Yardbarker: Bobby Jackson

12 Non-Rookies to Watch in Summer League (Western Conference edition)

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:19:00 -0500

Rookies tend to get most of the hoopla during Summer League action, but the reality is that very few of them will make an immediate fantasy impact. So here are a few non-rookies to look out for. Not all of them are worth drafting, but all have the potential to put up nice numbers if they continue to improve and the opportunity presents itself. Some non-rookies who looked great in Summer League 2007 and carried that momentum into the regular season include: Louis Williams, Francisco Garcia, Kelenna Azubuike, and Jason Maxiell (all had solid fantasy value at some point last season).

Hornets Training Camp 2007, 20 Suicides in 20 Minutes

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:42:25 -0500

Found this great clip from earlier in the NBA season with a behind the scenes look at the New Orleans Hornets Training Camp from last season. One of the great things about watching NBA practices is how individually focused they are. Each player is broken down and analyzed and practices are designed specifically to maximize each player's potential.

Now, obviously as a high school coach or lower, you don't nearly have the coach to player ratio to be able to emulate that kind of attention, but there are some cool things that you can try to incorporate, especially for individual development. Take a look at this 2 min clip,

Using a Training Harness:

I love using the training harness. I've used it for football in the past, and it's a great way to incorporate resistance training into everything that you do. We usually use it for RBs, QBs and LBs but as shown here with Tyson Chandler, it can be very effective for explosion training for rebounding and jumping,

Other Thoughts:

- 20 suicides in 20 minutes, pretty standard conditioning drill for beginning of season to build up endurance.

- Bobby Jackson, says he always shoots 100 3s, then 100 mid-range after practice. "You have to always work as a shooter. You can't think that your jumpshot will always go in. You have to work at it. It's my 11th year, and I still work on the little things."

- Byron Scott, "Biggest thing about our team, if you don't work hard, you don't get respect. Not just from the coaching staff, but from the players."

For more info on improving your speed and conditioning, check out Alan Stein's new DVD on Reaction & Quickness Drills for Basketball. Coach Stein is the conditioning coach for Montrose Christian, famously for having worked with Kevin Durant. Be sure to check out the X's and O's Basketball forum to discuss your favorite coaching topics.

Gallagher column: Jackson has bad memories of Game 6

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:15:57 -0500

Did the NBA fix the 2002 playoffs? "We didn't know if it was fixed or not, but it was like L.A. was getting special treatment," Jackson said. "When you shoot 27 free throws in the fourth quarter to our eight or nine, that's very lopsided. You really question what the motive was."

Artest, Martin Fuel Kings Past Rockets 99-98

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:00:27 -0500

The Kings played spoiler for a night, denying the Rockets their 50th win and a tie for 3rd place in the West with the Lakers. Instead they stay in 6th place, diminishing their chances for the Southwest division title and homecourt advantage. Great game to watch all the way down to the end.

NBA, Where 10th to 1st Place Happens, What's Next for Rockets

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 17:03:28 -0500

After defeating the Lakers, the team that was tied with them, the Rockets stand alone at the top of the west, winning 104-92. "Skip to my Lou" Rafer Alston was amazing dropping career highs of eight 3 pointers and 31 points while Bobby Jackson came off the bench for 19 points and 6 rebounds. T-Mac was ice cold in the first half, but he had 8 of his 11 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 6 assists. The thing about T-Mac, he'll be there when it counts. Just about every player on the Rockets pitched in. Luis Scola had a double double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Mike Harris, signed to a 10-day contract, had 6 points and 6 rebounds. Chuck Hayes had 3 points and 6 rebounds while Luther Head contributed 7 points. Dikembe Mutombo had 9 rebounds and a block, while Shane Battier had 14 points and a late game block on Kobe Bryant. All around team effort. Speking of Kobe, he had 24 points and 7 rebounds while Lamar Odom had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Vladimir Radmonovic had only 5 points, despite starting, but had 5 rebounds to go along with Ronny Turiaf, getting the start in Pau Gasol's place, had 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Luke Wal;ton had 9 points, Jordan Farmar had 8, Sasha Vujacic had 7, Derek Fisher had 6 and D.J. Mbenga had 3. No player on the Lakers had more than 3 assists. The Rockets continue to roll after breaking the first place tie and claim supremacy, but their record doesn't get any easier after this. They'll have to go to Boston to take on the Celtics, who came off of their first home loss to a Western Conference team, the Utah Jazz. After that, home games to the Hornets, Warriors and Suns. They've gone 22-0. 26-0 would be amazing if they pass all of these teams. With a the team like the Rockets, it's not impossible.

