ALL BALL NERVE CENTER – You like crazy shots? You like watching NBA athletes do the impossible? Well have I got a video for you. Toney Douglas flipping a ball over his head at the buzzer? Check. Kyrie Irving with a crazy up-and-under off the top of the glass? Yep. Kevin Durant bouncing a shot off the top of the backboard—twice—and in? It’s in there.
Look, I could write about this all day, but just watch the thing…
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ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — This is the world we live in these days: Yesterday, Kyrie Irving showed on campus at Montclair State University in New Jersey, looking to play a little pick-up basketball. Less than 24 hours later, the video is on YouTube and has over 10K views.
Then again, you should probably check this out, too. You can see the former Rookie of the Year — who starred at Saint Patrick High School in Elizabeth, N.J., which is just 20 minutes from Montclair State — crossing dudes over, doing work in the post, and there’s a nice payoff if you stick around for the big finish:
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(h/t r/NBA)
By Tyler Zeller, Cleveland Cavaliers
Happy New Year!
It’s a little belated, but Happy New Year everybody! On New Year’s Eve, our team was home in Cleveland. It was a pretty quiet night. I hung out at home and then stopped by one of my teammate’s houses with my girlfriend. I went home before midnight, and was in bed by 12:15 a.m.!
I don’t really get caught up in New Year’s resolutions. I always have been focused and have my goals to accomplish. So even though I don’t really have a resolution, I’d say my main goal this year is to continue to get better, and become more and more comfortable with the league, my teammates and my coaches. This year is a learning process, and I want to grow as much as possible as my first step in what is hopefully a long playing career.
Court Vision
It’s amazing not having to wear my facemask anymore. I didn’t realize how much I couldn’t see until I took it off. My first game back, I could see peripherally again! And making the quick shots was a lot easier. I was always messing with the mask and usually took it off during timeouts. I tried to convince myself I was fine with it, just so I could keep it out of my mind and play my game. But I once I got rid of it, playing was much easier and my game flowed more.
Things have been going well. I am getting more and more comfortable with my teammates. I have been shooting the ball well, finding those easy baskets and finding my shot. With a point guard like Kyrie Irving, he creates opportunities for me. I have a lot of unique skills, but up until I started playing a lot, I didn’t know what I needed to work on and hone in on. Now that I know what I need to improve, I can work on those things in the gym. For one, I need to get better at finishing inside.
I’ve been part of the starting lineup lately, which is a huge adjustment. You don’t realize the difference between the starters and the second string. I went from playing a couple minutes to facing off with the starters every night. I am up against the best of the best every night, and I am trying to hold my own as much as possible. I am getting more comfortable as a starter, which alleviates some of the pressure.
Mentally, I am feeling pretty good. I have my days. I’m trying to stay focused and keep going. It can be difficult, but I think I’ve done a fairly good job. It’s just that the losing can get tough. And it’s still amazing to me how talented and quick all of the players in this league are. I am constantly trying to figure out how to guard different players. It’s a lot to think about. In the beginning of the year, my head was all over the place. But it’s getting easier.
My teammates Andy Varejao and Luke Walton have done a great job of talking to me and helping me out. Shaun Livingston joined the team a couple weeks ago, and he is somebody who is very smart with a high basketball IQ. He’s the kind of teammate who can help you improve and provide some insight.
In Other News
I participated in a lot of Cavs community outreach events during the holidays, probably about three or four. We went to a children’s home, and to a children’s and veteran’s hospital. It was fun. Anytime you are around little kids, especially during Christmas, it’s always both fun and rewarding and makes me value what I have. I like to give back to the kids and hopefully help them get in better spirits.
I am watching UNC basketball whenever I can, but they are starting to scare me a little right now. I think Coach Williams is doing a great job, but the team is young. Like Coach always says, “If you do what I say, you’ll be a great team.” He told me that all the time. It’s something we all go through and you just try to learn from it. They’re not looking too hot right now, but hopefully they can turn it around.
