http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/22784 Recent articles about Jamario Moon en-us The reports of the impending trade were too much to resist. A fantasy breakdown of the "done deal" I have been hearing about all day. Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:01:38 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282397 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282397 (Here is my follow-up article to the '07-08 Slam Dunk stats). Which players throw down lots of dunks, but still have solid 3-point range? Which players rack up steals and blocks, but don't commit a ton of fouls? The ones with the most Divergent Skills of course! The "Divergent Skills Gauge" was created by USA Today several years ago. The leaders are some of the most athletic & versatile stars in the NBA. Click below to see who made the cut. *As an added bonus, you get to see why the Warriors are the most versatile team in the league (w/ a Mac Mall song to back it up) and why the Knicks suck so bad! Sat, 24 May 2008 05:22:57 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/270528 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/270528 To the surprise of no one, D-Howard, Amare & Chandler led the NBA in dunks this past season. But what about everyone else? All 353 NBA players who recorded at least 1 dunk in '07-08 are listed below. I have included a few special categories as well: Most Dunks per Game, Most Dunks by Rookies, Most Dunks by Players Over 30, Most Dunks by Players Under 6-4, Most Dunks by a Team, and Fewest Dunks by a Team. Thu, 08 May 2008 08:39:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264718 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264718 When it comes to small forwards, LeBron James is king, with Carmelo Anthony right behind him. He confirmed that he's 6'9 and 260 pounds, yet he's fast and athletic. He had an MVP caliber regular season with 30 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 7.2 APG 1.8 SPG and 1.1 BPG. Unguardable 1-on-1, LeBron is only 23 years old, and is a force to be reckoned with in the NBA. Player (Current Team/Former Team) PPG, RPG, APG, SPG, BPG * = Best in Category (R) = Rookie Steals 1+ Shown Blocks and Steals Shown if both are 1+ 1. LeBron James (CLE) 30*, 7.9*, 7.2*, 1.8, 1.1 2. Carmelo Anthony (DEN) 25.7, 7.4, 3.4, 1.3 SPG 3. Caron Butler (WAS) 20.3, 6.7, 4.9, 2.2 SPG 4. Shawn Marion (MIA/PHX) 15.4, 10.2, 2.2, 2, 1.5 BPG* 5. Andre Iguodala (PHI) 19.9, 4.8, 5, 2.2 SPG 6. Ron Artest (SAC) 20.5, 5.8, 3.5, 2.3 SPG* 7. Paul Pierce (BOS) 19.6, 5.1, 4.5, 1.3 SPG 8. Gerald Wallace (CHA) 19.4, 6, 3.5, 2.1 SPG 9. Corey Maggette (LAC) 22.1, 5.6, 2.7, 1 SPG 10. Rudy Gay (MEM) 20.1, 6.2, 2, 1.4, 1 11. Richard Jefferson (NJN) 22.6, 4.2, 3.1 12. Hedo Turkoglu (ORL) 19.5, 5.7, 5 13. Stephen Jackson (GSW) 20.1, 4.4, 4.3, 1.3 SPG 14. Josh Howard (DAL) 19.9, 7, 2.2 15. Mike Dunleavy (IND) 19.1, 5.2, 3.5, 1 SPG 16. Luol Deng (CHI) 17, 6.3, 2.5 17. Andrei Kirilenko (UTA) 11, 4.7, 4, 1.2, 1.5 18. Peja Stojakovic (NOH) 16.4, 4.3, 1.2 19. Ricky Davis 14, 4.3, 3.4, 1.1 20. Tayshaun Prince (DET) 13.2, 4.9, 3.3 21. Marvin Williams (ATL) 14.8, 5.7, 1.7, 1 SPG 22. John Salmons (SAC) 12.5, 4.3, 2.6, 1.1 SPG 23. Shane Battier (HOU) 9.3, 5.1, 1.9, 1, 1.1 24. Grant Hill (PHX) 13.1, 5.3, 2.9 25. Francisco Garcia (SAC) 12.3, 3.3, 1.6, 1.2 SPG 26. Travis Outlaw (POR) 13.3, 4.6, 1.3 27. Andres Nocioni (CHI) 13.2, 4.2, 1.2 28. (R) Al Thornton (LAC) 12.7, 4.5, 1.2 29. (R) Jamario Moon (TOR) 8.5, 6.2, 1.2, 1, 1.4 30. Boris Diaw (PHX) 8.8, 4.6, 3.9 31. Linas Kleiza (DEN) 11.1, 4.2, 1.2 Just Missed Out (R) Jeff Green (SEA) 10.5, 4.7, 1.5 Desmond Mason (MIL) 9.7, 4.3, 2.1 Martell Webster (POR) 10.7, 3.9, 1.2 Mon, 05 May 2008 12:23:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263617 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263617 A team-by-team rundown of all 8 of the Eastern Conference teams in the playoffs including NBA's slogan "Where ______ Happens" for each team. Check out the slogan and rundown for your favorite team. Sun, 04 May 2008 12:00:19 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263310 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263310 Well, I don't know if things could have ended with any more of a thud than they did a few nights ago…well, I guess there could have been a sweep, which would have been a serious thud, but there's not much of a difference between a sweep and a 4-1 series win. The Raptors put themselves in a hole in the series by having those two bad first quarters in the first two games and they never seemed to fully rebound from that (wow, the Raptors not being able to rebound…there's a new one). There were times when they looked very lethargic, being outhustled to loose balls, outmuscled on the