Bad signs for your professional NBA point guarding career
Monday, July 13, 2009
1. That you were traded three times in six months.
2. That there are five players ahead of you on the depth chart.
3. That this is the best in-game picture that a major newspaper can find for you.
posted by WRG @ 01:22,
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Take your marks: Olympic Blogs
Monday, August 18, 2008
It's been three months: Where have we been?
(More appropriately, where haven't we been? Domestic hotels, international terminals; weddings, [metaphorical] funerals).
Basically, anywhere but Beijing.
Although, with so many great sports blogs reporting live from the Summer Olympics (we gave up counting at 159), who needs to leave the couch? Thanks to Internet 2.0, the Games are on demand.
So, using the standards we developed last year to critique wannabe-Deadspins, we're going to review 15 of the more popular Olympic-focused blogs across categories like style and following. Given the range of Olympic sports and athletes, we're adding one category--scope--to represent how well the blog captures stories that we wouldn't otherwise hear on NBC.
Just like the Games, there are winners and losers. Here are a few blogs that caught our eye--mostly for good reasons.
Group A--New Media Pioneers
If our review had a group of death, this would be it; while very different in style and scope, these five sites are uniformly well-done and varying degrees of enjoyable. Which makes sense; when it comes to blogging, these sites all employ top writing talent and technical know-how (are you listening, Access Hollywood Olympics blog?)
He may work for a newspaper, but Steinberg's mix of hard-won blog cred and participatory journalism--such as his bravery in sampling yak artisanal cheese--separates his work from the print or TV blogs we'll be profiling later. And to be clear upfront: We already loved the popular DC Sports Bog; its temporary transformation into the Beijing Sports Smog leaves us, like Chinese communists, tickled pink.
Post length: Average to slightly long. Several quick-hit posts are just a few paragraphs, but most reach about 500 words.
Output: Frequent. About six posts per day, almost all original reporting (as opposed to linking to coverage or offering brief commentary on, say, a certain swimmer's repeated victories). However, with just Steinberg writing up stories, the Smog's far less prolific than some of the other blogs that we came across.
Style: An engaging mix of reporting and analysis; like a bemused features writer who lets the reader in on the joke.
Scope: Impressive. Blissfully unaware of athletes named "Phelps" or "Nastia," Steinberg almost never reports the headlines. Still, he finds a story everywhere he goes--sometimes, even before he gets there:
So today, in search of my first Olympic sporting event, I walked over to the handball venue, and what did I see? Four parents of two Swedish women handballers, trying desperately to get into the venue.
"We asked everybody, we asked anybody," one of the fathers, Jonas Ahlm, told me. "If you get us tickets for handball, we will teach you everything about handball. You can have exclusive interview with two girls. You can spend night with them."
His wife, Marie, protested this offer.
"Just eat and drink and maybe some little kissing," Jonas clarified.
At this point, I was committed.
Steinberg goes bargain-shopping with swimmers and photographs chubby judo coaches, interviews fashion-plate Craig Sager and relays his fear while holding an actual silver medal. In short, he finds the stories of the Olympics that no one else even thinks to look for. A must-read.
Hat-tips: Steinberg's got a Postie links helper finding about five per day; that doesn't seem great...until you realize just how little love these Olympics blogs tend to show to non-mainstream sources.
Following: Strong. While Steinberg never draws a ton of comments, the ones he gets tend to be clever and interesting. Moreover, he remains a blogger's blogger; all of the other Olympics websites (such as the ones we profile below) clearly read and link to him.
Bill Fitzgerald, Chris Chase, Maggie Hendricks, Nick Friedell, Pat Imig, and Reese Hoffa
Another strong (and very clean-looking) site, mixing punchy commentary with beautiful Getty images. Unlike the Beijing Sports Smog, this blog's much more robust and powered by six contributors; most offer quick hit-analysis, but Olympic shot-putter Hoffa has provided an inside look at life in the Village.
Overall, it's a fine source for major Olympics news, but don't head here for anything that NBC wouldn't tell you.
Post length: Short, although varies by author; Ladies... blogger Hendricks appears to have a three-paragraph limit, while Bog Poll contributor Fitzgerald chips in with longer, less-cohesive pieces.
Output: Prodigious. At least 15-to-20 posts per day, although some (like Hendricks' posts) are essentially a picture with a two-line caption.
Style: Conventional and casual, if a bit irreverent. You'll find the mystery of Michael Phelps' iPod playlist mixed in with regular updates of races and gymnastics competitions. There are a few regular features, like the pictures of the day and create-a-caption, that are nice but not especially compelling ideas. Meanwhile, the daily what-to-watch post has good intentions, but typically just lists NBC's primetime schedule; a what-to-watch-via-NBCOlympics.com would've been much more interesting.
Scope: Nothing special. If you want a quick review of the major Olympic stories of the day (Phelps! Gymnastics! Wrestler refuses his medal!), this is the blog for you. But with the exception of Imig's posts that include would-be Facebook founders and Dream Team windbreakers, don't expect much off the beaten Mondotrack.
Hat-tips: Limited. There's a daily roundup of newspaper articles, but even when crediting another site, Fourth Place Medal doesn't always bother to offer a link.
Following: Very popular. Piggybacking off the heavily trafficked Yahoo! Sports website, every post draws dozens (if not hundreds) of comments.
Olympics FanHouse
Enrico Campitelli, JJ Cooper, Michael David Smith, Tom Ziller, et al.
At first, this solid blog seems like Fourth Place Medal's weaker sister (grubbier layout, smaller pictures, fewer contributors, and a lot less reader traffic). However, FanHouse has more edge--in a good way--and offers opinionated coverage, like whether Phelps' iPod makes him faster or if the much-hyped USA-Spain game even mattered. Meanwhile, NBA star and Redeem Team member Chris Bosh has chipped in a few videos, while a regular "Golden Ticket" post cleverly promised to identify each day's best basketball games (although at the time of writing this, the posts seem shelved), giving the site some extra appeal.
Post length: Short to average. Most posts are about 200 words, although a handful have been twice as long.
Output: Considerable. Up to 20 posts per weekday; not quite so many over the weekend.
Style: Conversational and analytical, with many authors first introducing a topic or recapping an event, then weighing in with a segue like "To me, the most interesting part..."
Scope: Sticks to the big stories, although can take interesting angles on them, such as a critique of FINA for waiting to release images of Phelps' win in the 100M butterfly. More importantly, Campitelli (the blog's sole Beijng-based blogger) uncovered perhaps the scoop of the Games: Beer is really, really cheap at the Bird's Nest.
