- OCD Hoops -

27.5 ppg    Dale Ellis .   After some introspective thinking and some follow up research to conclude my gut feeling about how solid and consistent the wiry and clutch 6'7" Ellis truly became an elite Shooting Guard in Seattle and he's rarely mentioned with the greats. Athleticism wasn't his strong suit but he became a solid team defender and smart overall player and scorer. We've all heard about the old timers and history books. In New age hoops there are rare times where they simply don't discuss certain players or teams as much as others. Back before social media it was up to ESPN and the newspaper sports section.  But when someone asks"rank your top 5 or 10 shooting guards ever" or just "top SG NBA players over the years. While he's not Michael Jordan he definitely should be discussed more as a player of history. Dale Ellis was drafted to the Mavericks abd spent his first 3 years as a 6th man type of role producing some points off the benc...

With the NBA trade deadline looming the media has pumped out articles discussing where and how Kevin Love, Danillo Gallinari, Robert Covington, Andre Drummond, and Derrick Rose will all be traded. I smell a weak trade deadline with limited transactions. As a result I do expect the few waiver-wire players that are available to be signed.  The players I will point out and discuss can all have a positive impact as a rotation player or better on a top level playoff team. Green averaged 12.7 points per game last season Jeff Green (PF/SF) - The solid all-around swingman and stretch power-forward was waived earlier this season on a team that had no use for him.  Fast forward to present day and you have plenty of playoff caliber teams that could surely use the combo forwards skillset and veteran leadership, especially on the offensive end of the court. The Sixers, Nets, Magic, Thunder could all be buy low options, and depending on certain trades and roster moves made in t...

Finally.  The NBA preseason has been underway as teams are pacing and spacing the floor.  This newer, faster, smaller, NBA basketball overall is a tad different than the way the game was played a decade or two ago.  A lot more "European", if that makes any sense (you'd have to watch the Euro/ACB Leagues or Olympics a lot).  Teams are living by the 3, deciding not to take that long two-point shot, and playing smaller for a majority of the games as a result of the Warriors winning the title in that fashion. With the game ever evolving and team elements increasing, one can't help but wonder what will become of the Lakers in future years. So how will the men in purple and gold fair this year?  Is it fair to expect them to make the playoffs? Sadly, even as a big Laker fan, I do not see playoff games again this season.  Luckily, that doesn't bother me as the Lakers finally have a nice young core group of players full of untapped potential, as well as Kobe's...

The surprise pick of the 2015 draft wasn't the Timberwolves taking athletic 7 footer Towns, who had been projected as the top pick in nearly every mock draft, but rather the Lakers stirred up the entire lottery and draft picking one and done Point-Guard D'Angelo Russel with the 2nd overall pick. Every projection had Towns going first with the other 7 footer Jahill Okafor going next, while Russel was in the top 3 picks anywhere up to near the 10 pick on all the mock drafts going in. As a Laker fan, though extremely objective, I did hope the Lakers would take either Russel or Muiday, a future PG with size that complements young Jordan Clarkson, last years 2nd round pick of the Lakers who made All Rookie First Team and finished the year with a bang. Russel, like Clarkson, is a 6'5'' tall and long point-guard who can also play the 2 spot as well. Other than their similar sizes and ability for the Lakers to start the 2 guys together with a 3 guard lineup (because o...

Alright, I haven't been writing or blogging much about the NBA much in the past year... well I'm back, stronger than ever and with a mission!  Anyhow, this 2015 off-season has been quite unpredictable to some degree, and with all the great player movement this summer it seems as if the upcoming season might be one of the most competitive ones in years, possibly ever. Aside from the Philadelphia 76'ers (whom have a bright future), I can't say there is any other team that is a standout "awful 20 win max team".  League parity, as Adam Silver and the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed to end the strike a few years back has now been fully implemented, and it appears to be working flawlessly.  No longer do the big markets own free agency like they once did, no longer do owners have teams in small markets with tiny caps (actually they have to have 85% of the cap on players otherwise they will be in trouble after one season). This has all resulted in a cou...

In the 6 seasons that Michael Jordan was able to capture an NBA Championship and Finals MVP he was always known as "the best ever".  Now just because I am a Laker fan does not mean I'm trying to take anything away from the best Shooting-Guard to ever play the game (especially in his and this era; I'll throw Jerry West in there but he's 60's/70's and was sort of that combo guard type. So I'll just state it quickly.  I believe Kobe is one of the best to ever play, key word "was", but I also don't think he's ever quite been on the level of the great Mike.  Or do the stats just make Jordan look so much better?  After some analysis and deep thought, it seems I've realized how much credit we as a collective fan-base of the NBA tend to give both Michael Jordan and then coach Phil Jackson. It seems that then Scottie Pippen is the subject discussed. I do believe we ought to at least look at it all objectively. Kobe couldn't take m...

While I write about all of basketball objectively, I know my home team Los Angeles Lakers are secretly flying under the NBA radar, especially in the Western Conference this season.  Sure, their plan is to build for next season (through trades, cap space and/or draft picks) all options for them this season, as well as making the playoffs... but "IF HEALTHY" is key there.  Boozer will be a good offensive teacher for Julius Randle who's probably been way overlooked by most top 10 picks because of his NBA ready body and skillset on both ends.  Having a veteran like Boozer can teach him some good stuff, as well as Hill, but of course Boozer defense is to not be copied....   Randle could easily end up as the starting PF after 20 or so games and be a 16 point, 10 rebound, 3-5 assists, 1+steal, 1+block, solid all around player that does it all.  Just get that mid-range improved (as I am sure he is) and he will be a stud, possible ROTY.... he's been overlooked, I thin...