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Entries tagged as ‘Kevin Love’

The Count Preview: Northwest Division

October 27, 2008 · No Comments

'Melo swore to me that Denver will definitely go over .500 this season...'

The division that makes up roughly half of the continental United States looks to have some exciting stories this season, with the inaugural season for Oklahoma, the Oden Explosion in Oregon and the traveling comedy that will be Kevin Love’s away games. There’s also last year’s playoff contenders in Denver and Utah, both looking to repeat .500+ records in the tough Western Conference.

Denver Nuggets: After unceremoniously dropping Camby to the Clippers for $4.72 in change and two cans of Tecate, GM Mark Warkentien went ahead and picked up Chris Andersen to fill the huge, inescapable void that Camby’s absence will leave in the Nuggets’ defence. Obviously, Mark Warkentien doesn’t play fantasy basketball, or he’d realise the mistake he made. In fact, it’s a move that suggests Mark Warkentien doesn’t even watch basketball.

This error will be compounded during the All-Star break when the reformed Andersen injures both himself and ‘Melo trying to stop the Chubby Gangster from having a second bump at the wheel of his Escalade, while The Answer sits in the back saying ‘that’s nothing, I did shit ten times worse than that. Do it.’ Cue the police arriving and Denver having to start Linas Kleiza and Sonny Weems for the rest of the season.

Portland Trailblazers: Is anyone not excited about the Blazers this season? Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Jerryd Bayless and Greg Oden. The Blazers’ front office have got to be hoping this year or next year is a ring year, because that is a whole lot of massive contracts they’re going to have to offer soon. The highlight of the season will be when Oden throws down a dunk so monstrous he lowers the entire Pacific shelf 9-feet, and half of Los Angeles disappears into the ocean.

Oklahoma City Thunder: The first game is a sell-out as every season ticket-holder shows up. The Ford Center retains this adrenaline-fuelled atmosphere, with Oklahoma creating a few early upset wins. Then Kevin Durant pulls a hammy, and everyone realises they don’t know the names of the rest of the team, save 23 frat boys who turn up to yell ‘hey, Castro Supreme!’ at Chris Wilcox and high-five each other.

David Stern receives a note from the entire population of Seattle saying ‘Dear David, do you see what you’ve done? You shit.’

Utah Jazz: Let’s look at this objectively. They’ve got two gold medallists in Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, supported by Mehmet Okur and former All-Star Andrei Kirilenko, with some exciting upside in Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap. Even Kyle Korver is good for something. And they’re being coached by Jerry Sloan. If they don’t push deep into the playoffs, the entire franchise should be dropped to the D-League.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Now that everyone has worked out that Al Jefferson is All-Star material, and teams have begun collapsing on him, there will be pressure on the rookie Kevin Love to pick up some of the slack. Unfortunately, he won’t, and Minnesota fans will divide their time between bitterly tracking O.J. Mayo’s exciting rookie season, and betting on the spread Vegas is offering on Kevin Love’s foul-to-points ratio.

Posted by: Alex

Read the Atlantic Division preview here.

Categories: On The Court · Sport Count Guide
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Draft 2008 Update: Why White Is Still Not Right

October 20, 2008 · No Comments

Minnesota #42 Kevin Love waits on the team bus after fouling out ludicrously early.

After fouling out ludicrously early, Minnesota #42 Kevin Love listens to Harry Potter on audio book while his teammates finish playing Denver.

Some might suggest it is too early to arbitrate on whether this year’s crop are busts, but we are not those.

This isn’t even so much a matter of opinion. It is observation. Back in June of this year, The Sport Count was vociferous in its warnings to all NBA General Managers: do not draft Kevin Love, we said. Do not draft white ever, especially with a high pick, because this happens. We were unequivocal about this, and it seems we have been vindicated. It’s not even like we’re happy about it. We’re more just mystified: if three Australians can see these simple truths, why can’t GMs on million-dollar salaries?

Before we get even more upset, let’s have a look at recent developments in 2008 Rookie news.

Minnesota’s boxscore against Denver (19 October) from NBA.com:

It’s a little difficult to make out, but yes, that does say Kevin Love fouled out after 11 minutes. After contributing 5 points, and an earth shattering single rebound. Bad numbers can be the result of a bad game, but in a game where not a single one of your teammates picked up more than 3 fouls, in a full quota of minutes, fouling out is not having a bad game – it’s being a draft bust.

However, full credit to Kevin for actually playing in the NBA Preseason. The same can’t be said for our favourite Eurobust, Danilo Gallinari. After missing all of the Knicks’ preseason games, the New York Post is now reporting that Gallinari will likely be starting in the D-League. This is the 6th overall pick, starting in the D-League. Isiah Thomas’ strong recommendations about an unproven Italian didn’t work out — who’d have guessed?

Posted by: Alex, Anton & James

Categories: Draft Talk · NBA Mysteries · Off The Court · On The Court · Whitey Watch
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White House To Get Regulation Court?

July 21, 2008 · No Comments

The Sport Count isn’t necessarily exclusively about the NBA. It’s more about a love of basketball in all its forms.* It just so happens that the NBA is the home of physical excellence, so it gets the most coverage.