Hat-tips: Hardly any; mostly links to previous FanHouse coverage.
Following: For whatever reason, none of the FanHouse blogs draw many comments, and the Olympics blog isn't an exception. And maybe that isn't a bad thing; the heavily discussed posts (like this one on Dara Torres, likely featured as some AOL cross-promotion) never seem to make the site's readers look good.
Slate: Five-Ring Circus
Assorted authors
It's debatable which is the bigger stretch: Deng Linlin as a 16-year-old, or Five-Ring Circus as a true blog. Still, the latter's close enough; Slate's built a separate page with daily stories, a Twitter feed, and even a nifty "Sap-o-Meter" feature that tracks NBC's use of...(you know what? Just go check it out). Plus, we need five contenders in the new media divison, and on quality and diversity, Five-Ring Circus can more than hold its own.
Post length: From very short to very long. Nothing gets more pithy than Slate's 20-word tweets; meanwhile, the site's bread-and-butter essays can easily top 1,200 words.
Output: Three-to-five posts per weekday, including the clever Twitter feed, which offers such gems as "I love Usain Bolt's adopted Chinese brothers!" and "The Americans are really struggling with the international free throw line."
Style: Between the essays, the videos, and the Twitter feed, it's all over the map, but consistently expect Slate's trademark mix of smarts and snark. While the writing is great, the headlines tend to promise more than the stories deliver. ("Short sprinters beware," warns one piece examining the freakish success of freakishly large Usain Bolt, but the author eventually concludes that Bolt-sized sprinters will be a rarity for the near-future.)
Scope: Not great with respect to sport--you won't find updates of badminton or handball--but the stories are at least unique. "Dispatches from Beijing" discuss what it's like to watch the Olympics on Chinese TV, while essays and analysis break down the new gymnastics scoring system and the Speedo LZR's effects on run-of-the mill swimmers.
Hat-tips: Very few; a handful of links to other mainstream media sources.
Following: Very strong. More than 1,200 users have signed up for Slate's Twitter feed in about a week, which is hardly shabby; while the comments can be critical, that's nothing new for a Web magazine that prides itself on being contrarian.
Olympics feedChris Mottram, Spencer Hall, Chris Littmann, Bethlehem Shoals, Dan Shanoff, Dave Larzelere, Tom Ziller
It's also a bit unfair to lump the Sporting Blog, which hasn't carved out special Olympics coverage, in with sites like Fourth Place Medal and FanHouse; however, the blog's focused on Olympics coverage for much of the past week, and the hard-working Ziller (doing double duty with FanHouse!) wrote up seven posts over the weekend alone.
Unfortunately, if FanHouse was Fourth Place Medal's weaker sister, the Sporting Blog is the drunk college-age brother obsessed with America's Dumbest Sports Videos; a series of three posts last week offered clips of a Chinese trampoline dunker falling on his head, the Hungarian weightlifter who gruesomely dislocated his elbow, and gym-goers accidentally dropping weights on themselves. Ha.
Post length: Short to average; most posts are a few-hundred words, and videos are frequently used.
Output: Three-to-four posts per day.
Style: Snarky, opinionated, and even humorous, although often sophomoric. Several of the authors (such as Ziller and Shanoff) are well-read across the Internet.
Scope: Ok. The site mostly covers the big stories and sports, with a heavy focus on Phelps and basketball, but there's some acknowledgment of lesser lights like 49er skiff sailing and water polo...even if the authors are generally denigrating the sports' existence.
Hat-tips: A few, including to some of the other blogs on this list, such as the Smog and FanHouse.
Following: Decent. Comments are few-and-far-between (most likely because of Sporting News registration requirements), but as a recent poll indicated, at least 1,000 readers were willing to weigh in on whether Phelps actually won the 100M butterfly.
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Of course, these five just scratch the surface; we'll return to profile other well-trafficked blogs later this week. In the meantime, help us decide which Group A blog has done the best job covering the Games so far.
(Poll not showing up for you? Click here)
Labels: dc sports bog, Deadspin, FanHouse, fourth place medal, Olympics, Slate, sporting blog, yahoo sports
posted by Crucifictorious @ 01:17,
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Are you smarter than Chris Paul?
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Collectivism didn't really work out for the USSR, but for the third time in three months, basket-blogs are cluster-posting the heck out of a topic. Back in March, Hardwood Paroxysm tipped off a 45+ post celebration for the Black Mamba; in April, 20 bloggers sang the praises of Underappreciated Famous NBA Athletes.
The latest con-blog-aration yesterday honored Chris Paul, who at 22...
...rolled up legendary point-guard numbers
...led the Hornets to their best season in franchise history
...has his team up 2-0 over the defending champs in the Western Conference semi-finals
(Truly, a phenomenal year; if Juan Dixon and Maceo Baston are worth a day, Paul deserves an entire week).
Still, it wasn't all gravy for CP3 on his own holiday--he finished just second in the NBA's MVP voting, despite convincingly winning basket-bloggers' own award last month.
Of course, there's one honor that Chris Paul can hold over Kobe--and every other NBA player: A win on "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me," a National Public Radio show that Paul appeared on back in September.
(ht: this guy).
We Rite Goode readers may prefer The Basketball Jones to NPR, so here's a primer on "Wait Wait": It's an hour-long news quiz that usually features a 10-minute segment with a celebrity guest, who's forced to answer extremely off-beat questions, usually with mixed success. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer whiffed on all three “Rock N’Roll Lifestyles” questions; meanwhile, muppet Elmo went 2-for-3 on a quiz called "Shut up! Shut up! I'm going to cut your mic!"
Chris Paul's own quiz was called “You want me to eat what?," which focused on the “least palatable” food products from the 1970s. Want to try your own luck? Here are the three questions that NPR asked Paul; feel free to play or listen along at home. Keep in mind, two of the products in each question are fake--only one is real and the right answer.
Question 1. Kids are a huge target for the processed food crowd, but you’ve got to appeal to the parents too. That was the idea behind one of these failed food products--which is the real product?
A) Liver Pops
Frozen liver treats for your kids
B) Vita-Yums
Chocolate-covered vitamins
C) I Hate Peas
Peas and other unpalatable foods are processed into fake french fries
Answer.
2. While most products are aimed at families, marketers tried to woo single shoppers with which product?
A) Baby Burger Bites
Packets of frozen hamburgers the size of marshmellows
B) Gerber’s singles
Baby food for adults
C) Peanut capsules
Little paper-wrapped packets, with the shells inside
Answer.