boards and just not showing any sense of urgency regarding their season that was quickly coming to an end. Well, let's take a quick look at some of the good things from this season. I was actually pleasantly surprised with the progression of the Raptors defence over the season. The Raptors were continually in the top 10 on defence for most of the season and while there are a million things to criticize Sam and the Raptors on, you have to say that they stepped up on D, without their supposed best defender in Jorge Garbajosa. The Raptors were good at using their team speed to close in on shooters and also used that speed to effectively double team players, especially in the low block. The problem for the Raptors was that they had to double on the low block because they just don't have anybody big and athletic enough to crash with the big boys down there. The Raptors lost a lot of games this season due to their inability to rebound, which led to numerous putback points. Job number one this offseason will be for Colangelo to address the lack of size and strength inside. Bosh needs some protection out there, some room to operate, because if he has to keep going up against guys like Dwight Howard, it is going to be a jump shot special on a lot of nights next year. The Raptors problems this year have been well documented and rehashed a thousand times, but in the past few weeks, there have been some interesting comments regarding the coaching situation. Since Mike D'Antoni has left Phoenix, there has been some natural talk about him coming to Toronto, which Colangelo has essentially quashed by stating that Sam is here 'for now'. I'm not even that sure if D'Antoni is the guy you would want in Toronto anyway. Quick, what has D'Antoni's biggest problem been in Phoenix? His inability to effectively use his bench. D'Antoni has always had difficulty finding ways to effectively use his bench, leaving starters in for too long or having them out of the lineup in the wrong situations. There has been some argument that the reason the team always fades in the playoffs is that because of their run and gun style, the wear and tear on the team over the regular season is heightened. So if your bench isn't being worked in, by the time you get to the playoffs, you just don't have the depth or energy to compete. I'm not sure if I completely buy into that theory, but it does hold some weight. What you might also want to look at is that while Phoenix management made a mistake by bringing in Shaq (it completely disrupted their flow), D'Antoni struggled in finding a way to effectively implement Shaq into the Phoenix system. He had two options: either work Shaq into the system they were using (which wasn't impossible…the Lakers were able to use Kareem in a run and gun style) or create something new that could work off of Shaq's strengths. D'Antoni wasn't able to succeed with either of those options. Now when you're saddled with a Raptors lineup and game style that has no clear definition, I'm not sure if D'Antoni is the guy you want at the head. What about the Little General? Avery Johnson is now available and while it appears Chicago and New York are serious about getting him, how would he look heading the Raptors? I think he might be a better fit than D'Antoni and I guarantee he would whip Andrea and Jose into shape on the defensive end. If there is one thing Avery stresses, it is defensive responsibility and toughness. Make the stop on your end, then get down the court and run your plays. Avery was able to get Dirk Nowitzki to become a tougher player, not just settling for jump shots, which you would love to see him do with Andrea. Avery was able to get the Mavs over the next level, but not the final hump, as he wasn't able to win a championship there, but he did get them to the final and that was something they hadn't seen before. You can talk about Avery not being able to get Jason Kidd working again in Dallas, but that could have been one of the worst management decisions I have ever seen. You don't put an aging PG into a team bound for the playoffs right near the end of the season and expect it all to gel in time. It's tougher than putting in a new centre. That move essentially killed the Mavs and you could see it down the stretch as with Kidd in the lineup, the Mavs couldn't beat any teams above .500. Overall, I think Avery Johnson would be an interesting fit here…that is, if the Raptors were looking. Moving onto some other toughts, I couldn't believe how afraid of Dwight Howard the Raptors were in the playoffs. Bosh has the speed to take him on the bounce, but time after time, we saw him settle for jump shots or runners. Nobody on the Raptors other than Jamario Moon wanted to go up against Howard for any rebounds and let's be honest, you