Today though, we have something a little different: The Sport Count’s preferred candidate for King Of The World Barack O’Drama visiting troops in Kuwait over the weekend. Two things are affirmed by it:

  1. B-Rock is the best guy ever
  2. And he is a stone-cold assassin from outside 18-feet. Watch him knock a few down in between pepping the troops.

Posted by: Alex

*Except when it has anything to do with Euroball or Kevin Love.

Categories: Off The Court · Videos
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The Official Sport Count Draft Evaluation

June 29, 2008 · 3 Comments

Strap yourselves in, The Sport Count team are running down the top ten picks in this year’s done and dusted NBA Draft.

Thrills, surprises, and a couple of picks which we were sure couldn’t, wouldn’t, shouldn’t and — in the infinite wisdom of GM land — did happen.

#1 | Derrick Rose | Chicago Bulls | 3.5/5

Props to Chicago for not drafting for need and picking who they consider the best player.

Personally, I’m not all over this pick. The glut of young star point guards out there (CP3, D-Will) has put stars in a couple of GM eyes, similar to how ‘freshmen / high school big men with upside’ were a couple of years ago – Tyrus Thomas, I’m looking at you!

All in all, this could be franchise changing, and we can watch the trade moves begin. Having said that, I’m not so sure you don’t take the following big guy…

#2 | Michael Beasley | Miami Heat | 4.9/5

In case you can’t tell from the ranking, I’m pretty big on Beasley.

Pat Riley doesn’t get a 5 because he was so desperate to do something clever, like trade the pick, or wheel and deal to try to get his long-sold soul back from David Stern.

Remember last year when people were flat out drooling over Kevin Durant’s freshman Longhorns campaign? Beasley topped that turnout, but no one seemed to care. The kid turned in a college season for the ages, and he’ll fill it up and rebound for the next 12 years.

Posted By: James

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Categories: Draft Talk · Trade Talk · Whitey Watch
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The Sport Count 2008 Mock Draft

June 26, 2008 · 2 Comments

O.J. Mayo, sitting in a chair.

It’s that time of year again, when people across the world get giddy and start most sentences with what-if’s and imagine-ifs; when huge men in suits put on bad caps and smile; when we hear the sweet voice of demigod Stern. Excitement is bubbling, and not just because O.J. Mayo has declared he wants to be the best dressed person on Draft Day.

The 2008 draft promises to be one of the most exciting in recent years, rich with potential marquee guards, some All-Star-in-the-making big men, and some guaranteed busts. It also represents the moment each year when the NBA gains yet more, ahem, creative names - this year we are to be introduced to JaVale, Jerryd, DeAndre, and both O.J and D.J.

We’re also looking to see the NBA welcome its first Torres Strait Islander, in the form of the 6′10, 285lb Nathan Jawai. Before we get too carried away with all this excitement, The Sport Count brings you its 2008 top 6*.

1. Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose | Memphis

If you believe in providence you’re probably going nuts right now: Chicago have the first pick, and the 2008 draft happens to have an exceptionally gifted point guard, who led his college to the NCAA finals in his freshman year. If this doesn’t happen, The Sports Count team will eat their shoes.

2. Miami Heat - Michael Beasley | Kansas State

If we ignore recent reports that the old boiler Pat Riley doesn’t like Beasley, and wants to put O.J. Mayo next to Wade, ‘B-Easy’ going to Miami should be on. And suddenly, Miami go from being a team so bad your eyes stung when watching them, to being play-off contenders. Marion, Beasley, and Wade? Amazing.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves - O.J. Mayo | USC

This is just logic, if not necessarily a team match. An argument exists that Minnesota already have a scoring point guard in Randy Foye, but who wouldn’t take child prodigy Mayo at number three? Brook Lopez probably isn’t an option, because they have big Al Jefferson, and Mayo is the better of the next draftees. What else are they going to do, take Kevin Love? HA. Oh, wait…

4. Seattle Supersonics - Brook Lopez | Stanford

A 7-foot dominant center to pair next to exciting sophomores Jeff Green and Kevin Durant? We like it. And by virtue of his Cuban heritage, he avoids our No Whites On The Night rule. Speaking of which…

5. Memphis Grizzlies - Kevin Love | UCLA

Okay, so he’s had a very good season, and was a dominant freshman forward. But he’s apparently just forced himself to lose 15lbs to improve his draft prospects. Not promising. Memphis need a power forward after cleverly dumping Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown, and on paper Love’s the next best after Beasley. Watch as he goes to Memphis and improves the team by letting Rudy Gay do all the work. This is the White Isn’t Right bust.

6. New York Knicks - Danilo Gallinari | Armani Jeans Milano

Oh this is too rich. There are almost too many LOLz here to write about. Time Bomb Thomas wrecks the franchise from the inside out, and with their sixth pick for the next season, all signs point to the Knicks taking an unproven Italian small forward. It’s so going to happen. This is The Darko Effect bust.

Also, Armani Jeans Milano. Do you really want a guy who played for a team named after trashy Eurojeans?

Posted by: Alex, James and Anton

*A top-5 might have been more logical, but we here at The Sport Count can spot an ensuing catastrophe, and couldn’t resist talking about the sixth pick.

Categories: Draft Talk · Trade Talk · Whitey Watch
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