3. One smart marketing strategy: Play to customers' natural laziness. But ease-of-preparation couldn’t save which real product?
A) Seat-warmer Dinners
Wrapped dinners you put under your seat cushions and cook with your own body heat
B) Reddi-bacon
From the makers of Reddi-Whip, foil-wrapped bacon you pop in the toaster
C) Fish Jerky
Pre-cooked, freeze-dried perfect for picnics and eating on the go
Answer.
Perhaps the nickname stands for Completely Perfect in 3, as Paul aced the quiz. How did you do? Compare your score to noted luminaries below.
3 correct = Chris Paul, NBA All-Star
2 = Joey Harrington, NFL quarterback (link)
1 = Ken Jennings, “Jeopardy” champion (link)
0 =
Around the Web
Like seat-warmer dinners, a few things we've been sitting on for far too long...
* Bright Side of the Sun puts Mike D'Antoni's return to the acid test.
* The second issue of Sports Northwest Magazine, edited by Seth Kolloen of Enjoy the Enjoyment, is now out; Nathaniel Friedman--a.k.a. Bethlehem Shoals--has an interesting piece on David Stern's middle-America politics.
* One of the most active participants in the basket-blog rankings, the Dream Shake weighs in with their Defensive Player and Executive of the Year. Be warned: The Dream Shake likes the Rockets. A lot.
* Fellow basket-blog voter 20 Second Timeout explains his voting for MVP and other awards. TruthAboutIt.net and Hoops State of Mind also cast their MVP ballots.
* MC Bias sees nothing good emerging from last week's Bissinger/Leith/Costas dust-up.
* He was turning 30 and playing for a middling franchise, so he mocked the GM and demanded a trade all off-season. He was booed by fans and called "selfish" by teammates behind his back. But he sucked it up and carried his team to title contention and raised his game to an MVP-level. Yes, Hakeem Olajuwon went from malcontent to two-time champion--and back in November, we wondered if Kobe could pull off a similar transformation.
Labels: Chris Paul, Deadspin, Joey Harrington, Kobe Bryant, MVP, NPR
posted by Crucifictorious @ 01:32,
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Rankings: The 7th Man of the year (oh, and MVP, too)
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Let's face it: Part I of the final basket-blogger awards played to script, with Durant (ROY), Scott (COY), and Hedo (MIP). However, today's rankings of 7th Man and MVP promise to be more surprising and--dare we say--interesting.
Still, prepare yourself for lots of charts and numbers; bloggers provided six months of data, after all. How could we not analyze it?
7th Man of the Year
We elected to skip 6th Man--not just because Manu Ginobili was near-unanimous, but since typical candidates are de facto starters--and instead wanted to recognize a true impact reserve. A player who doesn't get starter's minutes (so, no one who played more than 24 mpg) and came off the bench all season (so, no one who started more than 25% of the games he played in).
Here's how basket-bloggers voted:
Honorable mention: Jordan Farmar, Leon Powe, Jannero Pargo.
3. Louis Williams
11.5 ppg, 3.2 apg, 1.0 spg, 16.7 PER
Per 36 minutes: 17.8 ppg, 4.9 apg, 1.6 spg
Adjusted plus-minus: -7.68
12 points, named on 15% of ballots
Perfect third guard, although we'll probably end up overpaying him--and starting him.--Phunctional Phalcoholic, We Rite Goode
2. JR Smith
12.3 ppg, 1.7 apg, 40% 3FG, 18.1 PER
Per 36 minutes: 23.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.2 apg
Adjusted plus-minus: -1.99
22 points, 35% of ballots
The Nuggets are in the lottery without his scoring, and yes, passing, off the bench.--Jeremy, Pickaxe and Roll.
INAUGURAL 7TH MAN - Jason Maxiell
7.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 54% FG, 21.6 mpg, 16.7 PER
Per 36 minutes: 13.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.9 bpg
Adjusted plus-minus: 4.34
29 points, 46% of ballot
He anchors a very good bench for a team that is, in my view, the 2nd best team in the NBA.--John, Red's Army
He eats babies.--Pradamaster, Bullets Forever
Editorializing for a second, our friend PhDribble wants bloggers to better recognize bench players; he'd be happy to know that 23 different 7th men were nominated, with 11 receiving at least one first-place vote. Not surprisingly, the polling strongly favored reserves on playoff teams, which tend to be deeper and bring more talent off the pine.
Another aside: Had this award been based solely on adjusted plus-minus--basically, how much better was a team with X player on the court--Eduardo Najera (plus 9.25) would have won 7th man in a landslide, as he was among the league leaders. Second and third among 7th men were Tony Allen (plus 5.08) and Kyle Korver (plus 4.80), respectively.
Most Valuable Player
Whether it was wins, points, or lifetime achievement, most basket-bloggers based their MVP choice on established criteria. Then there were the voters who felt that charisma in street clothes (one 9th place vote for Greg Oden) or simply leaving the team (one 10th place vote for Jeff McInnes) were enough to warrant consideration.
You'll see the results below, but one trend we've identified, which is sure to help some runner-up's candidacy next year: Keep your bad haircut. After shaving their heads, Andrew Bogut and Chris Kaman finished tied for just 23rd.
Honorable mention: Steve Nash, Chauncey Billups, Paul Pierce, Tracy McGrady
10. Manu Ginobili
19.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.5 apg, 61.2% TS, PER 24.3
32 win shares, 10.65 adjusted plus-minus
62 points, 50% of ballots
As he goes, so go the Spurs. No disrespect to Timmy, but it's the truth.--Ben Q. Rock, Third Quarter Collapse
9. Deron Williams
18.8 ppg, 10.5 apg, 59.5% FG, 20.8 PER
31 win shares, 2.06 adjusted plus-minus
66 points, 50% of ballots
Even though as a Nugget fan I hate the Jazz, Deron is just too good to put any lower.--Jeremy, Pickaxe and Roll
8. Dirk Nowitzki
23.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 3.5 apg, 58.5% TS, 24.6 PER
34 win shares, 8.16 adjusted plus-minus
67 points, 57% of ballots
In many ways Dirk has been much more of an MVP candidate to me this year than last. He's shown unexpected toughness and resiliency and was the reason Dallas topped the 50 win mark once again.--Franchise, RaptorsHQ
7. Amare Stoudemire
25.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.1 bpg, 65.6% TS, 27.6 PER
43 win shares, -1.47 adjusted plus-minus
99 points, 67% of ballots
Some questioned his passion and work-ethic in the beginning of the season...Those people have been very quiet.--Ryne, Odenized
6. Tim Duncan
19.3 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.9 bpg, 24.3 PER
32 win shares, 7.52 adjusted plus-minus
104 points, 72% of ballots
Didn't everyone think he was washed up like 3 years ago?--College Wolf, Twolves Blog
Top five in MVP voting
Let's pause for a second. Not for dramatic emphasis, but to consider how these final five players separated themselves across the season; none dropped below fifth in our rankings, and four--LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, and Chris Paul--held the top spot at some point.