have to give Jamario credit, because it's not like he's built like a mountain. We occasionally saw Delfino go in tough, but that was only in the times when he felt like playing. That guy's more inconsistent than American foreign policy. Anybody watching the series was able to see that the Raptors are in need of some interior toughness, they're practically walking around with a giant neon sign stating the fact. They also still need a slasher, because the options on the offensive end just don't seem to be there. This could also be a problem with coaching… Well, it will be interesting to see what happens this off-season and I think the draft will be very interesting for a variety of teams this year. A lot of diffferent directions teams can go with their picks this year as many young players have declared themselves eligible. As we get closer to the draft, we'll check out how things might shake out. Fri, 02 May 2008 08:34:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/262673 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/262673 There are some things that need to be stopped in the world. Greenhouse gas emissions, murder, the Black Eyed Peas and athletes making "guaranteed victory" statements. Honestly, is there anything more lame than somebody coming out and guaranteeing a victory? It is done in almost every series in every league, but what makes it worse is that now any dude on the team can make the statement. It doesn't matter if it is the damned waterboy, somebody always feels they are important enough to guarantee a victory. When Broadway Joe did it, it was a HUGE statement, because nobody had really done it before, well not on that level and not when they were huge underdogs. Even when Messier did it, it was a big statement, because he was the captain in a big city that hadn't won the cup in about 50 years. So when Rashard Lewis starts doing it for Game 4 against the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs, honestly, who gives a shit? What has Lewis done to warrant any sort of credibility? If the Raptors win, what is Lewis going to do? Nothing. He'll just show up for Game 5 and act like it never happened. If the Magic win, he'll say I told you so. I am so tired of this crap, it really needs to stop. So now that I have that off my chest, the Raptors have the best home court advantage in the league. The atmosphere at the ACC for Game 3 was insane. You have to give it up for a city that has continually been criticized in other sports for its quiet fans. In hockey, while we have very knowledgable fans, they're not the loudest and the same goes for baseball and football. Toronto FC actually has the best crowd in the league (credit to the Red Patch Boys) and the Raptors are enjoying that same sort of soccer fanaticism going on in the stands. The sea of red was looking for blood in Game 3 and they got it, as the Magic were served up on a platter. Even Dwight Howard said that it was great, that it reminded him of high school when everybody was loud and they were booing him. He said it with a smile on his face, because even the other team's best player knows when the crowd is into a game. Let's hope that same enthusiasm carries over into Game 4 this afternoon and it troubles the Magic again. Jamario Moon was a key factor in Game 3. His athleticism could not be matched as he was all over the court picking up rebounds and making guys adjust shots. The whole key for the Raptors was making sure they used their advantage in athleticism over the Magic, as the PGs were torching the Magic on a regular basis with TJ shooting first and Jose being the court general. It was the classic one-two punch from the position that we haven't seen in a while. If the Raptors are able to mix in a bit more Bosh in this game, it should be another victory for them. Jameer Nelson had some problems with back spasms after the game, which I think may have been from him having to look over his shoulder every other play, thus creating tension between the neck and back. 85% having to turn his head around so often, 15% shame. "Oh, woes me, my back hurts so much I have collapsed in the hallway! Security, shut down the hallway! I'm in danger! Oh wait, Game 4 is Saturday? Oh, I'm okay, I'm ready to play…but if I suck on Saturday, just remember that my back hurts okay?" Jameer, I thought you were saying how you are as good as Jose and TJ? Ask TJ about pain or danger with the back. Sissy of the Week (SOW)? JAMEER NELSON. Anyway, enjoy the game. Sat, 26 Apr 2008 10:47:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/259495 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/259495 Well, it wasn't rocket science. The key for the Raptors in Game 3 was to come out and compete right from the opening tip. They couldn't afford to