Houston Makes it 20!

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:51:38 -0500

Can you believe the second longest winning streak in NBA history belongs to the 2007-08 Houston Rockets! On top of that, the last 8 have come without their best player, the big man from China. The Rockets are not only winning, but they are blowing people out.

Houston Rockets are For Real!

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:37:38 -0500

Its no secret that the Houston Rockets are on one of the biggest winning streaks in NBA history. They are now up to a 19 game winning streak. They are currently tied for the 3rd biggest streak. Tomorrow they face the Atlanta Hawks to try and add another win putting them in a tie for second with 20 wins in a row. This is a game they should win very easily. They also then play Charlotte on Friday which should be another easy win for them. Giving them a 21 game winning streak going into Sunday`s game against the Lakers. Starting on Sunday the Rockets face a tough 5 game schedule. They face off against the Lakers, Celtics, Hornets (who they recently beat), Warriors and Suns. This should be a true test of how good they really are. Im actually getting tired of people saying how during their streak they have beaten bad teams. True they may not have the best records, but the fact is they have been blowing teams out of the water. What is it now 10 games in a row they have beaten teams by atleast 10 points. Three of which were the Nuggets, Hornets and Mavs. The fact is they have still won 19 in a row which a great feat no matter who you play. I`m tired of people saying the only reason we beat the Mavs is because Dirk was suspended. Guess what so was Yao, but the Rockets still found a way to win and keep winning. I`m sorry but the Rockets are the real deal. They have guys who are stepping up big time. They are playing great defense under Adelman. They are also pushing the ball up and down the court which is something the Rockets haven`t done consistently in a long time. Which is two great qualities for a team to have going into the last stretch before the playoffs. They have great depth coming off the bench which is another quality you must have in a championship type caliber team. For a while they were lacking 3-point shooting, but Bobby Jackson and Steve Novak, have stepped up to drill a lot of threes. Just look at the Hornets game where they had 7 or 8 3`s in the second quarter alone. T-Mac is T-Mac and will continue to play at a high level. They have also been getting great production from Luis Scola and Shane Battier. Dont fortget about the deadly elbow in Dikembe Mutombo, who will help the Rockets defensively during the playoffs. Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry provide great defense for them off the bench. What is alos great to see is Rafer Alston playing at the level of an all-star type player. If you haven`t gotten a chance to watch a Rockets game I suggest you do, Alston is looking great right now. Now am i saying they are a lock to win the NBA Finals, no. The West is very tough. The number 9 team in the West is better than the number 4 team in the East. Anyone of the 8 teams that make the playoffs in the West has a great chance to make a strong push for the Finals. Its not only going to be tough for the Rockets but for every team. Everybody wrote them off as soon as Yao went out, but guess what they are still winning and will continue to win. I can wait till the Rockets play that tough 5 game schedule. Just imagine if they happened to sweep through all those teams keeping their winning streak alive. To me sweeping through them isnt whats going to determine if they are a good team or not. Its going to be one of two thigns. The first being, if they do happen to loose a game and have their winning streak snapped, how are they going to bounce back the next game. To me, the next time they loose, they will bounce back strong as if nothing happened and still compete at a high level. The second determination will be their win percentage during that 5 game streatch. Even if they happen to loose a game during tht time, if they can come away with a winning record, it will say alot about the team. The Rockets may not reach the Finals, but T-Mac will win his first playoff series during his career; and the Rockets will definitely atleast contend for the championship.