However, every player who once held first also ranked as low as fourth or fifth at some point, illustrating this year's ultra-competitive MVP race. One week, Dwight Howard was #1 and LeBron James was #3; in the next poll, they'd swapped places. In fact, the most consistent candidate was Kevin Garnett--the only player in this quintet yet to hold #1--as KG never fell below fourth nor rose above second.
We know that, over the course of a season, voters change their ballots based on fluctuations in player and team performance, not to mention factors like dramatic wins or SportsCenter highlights. For example, Caron Butler appeared in just one ranking--10th overall, on Dec. 17th--and we'd bet that was tied to the Wizards' nationally televised victory over Shaq and Wade a few nights before, as much as Butler's play and team record.
So, in offering up these final five MVP candidates, we examine one factor--if recent team performance correlated with voter behavior. In addition to select stats and witty comments, the following players also get a big, distracting chart (The red line represents where the players ranked in MVP voting each round; the blue line represents their team's winning percentage in the two weeks between votes.) Judge for yourself; our back-of-the-envelope analysis is that there's a link, in addition to a bit of a lag.
5. Dwight Howard
20.7 ppg, 14.2 rpg, 59.9% FG, 2.1 bpg
36 win shares, 13.71 adjusted plus-minus
165 points, 94% of ballots
The league's leader in adjusted plus-minus, and by a wide margin. He also hasn't missed a game in his career.--Ben Q. Rock, Third Quarter Collapse
A good supporting cast, but it is Howard who has got Orlando to this point. And Howard who will take the Magic further...--Don, With Malice...
Became a much better player this year, but fizzled down the stretch.--Jeramey, The Bratwurst
4. LeBron James
30.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 7.2 apg, 1.8 spg, 29.1 PER
43 win shares, 9.29 adjusted plus-minus
272 points, 100% of ballots
If Chris Paul is the glue making the pieces of his team fit, LeBron is the team itself; sans LBJ the Cavs are probably the worst offensive team in the league.--Franchise, RaptorsHQ
Long story short is that they didn't win enough games. That's bogus because they would have won less games than the TWolves without LeBron.--College Wolf, TWolves Blog
As far as MVP voting went, he would have been better off slacking the first half of the season like he did last year.--Brett, Queen City Hoops
He's an unbelievable player, but if you can't get more than 4 games over .500 in the Leastern Conference you can't win the award - that's actually engraved on the trophy. --Tom and Steve W., CelticsBlog
Hard to overlook his stats. Easy to overlook his team. Not quite the MVP.--David, The Dream Shake
3. Kevin Garnett
18.8 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 54% FG, 25.2 PER
36 win shares, 9.68 adjusted plus-minus
291 points, 100% of ballots (nine first place votes)
He's not getting enough love, methinks. Defense is a major, major part of the game, and you can't deny how much he has impacted that end of the floor. I mean, Boston has the third-best defensive efficicency of ALL TIME! How ridiculous is that.--Pradamaster, Bullets Forever
Never before has one man done so much... with so much. Wait, what?--Matt and Corn, Hardwood Paroxysm
HEY BOSTON IS DA GRATEST!!! HATAZ DON NO BOUT DEM CELTICS!!! via Ball Don't Lie--Goathair, The Blowtorch
2. Kobe Bryant
28.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.8 spg, 24.2 PER39 win shares, 10.56 adjusted plus-minus
317 points, 100% of ballots (12 first place votes)
As Tim Legler put it, he is the only player in the NBA who has no weaknesses. He is the only player since MJ who you would want to take the last shot and defend a player who is taking the last shot.--Dave, 20 Second Timeout
His leadership and poise are what set him apart. There are a lot of great leaders, but none would I have over Kobe.--Ryne, Odenized
The man can win games singlehandedly whenever he wants to, AND leap over speeding Aston Martins in a single bound.--Jeff, Courtside at the Score
He's still the best player in the NBA. Just not the most valuable this year. There are worse things in life than #2 in MVP voting...--David, The Dream Shake
(Kobe's kind of our horse in the race, despite voting for Paul; amidst last fall's trading frenzy, we were hoping that he could still pull a Hakeem Olajuwon in L.A.).
1. Chris Paul
21.1 ppg, 11.6 apg, 2.7 spg, 57.6% TS, 28.3 PER
50 win shares, -.06 adjusted plus-minus
334 points, 100% of ballots (15 first place votes)
He's having the best traditional point-guard season of all-time, and he saved basketball in New Orleans. "Value" applies to the community, too.--Ben Q. Rock, Third Quarter Collapse
Try to win 56 games in the West with Mo Peterson as your STARTING teammate in the back court and tell me how it works...--Ricky, Sixers 4 Guidos
By PER, the man just had THE single greatest season in the history of the point guard position. Better than Magic, Oscar, or Stockton in their prime. I just don't see how that can go unrewarded.--Rohan, At the Hive
How do we compare?
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Here's one final, crowded chart: A compilation of every poll from across the season. Note how the same players remained in the top five all season, while 13 different players rotated through the bottom five slots.
You can see a full-size version of this graphic here.
If the chart's abbreviations throw you off, check out this spreadsheet, which contains the year-long MVP results, in addition to full voting for today's awards. In tracking players' "full body of work," the spreadsheet also illustrates how cumulative voting (i.e., Dwight Howard gets 9 points for finishing second in the inaugural poll, 10 points for finishing first in the second poll, etc.) would have significantly altered the MVP results: LeBron would be the hands-down winner, while Kobe would've finished fourth and Steve Nash--who wasn't even in the final poll--would've ranked sixth.
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A Texas-sized hat-tip to Brew Hoop's Alex--who dreamed up these rankings nearly six months ago--for letting us close out this fantastic regular season. Not to mention, many thanks to the kind voters (listed out below) and to you, the reader...who now knows far more about bloggers' MVP preferences than he ever wished.