come out flat and while they did seem a little slow at the start, they turned on the jets and never looked back. The Raptors were able to use their speed to create open looks, which allowed them to go away from Bosh a bit more. Bosh didn't even get going until there were a few minutes left in the half. When you drop 61 in the first half and haven't had Bosh as part of that output, you're doing something right. I wonder what all the people who were bashing TJ will be saying tomorrow. Lucky night? It was all because of Calderon? There's always an excuse for people not to give TJ credit, but let's let the light shine on him tonight. He dropped 21 points, had 5 rebounds and 3 assists, but what I liked the most on his night is that he went 6-6 from the line. Six points with the clock stopped and forcing Jameer Nelson to put himself into foul trouble with a lot of time left on the clock. We've said it a few times here, but Orlando cannot match Toronto's speed. If Ford is able to realize that his dribble penetration can be lethal in this series, the Raptors will still be able to pull this off. The key is for him not to force shots after he has penetrated and is approaching the key. I would still like to see him get more assists, but when you have the other stats to support your night, at least you can show that you are hustling. When you are able to put 11 points on the board in a span of just over 3 minutes, you're on. Calderon was well…Calderon. Another highly efficient night for Jose, finding his teammates and getting them the ball quickly so there was a lot of time left for them to check some different options. I'm not completely sure if I'm a fan of him taking 8 3-point shots over the game, but I can live with that if he is distributing the ball and creating openings. 13 assists in 24 minutes is an impressive stat, but I would still like to see him attack the basket a bit more, especially against Orlando. Everybody knows how the Raptors don't rebound, but tonight they actually brought a little toughness to their game. Jamario Moon provided the rebounding the Raptors have been looking, the key is to just keep him under control, but still attacking the rim. You have to give it up for the fans down at the ACC. That game was loud. The fans were into it…somebody should go and steal Manu's trophy, because the Raps' fans are the 6-man of the year. That kind of thing can really help motivate a team and the Toronto fans were amazing. Let's hope that Saturday sees the Raptor fans even louder than they were tonight Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:27:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/257156 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/257156 All things considered, the Raptors really haven't played that bad basketball over their first two playoff games this year. They have had two absolutely terrible quarters, which happen to be the first quarters of both games, but outside of those first two quarters, they have outscored the Magic 162-140. Until Hedo hit his miracle shot to put the Magic up in Game 2, he hadn't done anything in the second half and the Raptors had done a pretty good job controlling the Magic offense. They had a horrible last play and some defensive lapses were clearly evident, but I don't think the situation is as bad as everybody seems to think it is. If the Raptors are able to win on home court and even it up, I think they'll take the series. I know, I'm the only person saying that and I know that the numbers are heavily against them, but when it comes to the playoffs, momentum has everything to do with everything. If you start getting your opponent to question themselves, you're already halfway there. While the Raptors didn't win Game 2, if they had, you would probably hear people talking about the great job the Raptors did in splitting away from home. So 2 points one way or the other defines how well or how poorly a team played? Let's keep it in perspective. Let's not kid ourselves though, the Raptors have some serious work to do in order to come out strong in the first quarter. Right now, nothing is working for them in the first quarter. They can't stop anybody, they can't get anything started, they're a mess. Sam has said that he is going to shake up the lineup, which will most likely mean that Jose will start, Rasho will sit and Kapono will be in. They really do need to get a better first 8 minutes from the PG position, as TJ has not been attacking the way he usually does, which is strange. If anything, you would expect TJ to be trying to do too much. Instead, we are watching TJ pull up for jumpers. Speaking of pulling up for jumpers, Kapono will most likely be in, because when a guy has so much confidence in his shot that he will put on the breaks and