Dan P
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| Adidas, Nike: let's call it even? (photo courtesy of Ed Mancia) |
Random NBA thoughts by Dan P.
1.) Somehow, the Boston Celtics are 7-1 without star
point guard, Rajon Rondo.
It's perplexing how
the Celtics have been winning since the Rondo injury. They’ve ranked near
the bottom third of the league (18th overall) averaging a mere 96.3 points per
game while averaging a tremendous 23.5 assists per game (4th overall). How the Celtics will continue to keep the
high assists numbers is highly questionable.
For all the hype
surrounding this win streak, I chalk it up to the Celtics’ veterans who were
tired of hearing they couldn't win without Rondo. Poke an old elephant
with a stick and it's still sure to charge. Ultimately the age of the
team and the rigors of the playoffs will doom them; it’s no mystery.
That's not to say the
Celtics can't make some noise come playoff time. The East is wide open and no team has yet to
solidify itself as the true No. 2 seed in the Conference.
With all that being
said, I just can’t picture them going too far without Rondo.
2.) The Brooklyn Nets are pursuing
a trade with the Atlanta Hawks for Josh Smith.
The Hawks are looking for a young
center so a third team is likely in the mix. Look for the following young
centers/rebounders on the block:
- Marcin Gortat-- 11.4 Points Per Game; 8.7 Rebounds Per Game
- JaVale McGee-- 10PPG, 5RPG
- DeAndre Jordan-- 9PPG, 7.3RPG
- J.J. Hickson-- 12.9PPG, 10.6RPG
- Nikola Pekovic-- 15.8PPG, 8.8RPG
- Kris Humphries-- 5.8PPG, 6.2RPG
3.) The Golden State Warriors will be
displaying a new jersey this season with sleeves.
I'm on
the fence with these new Golden State jerseys from Adidas, but I'll get to that in a bit. The
fabled golden sleeves make their debut February 22nd against the San Antonio Spurs and the
team is very excited at the opportunity to start a new trend in the
NBA. The jersey itself is golden yellow with less outlining and stripes
than their regular home/road jerseys. It has a two color "V"
style neck design that is reminiscent of the official's jerseys and
the sleeves themselves are really only quarter cut length or short t-shirt
length.
When we see changes like this, our initial thought is to run, run far away and
cry foul. However, it only takes a few valid stars like a LeBron James or Kevin Durant (both currently employed by Nike--Ed) to vouch for them and have their teams also produce these alternatives and
then the jersey becomes part of the NBA.
Everyone thought the Oregon Ducks (also Nike--Ed) were crazy for essentially playing in a different jersey every game but
that's what sells and that's what the players want to wear. Everything is
a brand and brands are meant to be recognized. And if any sport can make it work, its the NBA where fashion is
just as important as the tradition.
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