Esteemed voters
David (Dream Shake); Ryne (Odenized); Franchise (RaptorsHQ); Spartacus (3 Shades of Blue); College Wolf (TWolves Blog); Matt and Corndogg (Hardwood Paroxysm); David (20 Second Timeout); Brian (Empty the Bench); Ben Q. Rock (Third Quarter Collapse); Don (With Malice); Ryan (HoopsAddict); Green 17 & Steve W. (Celtics Blog); Alex (BrewHoop); Basketbawful (Basketbawful); ticktock6 and mW (Hornets Hype); Dannie (Hoops State of Mind); Carter Blanchard (Free Darko); Rohan (At the Hive); Matt Watson (DetroitBadBoys.com); Tom (Indy Cornrows) Pradamaster (Bullets Forever); Josh (Dinosty); Jeramey (The Bratwurst); Jeff (Courtside at The Score); Wes Cox (Mavs Moneyball); Goathair (The Blowtorch); TruthAboutIt (TruthAboutIt.net); Ricky (Sixers 4 Guidos); Phoenix Stan (Bright Side of the Sun); Matt (BlogABull.com); Brett (Queen City Hoops); John (Red's Army); Andre (Nuggets 1); M. Haubs (The Painted Area); Jeremy (Pickaxe and Roll)
Previous rounds
- Brew Hoop
- ClipsNation
- 3 Shades of Blue
- Sixers4Guidos
- Pickaxe & Roll
- Hardwood Paroxysm
- CelticsBlog
- TwolvesBlog
- Hornets247
- Queen City Hoops
Labels: 7th Man of the Year, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, J.R. Smith, Jason Maxiell, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Louis Williams, MVP, NBA
posted by Crucifictorious @ 21:30,
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End-of-season Basket-Blogger Rankings
Monday, April 21, 2008
The regular season's over, which means the NBA blogger voting has come to a close (for now; you never know if a Playoff MVP needs to be crowned). We Rite Goode managed this final, 11th iteration of the polling, which was last hosted by Queen City Hoops two weeks ago; for those new to the process, votes are compiled from roughly 20-40 blogs each round.
To reveal today: Basket-bloggers' final Rookie of the Year, as well as our collective Coach of the Year and Most Improved Player picks.
(Inspired by the NBA's own staggered reveal--not to mention Neal Pollack's love for this kind of thing--we're going to stretch the results out into multiple posts. Consider yourself warned.)
Let's get to it.
Rookie of the Year
Honorable mention: Jamario Moon, Carl Landry, Joakim Noah
5. Thaddeus Young
8.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 53.9% FG, 16.5 PER
31 points, Named on 46% of ballots
There wasn't much talk about Young when he was drafted out of Georgia Tech but his play was one of the main reasons for Philly's late season success.--Franchise, Raptors HQ
As the second-youngest rookie this season, Young has acted downright grown-up as a starter for the surging Sixers.--Ryne, Odenized
4. Al Thornton
12.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.2 apg, 12.7 PER
37 points, 57% of ballots
He can probably replace Corey Maggette's production if Maggette opts-out this summer. Can you believe he slipped all the way to 14th?--Ben Q. Rock, Third Quarter Collapse
This guy has big-time scorer written all over him. Great athlete whose game just needs a little polishing.--Dave, 20 Second Timeout
Two Al's in the top five!--Phoenix Stan, Bright Side of the Sun
3. Luis Scola
10.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 51.5% FG, 16.1 PER
101.5 points, 97% of ballots
Made a very smooth transition from dominating Europe to not quite dominating the NBA. Fears surrounding his ability to rebound proved to be unfounded.--Jeremy, Pickaxe and Roll
2. Al Horford
10.1 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 49.9% FG, 14.7 PER
148 points, 100% of ballots
Will be making money while Durant's sitting at home with his Mom watching Days of Our Lives.--Matt and Corndogg, Hardwood Paroxysm
You don't win the award for being the pre-season choice, KD.--Josh, The Dinosty
1. Kevin Durant
20.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.4 apg, 15.8 PER
166 points, 100% of ballots
PLEASE CALL HIM KID DELICIOUS--The Blowtorch
Hands down; go look at LeBron or KG's numbers as a 19 year old.--TruthAboutIt.net
Why do people think this was a dissapointing season? +20ppg with +.50 TS% ain't that bad. Any star with that supporting cast is going to have a hard time being efficient. And his endgame heroics leave more than enough to be excited about for the future.--Carter Blanchard, Plissken at the Buzzer/FreeDarko
How do we compare?
Coach of the Year
Honorable mention: Mo Cheeks, Phil Jackson, Stan Van Gundy
3. Doc Rivers
Celtics, 2007: 24-58, 28th in offensive rating, 16th in defensive rating
Celtics, 2008: 66-16, 9th in offensive rating, 1st in defensive rating
26 points, 40% of ballots
Ok, we know KG did all the work, but still.--Jerramy, The Bratwurst.
No matter what anyone says, he gets some credit for the greatest "win" turnaround in NBA history. He had very little time to get all the new players on the same page and things running smoothly.--College Wolf, TWolvesBlog
2. Rick Adelman
Rockets, 2007: 52-30, 15th in offensive rating, 3rd in defensive rating
Rockets, 2008: 55-27, 17 in offensive rating, 2nd in defensive rating
39 points, 51% of ballots
Had the Rockets doing things they had no right to be doing.--Don, WithMalice
Twenty-two in a row. Loses Yao (and T-Mac). Continues to win. In the West. With *Rafer* as his PG.--David, The Dream Shake
1. Byron Scott
Hornets, 2007: 39-43, 23rd in offensive rating, 14th in defensive rating
Hornets, 2008: 56-26, 5th in offensive rating, 7th in defensive rating
69 points, 77% of ballots
If you look at Hornets roster and at their record, you should realize there must be a reason for their overachievement.--Ricky, Sixers 4 Guidos
I saw him pull a ballsy move by switching his star PG off Rajon Rondo because Rondo was too quick. Most coaches would defer to the kid's ego. I like that he didn't.--John, Red's Army
How do we compare?
Most Improved Player
Honorable mention: Mike Dunleavy, Jose Calderon, Rajon Rondo
3. Chris Paul
2007: 17.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 8.9 apg, 1.8 spg, 22.0 PER
2008: 21.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 11.6 apg, 2.7 spg, 28.3 PER
18 points, 23% of ballots
Yeah, this is a weird vote. But think about it, he's taken his game from potential All-Star to greatest season in PG history. That's a 6.3 jump in PER; it took Monta Ellis a 3.9 jump to win last year.--Rohan, At the Hive
All-Star to MVP candidate is quite a leap.--Brett, Queen City Hoops
2. Rudy Gay
2007: 10.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.3 apg, 12.4 PER
2008: 20.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, 17.5 PER
22 points, 31% of ballots
He's almost doubled his scoring average and would be an All-Star if he played for a contender.--Third Quarter Collapse
1. Hedo Turkoglu
2007: 13.3 ppg, 4.o rpg, 3.2 apg, 14.2 PER
2008: 19.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 5.0 apg, 17.8 PER
69 points, 74% of ballots
Admit it. You weren't expecting a career year from Hedo.--Basketbawful
He's got a special place in my heart as a late-round fantasy pick.--Jeff, Courtside at the Score
He must be on steroids.--Pradamaster, Bullets Forever
How do we compare?