Last time I blogged, I said I was going to start watching “NCIS.” But I actually started watching “Prison Break.” I watched all four seasons in am month. Now I’ll go back to “NCIS.” I’m also very into movies right now. I like action and thrillers … the movies that make you think, and that you have to watch two or three times to really understand.
That’s what’s going on with me these days … Follow me on twitter (@zellertyler).
Tyler Zeller is a 7-foot center from the University of North Carolina. He was the 17th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Follow All Ball all season for more NBA Rooks: Diaries …
by Zettler Clay IV
Looks like Tony Parker has company.
In a back-and-forth affair in Milwaukee, point guard Brandon Jennings punctuated a perplexing night (13 assists, but 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting, four turnovers) by nailing a 3-pointer as the buzzer expired to lift the Bucks to 2-0. The game was extremely competitive for the last 28 minutes, with Monta Ellis and Mike Dunleavy Jr. filling up the scoring column for the Bucks until Jennings performed a coup de grace on the Cavs.
For those that are new around these parts, the Horry scale examines a game-winning buzzer-beater (GWBB) in the categories of difficulty, game situation (was the team tied or behind at the time?), importance (playoff game or garden-variety Kings-Pistons game?), and celebration, and gives it an overall grade on a scale of 1-5 Robert Horrys, who is kind of the patron saint of last-second daggers.
How does Mr. Jennings’ shot Saturday night stack up? Let’s take a look. (more…)
by Micah Hart
Kyrie Irving is dangerously close to becoming my favorite young player (though I don’t know what that’s a danger to him, I’m fairly harmless) in the NBA. Between his starring turn as Uncle Drew and his complete lack of fear in challenging Kobe Bryant during Team USA training camp, he’s really showing he’s a dude to be reckoned with off the court as well as on. The kid has tremendous confidence in himself, a fact I learned last year when he admitted to David Aldridge before last year’s draft that he was a fan of musicals, which is not something your garden-variety macho NBA player is prone to copping to.
Irving’s love of musical theater is not a secret, as it turns out, and he was put to the test in an interview this week on The Alan Cox Show when he broke into a duet of “Summer Nights” from the musical Grease:
Is Irving going to be a contestant on The Voice anytime soon? I doubt it. But after a tentative start, he starts to get into it over the last half of the rendition. Again, lotta guys probably don’t commit right there, so gotta give him props. Of course, Summer Nights is a pretty easy tune. You really wanna impress me, Kyrie? Let’s see you tackle The Very Model of a Modern Major-General.
H/T SportsGrid
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by Micah Hart
To be successful in the NBA, you have to have confidence. Talent, sure, that helps, but confidence is pretty high up on the list of tools you’ll need. Kyrie Irving? He’s got a lot of confidence, as well he should, seeing as he was the #1 pick in the 2011 Draft and Rookie of the Year for the Cavaliers this season.
Now he wants to put that confidence to the ultimate test. During practice for Team USA (Irving is a part of the USA Select team providing scrimmage fodder for the Olympic team), Irving started playfully jawing with Kobe Bryant, and the two agreed to a 1-on-1 game with the loser donating $50K to the winner’s charity.
The trash talk continued unabated, with neither willing to back down:
This is like watching one of those nature shows where the young upstart hippo comes up to challenge the dominant male.
Sign me up for the pay-per-view if this thing ends up happening.
H/T I AM A GM
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by Micah Hart
Kyrie Irving is the reigning top pick in the NBA Draft and Rookie of the Year. Clearly he is a talented fellow, and it appears those talents are not limited to the hardcourt. Check out this video he wrote and directed for Pepsi Max, in which he takes a star turn as “Uncle Drew”:
It’s kind of hard to tell how much the people in the crowd know what’s going on. On the one hand their reactions look genuine, but on the other hand that’s something that can easily be put together in editing. If I saw a (roughly) sextagenarian start breaking ankles and generally looking like he’s auditioning for the next And-1 Mixtape Tour, I might get a little skeptical*. It’s pretty cool no matter what, but certainly Irving deserves major props if he really had everyone fooled.
