Best ESPN narticle EVER!

[TopekaRoy]

I can't sleep. So I'm surfing the net and I came across this article on ESPN by Biull Simmons.
Bill Simmons: The non-contenders rule Part 1 of the NBA Power Poll - ESPN Part 1
Bill Simmons: The contenders rule Part 2 of the NBA Power Poll - ESPN Part 2

It's very long ... and very funny. He ranks and talks about all 30 NBA teams. He also talks about why Derrick Rose should, or shouldn't be MVP this year.

Here's what he says about Rose:

We'll remember this as The Best NBA Regular Season Ever. Naturally, the league is going to seize the momentum by disappearing in July, then duct-taping us to chairs in a dark basement and torturing us with months of lockout rhetoric. By August, we're going to forget about a regular season that gave us dozens of compelling subplots, at least 250-300 truly entertaining games, at least 200 Blake Griffin YouTube clips, multiple polarizing trades, a USSR-like villain in the MoHeatos, playoffs that could dart in about 20 different directions and a heated MVP race led by Derrick Rose, who I will choose to remember this season as someone who …

A. Worked his butt off to get better last summer

B. Bought into everything his new coach was selling, led by example and never undermined his coach publicly or privately

You can question Derrick Rose's game, but you can't question the man's commitment.

C. Was a phenomenal teammate who kept a fringe contender afloat for two months when they were crushed by injuries, then kept them humming as they evolved into a semi-juggernaut

D. Played harder from night to night than anyone else

E. Was the only elite player on a good team who had to make every offensive decision in crunch time because his team didn't have another perimeter player who could create a shot, but hey, let's not factor that into anything

F. Was a legitimate athletic freak who needed to be seen in person to be truly appreciated

and not …

G. The guy whose MVP candidacy got crapped on by the entire blogosphere because his plus/minus and true shooting percentage weren't quite good enough.

Look, I haven't decided whether Rose is the MVP yet. [Yes, he has.] After three months, I thought he was. His play tailed off a little once the Bulls got healthy. Now I'm not so sure. It feels like one of those seasons like 2007 when there just wasn't a most valuable player, so we had to talk ourselves into someone. (Note: I copped out and voted for the fans.) I hate those seasons. Regardless, it's a fun debate and I've enjoyed arguing about it with my friends, even if it's bizarre that Rose -- who truly gives a shit about winning, wants to get better and doesn't care about his own numbers, unlike Dwight Howard (who occasionally gives a shit, continues to block the ball out of bounds because it's cool, can't be trusted in the last two minutes of a game and does care about his numbers) and LeBron James (who thought this was a good idea) -- became the most polarizing candidate.

So give me another week or so with my MVP vote that I don't actually have.

In Part 2 he goes on to say:

The case against Rose is twofold:

A. Chicago's MVP has been its tenacious defense (not Rose). That's fine except for the part that every true contender assumes the personality of its best player. Russell's Celtics won 11 of 13 titles because he cared about winning more than anyone ever ... until Jordan, whose teams won six titles because he cared about winning more than anyone other than Russell. Bird's Celtics teams assumed his personality; they were all terrified of letting him down. Magic's Lakers teams assumed his personality; carefree in those early years, then more and more hardcore as the years passed. Duncan's Spurs teams reflected him and his coach: cerebral, classy, competitive in the cleanest way. Kobe's best quality these past three years has been that he's gotten Gasol, Bynum and Odom (three guys who, mentally, could have gone either way) to care about competing as much as he does. This is what great players do.

So for anyone to say that Rose -- who's stuck in fifth gear for every minute of every game, to the point that Chicago's biggest concern might be that he doesn't have an extra gear for the playoffs -- doesn't directly affect Chicago's defense is insane. Have you ever been to an NBA practice? Earlier this year, I went to an Oklahoma City practice and was stunned to see Durant and Westbrook going full-speed through every drill like it was Game 7 of the playoffs. I asked Scotty Brooks about it afterward; he smiled and said something like, "When your best players care that much, everything else falls into place." That's what happened in Chicago with Rose. He sets the tone day after day after day; everyone else eventually fell into place. When your best player cares that much, it's contagious.