Click here to see how the voting for today's awards shook out; come back tomorrow to see the unveiling of our Seventh Man of the Year...and something called the MVP.
(Update: Part II is here).
Esteemed voters
David (Dream Shake); Ryne (Odenized); Franchise (RaptorsHQ); Spartacus (3 Shades of Blue); College Wolf (TWolves Blog); Matt and Corndogg (Hardwood Paroxysm); David (20 Second Timeout); Brian (Empty the Bench); Ben Q. Rock (Third Quarter Collapse); Don (With Malice); Ryan (HoopsAddict); Green 17 & Steve W. (Celtics Blog); Alex (BrewHoop); Basketbawful (Basketbawful); ticktock6 and mW (Hornets Hype); Dannie (Hoops State of Mind); Carter Blanchard (Free Darko); Rohan (At the Hive); Matt Watson (DetroitBadBoys.com); Tom (Indy Cornrows) Pradamaster (Bullets Forever); Josh (Dinosty); Jeramey (The Bratwurst); Jeff (Courtside at The Score); Wes Cox (Mavs Moneyball); Goathair (The Blowtorch); TruthAboutIt (TruthAboutIt.net); Ricky (Sixers 4 Guidos); Phoenix Stan (Bright Side of the Sun); Matt (BlogABull.com); Brett (Queen City Hoops); John (Red's Army); Andre (Nuggets 1); M. Haubs (The Painted Area); Jeremy (Pickaxe and Roll)
Previous rounds
- Brew Hoop
- ClipsNation
- 3 Shades of Blue
- Sixers4Guidos
- Pickaxe & Roll
- Hardwood Paroxysm
- CelticsBlog
- TwolvesBlog
- Hornets247
- Queen City Hoops
Labels: Al Horford, Byron Scott, Chris Paul, Coach of the Year, Hedo Turkoglu, Kevin Durant, Luis Scola, Most Improved Player of the Year, NBA, Rick Adelman, Rookie of the Year
posted by Crucifictorious @ 04:48,
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From Michael to Eddie: Jordan, five years gone
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Emancipation Day will shut down the nation's capital today (well, at least delay our trash collection) but another milestone will pass unnoticed for most D.C. residents--probably for the best, as many wouldn't know whether to celebrate or mourn.
Today's the fifth anniversary of Michael Jordan's final NBA game, an inglorious end for the sport's greatest star: A blowout loss that was further sullied by his adopted Wizards uniform.
The Jordan years were an odd chapter, even for a star-crossed franchise that once employed the NBA's shortest and tallest man (twice).
Years later, it's still unfathomable: The Greatest Of All Time wanted to come here--the Clippers of the East?
Well, no, not really.
But back in January 2000, after the Chicago Bulls refused their legend and the Charlotte Hornets rebuffed the local kid made good, Wizards part-owner Ted Leonsis swooped in and made MJ a $56 million offer he couldn't refuse: A free stake in ownership, equity in Leonsis's holding company, and control over basketball operations. And when MJ needed to scratch his basketball itch a final time, there was only one natural place to play.
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Washington is a town of transients, filled with college students and young professionals, with political types who come and go with elections. So we forget the irrational exuberance of eight years ago, when the Wizards first courted Jordan--at the time a basketball Midas, with six straight championships in his six previous full seasons--stirring the city into frothy anticipation.
Sure, some wondered if Jordan would make a good GM--noting that athletic stardom hardly translated to operational excellence--but they were drowned out by the 56-point headlines. "Washington gets a new 'Air' Force," the Post quipped. "Mr. Jordan goes to Washington (to rescue the Wizards)" wrote the AP. Even when the team cratered at 19-63 the following year--and absentee executive Jordan took a few PR hits--D.C. was again electrified for months when MJ started dropping hints of his on-court return.
We won't spend much time summarizing that third act, which is captured quite well--if critically--in "When Nothing Else Matters," by the Post's Michael Leahy, and in Pradamaster's excellent essay at Bullets Forever. Simply, Jordan remained amazing, with his will and shot-fake arsenal enough to win games on his own (although he'd shoot the team to a loss just as frequently). Still, walking into an crackling MCI Center, the great one's presence always infused us with anticipation...even after we saw him flat-footed and clad in Wizards' white-and-blue, like a parody of himself. Some weird Bizarro wearing #23.
However, most memories of the Jordan-errs--an ill-matched collection of mediocre lottery picks and second-tier veterans--are best lost to time. Jordan's own indecision ultimately doomed the team, as he yo-yoed between a sixth-man mentor (trying to "teach the young players to win") and an aging king who wouldn't leave the court (50+ minutes in three games his final six weeks).
Still, when Jordan waved goodbye in Philadelphia, more than three years after becoming a part-owner and two seasons after coming out of retirement, he'd turned the Wizards into box office champs, packing the house at home and selling out every road game. He'd gotten the team on TV and transformed the MCI Center into a destination (and, not insignificantly, boosted Nike's Jordan sales by a few hundred million dollars). Now one of the oldest guards in league history, Jordan had seemingly accomplished everything asked of him in three years as player/GM...except get the Wizards into the playoffs.
And with his stunning exit three weeks later--fired by majority owner Abe Pollin, dividing the Washington Post's own sports section and roiling the town--Jordan never got a chance to try again. Later, the Wizards leaked stories of a dysfunctional relationship with Pollin, of disgruntled players in the locker room. Retroactive spin or long-buried problems...it's hard to say. But the era of Err ended as unexpectedly as it began.
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There's still a Jordan in D.C., of course--Eddie, the longest-tenured coach in the Eastern Conference, who was hired weeks after Michael's dismissal. And after the doom-and-gloom predictions of five years ago, it's beyond amazing that a coach--who struggled for years to win a third of his games--has made a far bigger impact on Washington basketball than the GOAT.
We're not the first to notice that in taking the Wizards to the playoffs (four years and counting), Eddie did what Michael could not. But it is striking that the two Jordans have eerily similar winning percentages in D.C., albeit with totally different results--MJ, leading a flawed team that couldn't get over the hump; EJ, steering a squad that can challenge the league's best.