*We had an old guy on our team in a rec league I used to play in, and I can PROMISE you it did not go this well.
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by Micah Hart
As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.
With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart.
I was on vacation during a bad stretch of three for alls, so I thought we’d do another round up post getting up to date on what we missed while I was out.
Memphis Grizzlies (April 2-4): Memphis started out strong, getting a road win in Oklahoma City. Maybe not quite vengeance for last year’s playoffs, but a nice victory nonetheless. They followed it up with a win at home over Golden State, and just when you thought they might get a sweep they fell to the Mavericks in Dallas. 5 points (2+3-0) for their three for all, and their story has a happy ending of sorts — they beat Dallas at home three days later.
Washington Wizards (April 4-6): Let’s not waste too many words here. Three games, three L’s for the Wiz. -3 points (-2-1-0)
Boston Celtics (April 13-15): Raise your hand if you can tell me what the Celtics are going to do in the postseason. They could get swept in the first round on cut down the nets, and neither outcome would truly surprise me at this point. As if to prove my point, they started their three play by losing to the counting-down-the-minutes-till-the-season-ends-and-playing-as-many-DLeaguers-as-they-can-get-in-uniform Raptors before rallying (if you want to call beating the Nets and Bobcats rallying) to pick up double-digit road wins to finish it off. If they’d handled their business in Toronto, they might have tied the Heat for the best mark on the season. Instead, 10 points (-2+5+7).
Cleveland Cavaliers (April 13-15): The Cavs are a bad team to begin with, so facing three games in three nights without Kyrie Irving (out with a shoulder injury) makes for a pretty daunting task. Or at least it does when the opponents are anyone besides the Wizards. Ring Cleveland up for a loss at Indiana, a win at Washington, and a home loss to Orlando for a total of 2 points (-2+4-0).
Philadelphia 76ers (April 16-18): What happened to this team? At one point this season they seemed primed to challenge the Heat and Bulls for Eastern Conference supremacy, now they are hanging on for dear life to the 8th spot. Their first two games were against playoff-bound opponents, netting them losses in Orlando and at home against Indiana. Lucky for them they finished Wednesday with the Cavs, who they beat by 16 a night after Cleveland lost by 39. To Detroit. Don’t expect Philly to last long in the playoffs, I guess is what I’m saying. 4 points (-2-1+7) for the City of Brotherly Love.
San Antonio Spurs (April 16-18): Saving the best for last. They (I) said the Heat’s 15-point performance in their three-fer could never be matched, but they didn’t count on the boys from San Antone. Not content to rest on the laurels of their previous 12-point undefeated three for all, the Spurs did indeed match Miami, knocking off Golden State (120-99), the Lakers (112-91), and Sacramento (127-102) to tie for the perfect score with 15 points (3+5+7). Which team had a better run, Miami or San Antonio? We’ll devote a separate post to that in the coming days.
Up next: Detroit takes its second crack at three in three April 17-19.
Three for all Top Ten:
– San Antonio Spurs II (15 points)
– Miami Heat (15 points)
– Chicago Bulls (13 points)
– San Antonio Spurs I (12 points)
– OKC Thunder (12 points)
– Atlanta Hawks II (11 points)
– Boston Celtics (10 points)
– Phoenix Suns II (10 points)
– Indiana Pacers II (8 points)
– New Jersey Nets II (8 points)
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by Micah Hart
As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.
With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart. Up next, the New Orleans Hornets, who played three straight from Feb. 20-22.
The Nets, formerly one of the worst teams in the league, put together a surprising 8-point effort in their three for all earlier in the week. Can the Hornets, their brethen of the basement, do the same? They’d have their work cut out for them, as not only would all three games be on the road like the Pistons and Heat, but they’d be at the tail end of a five-game road trip.