spot up for a jumper on a 3 on 1, you have to find a way to get him as many minutes as possible. They key for Bargnani will be to stay active. Too many times on offense and defence, we see Bargs standing around. He has to learn to bring the game to himself, to try to work the flow of the game into his part of the court. At this point in the series, I think it would be a good idea to go with TJ and Jose on the court at the same time for extended periods of time. We have seen that when the Raptors are attacking, the Magic cannot handle their speed. It's not even close. We saw Hedo and Nelson get into foul trouble because they had magnetic feet and I don't think it would be that hard to get them into that situation again. Jameer Nelson also thinks he is the cow's teat right now, which has led to him trying to hot dog, which has then led to him turning the ball over. Belief in yourself is a dangerous thing. A little too much placed in the wrong spot and all of a sudden, you can go from the hero to the goat in (say it with me) a millisecond. Jameer Nelson just can't handle speed. He thinks he can, but he can't. If the Raptors go small with Jose and TJ on the floor at the same time, the Magic could be exposed. This might mean that AP would see a little less time on the floor, but you can't have a guy who is supposed to be taking shots out there not taking shots. That's just wasting your space on the floor. Either shoot it or sit. AP's defensive game is decent, but it's not good enough that he is going to win playing time on it. I also think it would be a good idea to get Jamario some more PT, but only if he is going to attack the rim. He can fly with the best of them, but his problem all season has been getting him to realize that he is not a SG. I would love to see him challenge D12, just go up and try to dunk on him. If it doesn't work, hey, you're a rookie who tried, but if it works, you'll get the Starks over Jordan treatment…and then maybe Leo and Chuck will start talking about how much they love your body…er…awkward. Anyway, I don't think the situation is as dire as everyone seems to have made it out to be (I mean, really, trade Bosh talk? Come on.). True, the Magic won more games on the road than at home this season, but that was the regular season. Totally different situation. For example, the Raptors typically serve themselves up to their opponent in the 3rd quarter…but in the playoffs, they have been doing it in the first. See? Totall different. Enjoy the game! Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:19:48 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/256281 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/256281 A parody of the NBA's "Where Amazing Happens," including Rashard Lewis, Rasheed Wallace, Dwyane Wade, Jamario Moon, Deron Williams, and Eva Longoria. Yes, Eva Longoria. There's facials, business attire, martial arts, teeth, and a desperate housewife. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:40:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/252284 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/252284 I had an empty feeling in my stomach this weekend because there were no regular season games to recap (although the playoffs started on an exciting note). But after investing 170 days of our lives, it's only fitting to recap the best and worst of the fantasy season that was. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 07:28:45 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/251910 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/251910 On the day in which most fantasy basketball leagues are set to crown a champion, FIO and TalkHoops.net writer Zach Harper brings you the '07-'08 Fantasy Basketball Year in Review. Find out some of the big happenings from this past season, as well as some "fantasy award winners and losers". Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:54:14 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/236498 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/236498 A detailed look at eleven of the best "glue" players in the NBA; the guys who don't take all the shots, get all the hype and may not make the Sportscenter highlights -- and yet they manage to be pivotal in a good team's performance each night with hustle, defense, leadership, selfless play, grit and all-around games that complement the big scorers an big names on their squad. Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:00:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/236420 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/236420 Line of the Night: With today being Unsung Player Day, it's fitting that Ricky Davis (5.8) crashes the party and trashes everything like he has with Cleveland, Boston, Milwaukee, and now Miami. Dude, stop making out with my sister, no one even wants you here. Sat, 05 Apr 2008 08:38:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/229422 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/229422 I don't know what it is about games against Atlanta, but something always seems to happen. It's like the two teams step into a vortex, separate from the world, where anything and everything will happen. Anyway, let's get right to it. The fact that the Raptors are even talking about losing this game by not having TJ's lay-in count is ridiculous. The Raptors can say that they were robbed all they want, but they must also realize that they blew a 17 point lead and gave up a combined 47 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. They must also admit that they were only able to score 16 points in the fourth quarter and were outrebounded 47-37. Only after they admit all of those deficiencies can they start talking about the clock and whether or not they should have won. Should they have won? Yes. Did they deserve to win? No. There's a big difference. There was a lot of criticism around how the Raptors allowed the Hawks to have Bibby, Johnson and then Bibby again to get good looks at 3 to tie the game and most of it is well deserved. You KNOW Bibby is going to be the guy they are going to look for, so you can't lose him. You just can't. Have somebody else send it to overtime if it has to happen. The part I didn't agree with, was the criticism over a) the Raptors' decision not to foul and b) TJ not getting up close on Bibby on the game tying shot. Let's be realistic. The Raptors were slow all night getting to guys, so thinking that they were going to get to a guy and wrap him up before he got into a shooting motion is a little crazy. Would you be more upset with the Raptors not fouling a guy and having him make the shot or having them foul him on a 3 attempt and then send him to the line to try to tie it up? It's a lot easier to shoot free throws, the percentages don't lie. Okay, now on to the second part. I have no problem with TJ getting up on Bibby and then putting a hand up in the air. Remember how everybody was all over Jamario back in the start of the season when he ran out on a three, with far too much aggression and ended up fouling on a 3 attempt? Luckily, they were able to pull that game out, but TJ would have been crucified if he had fouled there. He shouldn't have lost Bibby on the play, but I'll take him just getting a hand up and having Bibby make the pressure shot to send it to overtime (where you STILL have a chance to win) than sending Bibby to the line by fouling him in the shooting motion. Let's remember that Bibby is a vet and we have all seen him lean into a guy on his attempt, making the shot AND getting the foul. Want to see some real dramatics? Watch Bibby nail a 3, fall into TJ for the foul and then hit the 3 to win. We're usually all over Sam for his inability to draw up a play coming out of a timeout, so let's give credit when he comes up with a gem. The inbounds ally-oop to TJ was beautifully drawn up and could be one of the first times we have actually seen a scripted play that made use of TJ's speed. TJ was killing the Hawks all night with speed, so it was good to see Sam recognize that and use it at a crucial point in the game. The loss to the Hawks is exactly what I was talking about earlier. You can see that they are hungry to make the playoffs. They didn't let the 17 point defecit get them down, they kept making shots and capitalized on the Raptors' inability to stop them on D. So many holes were presented to them, they really just had to choose their weapon. So now back against Charlotte (who makes the schedule anyway?). This should be an opportunity for the Raptors to get back into the win column, but from what we saw the other night against the Cats, nothing is guaranteed with the Raptors. The Raptors can't put teams away when they have the lead, they can't put teams away when they are missing their best players…essentially, they just don't have that killer instinct. If the Raptors were with you in a street fight, they'd say, "Dude, I got you out of the bar safely, you're on your own now" and then they'd book it down the street. It would be nice to see them come out and take care of a team that they are supposed to take care of, leaving no doubt that they are superior. It has to do with attitude. You have the ability to control your attitude. You craft it and others believe it. Even if it isn't really true, if you can sell it enough, people will buy into what you're selling. Enjoy the game. Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:43:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/228527 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/228527