As discussed on Bullets Forever, Coach Jordan may not have had the firepower to win in D.C. if player/GM Jordan hadn't made the franchise relevant and profitable; perhaps MJ's lingering aura even attracted free agent Gilbert Arenas--a future three-time All-Star--and proven GM Ernie Grunfeld. But who could've predicted that those three moves would've paid off? Incompetent, dishonest Abe Pollin??
NBA.com chat, Sept. 9, 2003
Rafael Masakayan - Fairfax, VA: With Michael Jordan no longer with the Wizards, do you expect your attendance to decline? Are lots of people asking for refunds?
Abe Pollin: Good question...While I know that we will not sell out every game next season, I'm confident that our fans will enjoy Eddie Jordan's up-tempo style of coaching, Gilbert Arenas' exciting basketball talent, and the management decisions of Ernie Grunfeld.
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Of course, had Arenas not chosen Washington, creating a domino effect that brought Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, we might remember the MJ era as a rare highlight in decades of mediocre Washington basketball--a rare superstar gracing the city. Instead, it's more likely that firing Michael Jordan ranks as a shining moment; certainly, it was a franchise turning point and, given MJ the GM's track record, it's hard to imagine that he could have produced the turnaround that's followed.
In fact, we now know that the NBA--once tied to their incandescent star, and constantly searching for the "next MJ"--was ready to move on, too. Even as Jordan wrapped his final game, the seeds were being planted for his successor.
The very next night, high schooler LeBron James played his first game at MCI Center.
Labels: Eddie Jordan, Michael Jordan, NBA, Washington Wizards
posted by Crucifictorious @ 02:38,
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Bench those nasty thoughts
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Fellow basket-blogger PhDribble has tasked us and others with a bold mission: Do away with "the cult of the starter." Foster conversation about whether stars should come off the bench, or remove any stigma when writing about reserves. Perhaps this will spark a revolution, or at least a TrueHoop link.
We like PhDribble quite a bit--even if Doctor Dribbles is this close to sending a cease-and-desist--and we like going against the conventional wisdom, too. But this is kind of crazy, right? An NBA where coaches ask max-contract stars to give up starting spots? Which cuts the distinctions between starters and reserves? Perhaps we're mere cultists, but the idea struck us as sheer lunacy.
Naturally, we considered it.
Teams have won with this strategy. Ballhype's Jason Gurney points out the Spurs' success with Manu Ginobili; we remembered how the raw Ervin Johnson started and the aging Sam Perkins closed for the great mid-90s Sonics. Teams have lost by ignoring the strategy, too. PhDribble notes how Detroit--with an established core of veterans in 2003--erred by drafting Darko Milicic over Carmelo Anthony, largely to avoid the roster controversy of Melo pushing Tayshaun Prince for a starting spot.
Interestingly, PhDribble contends that some stars don't co-exist well; for example, the Rockets might be better if Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady played as little of the game together as possible. To some extent, that suggestion "feels" right--simply, Yao is slow, T-Mac is fast, and the Rockets could tweak their on-court quintet to maximize each star's skills. Plus, some stats and performance seem to bear the idea out. Houston won ten games in a row even without Yao, as McGrady boosted his scoring average; according to 82games.com, the pair have a lower winning percentage and adjusted +/- this year when playing together than playing apart.
In fact, unlike Deron Williams/Carlos Boozer, or Pau Gasol/Kobe Bryant, Yao/McGrady might be the most incompatible pair of stars in the NBA...which is why we think PhDribble's argument falters. Let's explain.
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Performance
Looking at the bigger picture, most good NBA coaches can structure a system to feature multiple stars' strengths, such as Mike D'Antoni incorporating Shaq into the Suns or Don Nelson maximizing the Warriors' run n' gun. For their part, unless a player needs the ball in his hands--like an aging and one-legged Chris Webber--the greats can learn to complement one another, like the Celtics' or Wizards' trios. And even if Yao and T-Mac are particularly ill-matched, they still make for a more formidable combo together than apart.
First, the Rockets' +/- stats this year are thrown off by their massive winning streak with Yao injured. Looking back on similar figures from 2006 and 2007, the team clearly was better with both stars on the floor. Plus, Yao and McGrady were each more productive players this year when playing together; without Yao drawing the double team, T-Mac's FG% and 3P% measurably fell even as his shot attempts jumped up, while Yao's own performance slid and his turnovers went up 30% per game as he tried to do more without T-Mac.
PhDribble also proposes Melo and AI as another mismatched set of stars. Again, the +/- this year backs that up, a bit...but it was just the opposite last year. Given that the +/- data isn't conclusive, we'd contend it's the lack of talent around the stars that's kept Denver from clinching a playoff berth.
Frankly, most stars play better when they've got superior players surrounding them, creating more opportunities and allowing the star to do more within a role. Although Manu's devastating off the bench, even he's more productive as a starter than as a sub.
Pecking order
As goathair pointed out, bloggers can try and change perceptions, but there will always be five starters; with starting spots come minutes, as a coach wants his five best players on the floor in hopes of establishing an early lead--he's not looking to inject energy at the five-minute mark unless the team needs it.
And as we'd argued, this hierarchy is key; it incents reserves to fight for more minutes, not accept their place off the bench. Acknowledging such hierarchies, PhDribble wonders if having a pecking order is "necessary or a crutch?"--but we think even talent-laden teams need a rotation.
For example, the 1995-1996 Kentucky Wildcats were an unbelievably loaded college basketball team; the NCAA champs featured eight future NBA players (five starters, three reserves), even after coach Rick Pitino red-shirted one player (future 2nd round draft pick Jared Prickett) and ran off another (future NBA swingman Rodrick Rhodes) to further avoid team infighting. If there was ever a team that could blur the distinctions between starters and reserves, it was this one. And sure--ten guys ended up playing regular minutes, but only five players started 24 or more games, as even Pitino needed to establish a consistent rotation for game-planning purposes.
Perks
Having attended last night's Wizards victory, we were reminded yet again--it may not be the United Center circa MJ, but there's nothing like a crowd of thousands chanting your name during introductions.
There's so little stigma associated with being a reserve in the NBA, when you think about it; the average bench player somehow deals with a multiple million-dollar contract, a huge per diem, fancy hotels, and indiscriminate groupies. It's a comfortable life for many players who never scratched their full potential...really, there should be more incentives for starting positions, not fewer.
