Essay: Ryan Anderson Murders The Most Improved Player Award
Due to an increase in playing time, which further led to an increase in opportunity, Ryan Anderson has been named the 2011-12 Most Improved Player. I won’t go into whether or not Anderson “deserved” to win the award, mostly because it’s conditions are unsystematic. But I will say this: Ryan Anderson is a quality scorer and has been his entire life (going back to his collegiate days when he led the Pac-10 in scoring as a sophomore—O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love, and Russell Westbrook all played in the Pac-10 that year). Behind Dirk Nowitzki, Anderson might be the league’s most dangerous three-point shooting stretch four—he stands at 6’10″ and led the NBA in three-pointers made and three-pointers attempted—which is wonderful news to the Magic. Ever since Howard was made the organization’s strategic focal point, Orlando’s main plan of attack was inside out, with the three-pointer creating almost as many nightmares for opposing coaches as the Howard, himself. In this way, a player like Anderson, someone who’s tall enough to comfortably get almost all of his shots off clean, is a perfect fit. Read more…
Shook Ankles: Truly Embarrassing
Some things should never happen. In the clip above, Joakim Noah looks like he’s trying to execute a simple in and out move to attack the basket, but never has complete control of the ball. The result is a non-move and some quick head-jerking. Meanwhile, his defender’s left foot happens to slip on what MUST be an unfortunately placed wet spot. The result? A truly embarrassing moment in time.
Follow @ShakyAnklesEssay: Why Dallas Can Still Beat Oklahoma City
Last night’s game between the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder had everything you’d want from a high profile playoff match-up: superstars, back and forth buckets, unpredictability, great defense, bad blood, and all out hustle. Despite it only being Game 2 in a first round slugfest, this game gave us several moments where we had to remind ourselves that breathing is necessary for survival. There were 16 lead changes, and it was tied on 16 separate occasions. Read more…
Essay: Conley With A Wild…Toss
The moment after he stepped back between his legs—causing Randy Foye to briefly resemble a delirious crazy person—and rattled in a three-pointer that tickled the edge of the rim before falling through (the one shot that most felt it was “meant to be” out of all that were taken this weekend), was the moment I decided to write something about Mike Conley. With the type of star power that’s normally reserved for a second or third round battle—featuring Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, Rudy Gay, and Zach Randolph all anxiously grunting in their starting gates—through three quarters last night, Conley was the game’s best player. Read more…
Essay: The First Annual Shaky Ankles NBA Awards
On Christmas Eve, I previewed the season. Most of it was grossly incorrect, but today we turn a proud page on the past. Here are my awards and playoff predictions for the 2012 lockout abbreviated NBA season. Enjoy. Read more…
Shook Ankes: Is This A Flop? Or A Sweet Move?
A little over a week ago, DeShawn Stevenson put a behind the back dribble move on reigning First Team All-Defender Rajon Rondo. There was nothing special about it—no crazy shoulder juke or undecipherable speed—and yet Rondo, one of the most underrated false manufacturers of contact that the league has, fell to the floor, clutching of all things his head. As he was executing the move, Stevenson appears to steady himself by placing his hand on Rondo’s hip; what followed may or may not have been a gentle push. Nothing strong enough to send a grown man flying, but just a little something to afford him some breathing room. My consensus on the outcome here is that while Stevenson is not known for his ball-handling expertise, Rondo IS known for a) flopping (but mostly on the offensive end) and b) playing hellacious defense. For him to fall over just doesn’t make much sense, and the ultimate result is a non gift-wrapped whistle from the refs, coupled with an embarrassing moment that’s now on Youtube. Shame on you, Rondo.
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…no, not really, but still. When I saw this move live last Friday night, I described it on CelticsHub by saying it made me adjust my television, which wasn’t a lie. There’s a great chance this is the last crossover Dooling puts on display for the rest of his career. Also a good chance this was the last time he scores in double figures. Enjoy this insightful, behind the scenes veteran while he’s still around; moves like this one are rarer than rare.
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