Bobby Jackson - Tracy McGrady fight

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:18:05 -0500

New teammates Tracy McGrady & Bobby Jackson were involved in a pretty nasty brawl back when T-Mac was on the Magic and Jackson was on the Kings. Apparently they joke about it now.

Winners and Losers: NBA Trades and Signings of 2008

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:32:44 -0500

So with the trade deadline passing at 3PM yesterday and a flurry of blockbuster trades and signings in 2008, it is time to look at the winners and the losers.

More NBA trades! Hornets acquire Bonzi Wells & Mike James for Bobby Jackson

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:50:31 -0500

With the flurry of trades occurring this NBA season, this one will be remembered more as a depth and salary cap move rather than an NBA Championship changer like the Pau Gasol, Jason Kidd, or Shaquille O'Neal trades. The Houston Rockets got some much needed cap space by unloading Bonzi Wells and Mike James, while acquiring Bobby Jackson (reunited with former Kings coach Rick Adleman) while the Hornets get some much needed depth. Plus, if anybody remembers the play of Bonzi Wells in the Kings' last playoff run two years ago, the guy can turn it on when he needs to. Good move by the Hornets!

Mike James is on the move again

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:33:37 -0500

According to Yahoo! Expert Adrien Wojnarowski, Houston is close to sending Mike James and Bonzi Wells to New Orleans in exchange for Bobby Jackson and Adam Haluska.

Kings Knock Off Hornets 112-103

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:42:27 -0500

The Kings are ready to make a run after dethroning the Hornets of the best record of the Western Conference. They led by as much as 26 points against a team of All-Stars. But the Kings played them like they were rookies almost all night after a high octane start almost guaranteed an upset in the making. A perfect gift for Kevin Martin's 25th birthday. (Video on link) 1ST QUARTER Former Kings Peja Stojacovic and Bobby Jackson were welcomed by the crowd, but Peja was unfazed by hometown memories, almost like it was a home for him. The game got off to a blazing start as the Kings started off with a 15-5 run to start the quarter which included an array of show stopping dunks from Mikki Moore and Brad Miller. That would be the root of the Hornets' despair. After the Hornets fought back to get within 5 points, the Kings unleashed a huge 11-2 run to close out the quarter at 34-19 as Ron Artest led the Kings with 9 points, while Chris Paul had 5 assists. 2ND QUARTER Things would only get worse for the Hornets as the run carried over to finish as a 20-9 run for the Kings with Artest leading the way. In fact, the Kings started the 2nd quarter with a 15-5 run. It would be no matter for the Kings as Arco Arena was seemingly re-living the old days with the crowd on it's feet as it looked like the Kings were ready to get a big win. Both teams exchanged shot after shot, but the Kings would come out on top, leading at the half 66-44. The Kings took advantage of every possesion, getting offensive rebounds and most importantly, shutting down Chis Paul going up the court. But like I've said before, in the NBA, no lead is safe. 3RD QUARTER Stojakovic had been on fire from downtown, hitting four 3 pointers in the 1st half, and got his first lay-up early in the quarter. He went on a scoring rampage getting 13 points and finished with 25 points for the game. The Hornets went on an 8-0 run before Moore's putback dunk seemingly halted their run. It was back to exchanging shots again with the Kings coming out on top 96-82. It was no doubt that the Hornets were on a run, and they weren't giving up their view from the top without a fight. 4TH QUARTER It went back to trading shots for the first 3 minutes, then both teams went scoreless the next 2 minutes until Morris Peterson hit a 3 pointer. One minute later, John Salmons would answer back with a 3 of his own. The game was going down to the wire to see if the Hornets could complete their comeback. Although they held the Kings to only 16 points in the quarter, it was not enough for them to win as the Kings knocked off the now 2nd place Hornets 112-103. Highlights of the Night: Kings Brad Miller: 22 pts, 14 reb, 4 ast, blk. Ron Artest: 24 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl. Mike Bibby: 15 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl. Kevin Martin: 22 pts on 25th birthday. Mikki Moore: 10 pts (5 dunks, 2 putbacks), 3 blk. John Salmons: 10 points, 2 blk. (bench). Beno Udrih: 4 pts, 5 ast. (bench). Hornets Chris Paul: 15 pts, 5 reb, 19 ast, 1 stl (Longest active streak: 48 games w/ at least 1 steal). Peja Stojakovic: 25 pts through 3 quarters (7/13 3pt, scoreless in 4th) 9 reb. Tyson Chandler: 21 pts, 9 reb. David West: 12 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk. Morris Peterson: 15 pts, 7 reb, 2 stl. BOXSCORE: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=280201023 If you don't like the Kings, say what you want. Say that it was a fluke, that the Kings caught them on a bad night after a loss at home. Say CP3 and Tyson Chandler weren't at their best, that the Kings got lucky and have no chance against contenders. Reality check, CP3 had 15 points and 19 assists, Peja hit seven 3 pointers and TC had 21 points, no fluke that they got beat. If they'd won, it be one of the first games on ESPN. The Kings are 6 wins away from what people thought the Kings would finish this year, 27 wins. 12 wins away from what they finished the year before, 33 wins. Let me list the playoff teams they've beaten: Spurs, Pistons (swept), Rockets, Jazz, Magic, Mavs, Nets, and now, the Hornets. Forget the Kings going on a run, they've been on one for 3 weeks already (9-4). This team is the real deal, give them props. They shut down the hottest team in the NBA, focusing on the right player, CP3. He ran their whole offense and they forced him to turnover to turnover the ball 5 times. Artest hit the three when he needed to and passed when he needed to. The whole team got into the game whcih led to this huge win. It makes you wonder if Bibby wasn't injured for 36 games where would they be right now. Maybe in the mix for that 8 seed. They might have won a few games that they lost by 5 points or less. Chicago is in town for a "rare" home back-to-back. I don't see what's so rare about it, the Kings have 3 of them this year, and are 2-1 in those type of series as of now. They look to tie the season series with the Bulls after a heated loss to the Bulls in the final seconds on Ben Wallace's last second heroics. He made his only point of the night with the game-winning free throw and blocked Miller's last second shot. Miller put the ball back up and Chris Duhon fouled him, but it was a no call as time expired. With the Bulls recent struggles, the Kings look to stay hot to try to get their 10th win in 14 games.