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We do agree on one point, though: There's considerably more greatness coming off the bench than just Manu or Leandro Barbosa. So we'll do our part to help celebrate it.
As some folks know, we're hosting the final edition of this year's blogger NBA awards...and thinking of ways to better recognize the reserves, we've come up with the new "Seventh Man" award, which is exactly how it sounds.
It probably won't make TJ Ford feel better about losing his spot to Jose Calderon, or get John Salmons to stop sulking.
But when de-programming cultists like us...it's a start.
Labels: Bench, Ginobili, NBA, PhDribble, sports blogs are on fire
posted by Crucifictorious @ 22:10,
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My name is Juan Dixon
Saturday, April 5, 2008
This is my view of the court, most of the night. As a fifth guard for the Detroit Pistons, I play about 12 minutes a game.But it wasn't always like this.
As a college star, I used to get a lot of floor burn.
Six years ago this week, I even had my shining moment.But that was just college, experts said. I wouldn't make it in the NBA; they claimed I was too small, that my jumper was too weak. Guys like Rod Grizzard and Steve Logan were ahead of me on the draft boards.
But one man believed. He plucked me in the draft, thinking I was worthy to sit at his side.
Looking back, my years in D.C. were good ones. The team wasn't great, but expectations were low and the town loved my effort and work ethic. When we finally made the playoffs, I even played a starring role, bringing fans to their feet.
Still, I wanted to get paid. And the Trailblazers obliged, to the tune of $8 million over three years.
My days in Portland were happy, at first; I ended up starting at shooting guard most nights, and Coach McMillan loved my guts and grit.
It didn't last, though. The team was awful, and everyone said that a skinny, short combo guard was part of the problem. So we drafted Brandon Roy and gave more time to Jarrett Jack. I fell out of favor by midseason and got shipped to Canada.
It felt like I'd been elbowed aside.
Toronto was sort of like Portland; things started well, but my time to shine quickly faded. After a year in the T.dot, I got dealt to Detroit; now, I sit behind rookies Arron Affalo and Rodney Stuckey, who sit behind Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups.
And that takes us back here.
Six years in the League, and I'm officially a journeyman guard.
But I'm not ashamed.
Draft experts said I'd be a second-round pick; the Wizards took me after the lottery. GMs said I was too small to stick in the league; I've outlasted bigger, more-hyped guards like Dajuan Wagner, Qyntel Woods, and Jiri Welsch. And maybe I'm a fifth guard, but it's on a team with a chance for a title. A team that's eyed me for more than a year.
This could be it for me in the NBA, though. My contract's up this summer, and who knows where I'll land next. The bottom of an NBA roster, at best; Europe, most likely.
Still, fans won't soon forget my heart and hustle. My drive in carrying the Terps, my hard work to carve an NBA niche. At least for a day, my praises will be sung.
Labels: Juan Dixon, Maryland, NBA, Portland Trailblazers, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards
posted by Crucifictorious @ 20:20,
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Don't buy what Cuban's smoking
Friday, March 28, 2008
Not long ago, we were talking with a professional sportswriter--a good one, with national name recognition--who didn't have any special, anti-blogger axe to grind.
Of course, we asked Writer X for his opinion anyway.
His experience was typical; he'll check blogs to monitor rumors and feels the pressure of an ever-faster news cycle. But Writer X was generally underwhelmed; a few times, he's checked into a blog's story of a pending trade or player news, only to learn it was just Internet hype or fiction. Meanwhile, when Writer X's slipped once or twice--as we all do--bloggers jumped all over him.
So we pressed him: Do these guys belong in the same locker room as you?
He didn’t think so. According to Writer X,
"Being a journalist is like being a doctor or a lawyer. It's a trade. You can go to school for it, you learn it, you get better over the years...I'm better now than I was 10 years ago, and hopefully I'll be better in 10 years still. These [bloggers]...they don't have that. They can write about [a proposed trade that was never discussed] and it doesn't matter."
It's a common opinion in the MSM, and Writer X expressed it more logically than most.
Too bad he's wrong. There's a reason citizen journalism is a reality and citizen surgery isn't.
True, the average piece of Washington Post political analysis is incredibly incisive, cogent, and clear-minded. Hundreds of WordPress posts on the same topic--nominally--don't come close.
But for a would-be writer with talent and drive, the learning curve from awful to OK isn't that steep; at the least, it's quicker than mastering laparoscopic surgery or understanding legal torts. Besides, plenty of reporters are awful writers and many columnists are annoyingly bombastic--it's just all ironed out by the newsroom, thanks to editors' rewrites and organizations' limits on what they can cover and argue.
Really, reporters only have three things that bloggers don't: Access, editors, and consequences.
But access--long the biggest barrier to legitimacy--isn't a problem in Dallas, thanks to Mark Cuban's decision to allow "all bloggers" to apply for Mavericks media credentials...regardless of age, affiliation, or experience.
Angry that his blogger ban was overruled, Cuban's clearly thumbing his nose by not establishing any ground rules--possibly hoping the policy will blow up.
Call us cynical, but it will. Access doesn't necessarily grant consequences, after all.
It won't go bad right away. But eventually, someone--with nothing to lose--will think he's making a name for himself by asking embarassing, inappropriate questions. Maybe he'll take and post pictures of players' body parts. Something bad. It probably won't be any blogger we've heard of, either, but someone who set up a blogspot address for the stunt appeal. And under Cuban's policy, only 30 seconds--the time it takes to register a free blog--separate any fan from the locker room.
Look, we need to be protected from ourselves. We've already demonstrated bad behavior, on a much smaller scale; after the experience below, do you think Sam Cassell is eager for more non-traditional interviews?
We love the Wizards but certainly don't expect credentials for WRG; the site's infrequently updated and has a small cadre of readers. Other bloggers don't want credentials, either; one Bright Side of the Sun poster just wants to keep writing in his pajamas, commenting on Phoenix without bias.
And we're not alone in responding cautiously. Over on Hardwood Paroxysm, Matt (and commenters) urge bloggers to self-select whether they have "something to offer" before applying for credentials, and to behave once they're issued.
We'd go farther in our advice for the rookie blogger who wants a press pass: Spend some time building a website and readership; write enough posts until you iron out the kinks. By the time you've earned an interview, you'll be a better blogger for it.
But unfortunately, "earning an interview" doesn't matter anymore.
Until today, it took talent, drive, and luck to get in that Mavericks locker room. Now, that's only true for the 15 players who actually work there.
Labels: Dallas Mavericks, Deadspin, mark cuban, newspaper blogs MSM
posted by Crucifictorious @ 15:03,
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