Game 1: Thunder 101, Hornets 93 - Oklahoma City had won ten straight at home, and was 13-1 overall in their own building coming in. So yeah, not a real surprise the Hornets fell short. They deserve credit for battling, as after falling behind by as much as 26 in the third, they cut the Thunder lead to just six with a minute to go. Still an L though. -2 points
Game 2: Pacers 117, Hornets 108 - A step closer to a win, as New Orleans takes the game into overtime before falling short at Indiana. Jarrett Jack had 19 points and 10 assists off the bench. -1 point
Game 3: Hornets 89, Cavaliers 84 - Success! The Hornets get the win at Cleveland, which may not seem like much at first but Cleveland has been surprisingly competent this year, thanks in large part to future Rookie of the Year winner Kyrie Irving. The award is Irving’s to lose, but he was gawd-afwul in this game, scoring a season-low six points on 2-13 shooting. Chris Kaman continued a bit of a resurgence since rejoining the Hornets, dropping 21 and 13. No one has said why he suddenly chose to play instead of sit out and await a trade, but my theory is he got a taste for some jambalaya at Acme and decided New Orleans wasn’t so bad after all. 6 points (5 for win, 1 for road)
Pretty tough slate, and though the Hornets end up with just 3 points, they improved in each game. They even finished the road trip 3-2, and with the season already a lost cause, that’s something to be proud of.
Up next: The Minnesota Timberwolves take their second crack at the threeplay, with three straight contests Feb. 28 – Mar. 1.
Three for all Top Ten:
– Miami Heat (15 points)
– Chicago Bulls (13 points)
– OKC Thunder (12 points)
– New Jersey Nets II (8 points)
– Atlanta Hawks (8 points)
– Houston Rockets (7 points)
– Portland Trail Blazers (6 points)
– L.A. Clippers (6 points)
– Philadelphia 76ers (6 points)
– Denver Nuggets I (6 points)
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by Micah Hart
As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.
With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart. Up next, the Indiana Pacers, who played three straight from Feb. 14-16.
The Pacers have played pretty well this season, showing great depth and benefiting from the offseason addition of David West. That is until recently, when they hit a bit of a rough patch and lost four of five coming into their three for all challenge. Could they turn things around in the season’s most grueling stretch?
Game 1: Heat 105, Pacers 90 - No excuses for this one, even with Danny Granger going down with an ankle injury near the end of the first quarter. The Heat were playing the last of their epic three play, so should have been ripe for the picking for a team that until last week had only lost one home game all season. -2 points
Game 2: Cavaliers 98, Pacers 87 - The Pacers’ depth is supposed to be one of their biggest strengths, but losing at Cleveland without Granger’s services would seem to hurt that argument a bit. Kyrie Irving returned from a concussion for the Cavs to score 22 points and lead them to the win, while Indy’s season-long losing streak reaches five games. -1 point
Game 3: Pacers 93, Nets 88 - Finally a W for Indiana, which got Granger back in the lineup and needed every one of his game-high 32 points to hold off the lowly Nets. First-time All-Star Roy Hibbert chipped in with 13 points and 11 boards. I’m putting the over/under on his All-Star minutes at 4:30, by the way. 5 points
Any win in Game 3 is worth celebrating, but this was a pretty disappointing effort for the Pacers all things considered. 2 points for Indy.
Up next: The Portland Trail Blazers also played three straight Feb. 14-16.
Three for all Top Ten:
– Miami Heat (15 points)
– Chicago Bulls (13 points)
– OKC Thunder (12 points)
– Atlanta Hawks (8 points)
– Houston Rockets (7 points)
– Portland Trail Blazers (6 points)
– L.A. Clippers (6 points)
– Philadelphia 76ers (6 points)
– Denver Nuggets I (6 points)
– Orlando Magic (5 points)
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Catch up on every single game-winning buzzer beater during the season and see how it rates on the Horry Scale.