Carmelo Anthony Emerges From the Background & Leads the Nuggets Over the Hornets 105-99

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 03:56:35 -0500

In an interesting and very close game between two seemingly evenly matched teams, the Nuggets played a strong defense in the 2nd half, and made a good number of key shots in the 4th quarter, to come away with a win against a team that had beaten them earlier this season in another close game in Denver, the New Orleans Hornets. The final score was 105-99. For the Nuggets, A.I. roughly equals Melo in offensive potential, and both need to have a big and roughly equal role in the offense. The Nuggets can't win if either one of them takes everything over. The attitude of Coach Karl, Iverson, and PG Anthony Carter had better not be "Let's forget about Melo, because he's usually double teamed and we can't figure out a way to get him into the heart of the offense. So we'll work a 4 on 3 offense and Melo will just be a decoy." If that's how it's going to be, then it's 4 or 5 games and out again this year for sure. The above paragraphs are the 1st and the last paragraphs of the full game report, which is at the link. Following the game report, there are statistical summaries, including player ratings which allow you to see how well or badly a player did at a glance. (I am catching up with the Nuggets reports after a week of having to deal with other pressing matters.)

MVN Passion and Pride Press Pass

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:33:35 -0500

Welcome back to the Passion and Pride Press Pass featuring the weekend coverage and Monday montage on MVN Basketball. For most teams, this is a tough spot in the schedule. We fight through it like a double screen. It's a team game, so here's the rotation...

David West - Interview

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:14:26 -0500

"There's a lot of coaches in the league that will bark you down, you know, standing up every play, every time down the floor calling plays, and be completely in your face. Coach Scott allows your ability to take over. He's not going to try to limit you. He just wants you to be constantly aggressive, be on the attack all the time." The Guy Report Editor Rick Cipes' work has been in Playboy, L.A. Times, Los Angeles Magazine, and he is a humor consultant at ESPN Magazine. Continue to site to read post.