his low-post presence, even if he does no better than Rony Turiaf in the show.

Pangos meanwhile is still raw, but he’s shown shades of Steve Nash with his drive-and-dish passing.  He can also hit the three–in fact, he made nine of them against WSU.  While I can’t see him coming out early, in four years’ time he could be the next Steve Nash, if he continues to improve.  In any case, he’s been in the starting lineup in Spokane from Day One.

Need another reason to support the Zags?  Well, John Stockton, the school’s most famous alum, has a 20-year-old son in his sophomore season at GU.  David Stockton, generously listed at 5’11″ and 152, is a redshirt, walk-on sixth man who shows signs of his dad with his court vision, leading the team on the break and disrupting opponents on defence.  In fact, I’d say he’s a better pure point than Pangos at this stage of his career, though his size will likely keep him from playing at the next level.  Still, if you like an undersized underdog–who’s a stellar passer, to boot–look no further than the second-generation Stockton.

After starting the season 4-0, the Zags are ranked 18th in the ESPN poll, but have a tough stretch of non-conference games against Notre Dame, Illinois, Michigan State, Oral Roberts, Arizona and Butler.  If the NBA couldn’t return soon enough, you could do worse than to watch some top-level college basketball.  In fact, all of the aforementioned, aside from ORU, are televised nationally on ESPN2–with the exception of the Arizona game, which airs on CBS.  If you’re north of the border, there are a coupla streams showing the games on the internet, if you know where to look.

If you’re one of those weird Canadian kids like me who grew up playing basketball, not hockey, then you’ll wanna check out a Gonzaga team that displays the most key Canadian content of any major NCAA school.  I don’t wanna say these kids could beat the (C)Raptors, but if Bargnani’s having an off day, you never know…