B. Speaking of advanced metrics, if you're using them to make the case against Rose, I submit the following two lines:

Player A: 27.2 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 4.2 APG, 54% FG, 76% FT, 28.4 PER, 16.6 WS, 60% TS%, 1st-team All-Defense.

Player B: 29.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 3.8 APG, 48% FG, 81% FT, 26.3 PER, 17.1 WS, 55% TS%, 1st-team All-Defense.

Who was better? It's close, but you picked Player A, right? Well ... those were the combined numbers for Karl Malone and Michael Jordan during the 1997 and 1998 regular seasons. You just picked Malone. Thank you and please drive through.

Anyway, advanced metrics weaken Rose's MVP case but don't murder it. Unlike LeBron the past two years, he isn't a sure thing. That's fine. Just consider these other two points ...

• Rose carries his team's offense more than anyone else carries their team's offense. He's the Bulls' only player who can create his own shot, and he's their only player who can create shots for others. Night after night after night, he walked onto the court knowing that Chicago's entire offense hinged on how he played. His usage (32.4 percent) and assist (39.4 percent) rates tell some of the story; in crunch-time per 48 minutes, he's averaged the second-most field goal attempts, the eighth-most free throw attempts and the ninth-highest assists (nobody else made the top-15 for all three categories, much less the top-10). The dude does everything for Chicago offensively, a little like Iverson on the 2001 Sixers (the year he finished with the sixth-highest usage rate ever and Philly somehow made the Finals, anyway). In my opinion, when you're doing everything, you should get a little statistical slack. You might have to take one or two shots per half that you shouldn't take, just because nobody else will take them. In crunch-time, the degree of difficulty ratchets up because the other team knows it's up to you, and you alone. You have to account for these things. That's why I love basketball so much: it's objective and subjective.

• Rose keeping the Bulls in contention for three-plus months when Boozer and Noah missed significant time was the most impressive thing I witnessed this season. Their quest for a No. 1 seed should have derailed in November, when Boozer missed a brutal seven-game Western road swing (including Dallas, San Antonio, Phoenix and Los Angeles) plus games in Boston and Oklahoma City ... and yet, they emerged from a potential disaster at 9-6 (with Rose averaging a 28-8-5). Just when they were coming together, their defensive anchor (Noah) went down for two months ... Rose kept everything humming. (As a Celtics fan, I kept looking at the standings every morning thinking, "Jeez, they won't go away ... .") They finally had a full team when they were 35-14; they're 23-6 since. A one-seed. Phenomenal.

I will remember the 2010-11 season for LeBron and Wade, for Blake Griffin, for the dumb Celtics trade, and for how hard Derrick Rose played every night. He willed the Bulls to a No. 1 seed. Unfortunately, we don't have an advanced metric to quantify that specific achievement -- just a primitive, overrated statistic called "wins." I guess we'll have to make due. Derrick Rose, you're my 2010-11 MVP.

Tell me Rose doesn't deserve to be MVP this year. I'll call you "Styleham" and tell you you're an idiot.

Oh, Simmons also talks about the Bulls in general and the other 29 NBA teams. It's a must read.

Best ESPN article ... EVER!

 

[houheffna]

Simmons always writes good stuff...especially when it comes to basketball.

Be glad the guy is still young and has a lot left in the tank. And hopefully other journalists can come along and be as good in their respective sports...

 

[Scoot26]

The only thing is...

But I think they will. L.A. over Chicago in six.

And that would be L.A. winning at the United Center.

 

[X]

helluva read

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

The only thing is...



And that would be L.A. winning at the United Center.

And you can't envision that happening? I sure can.

 

[Gunzaan]

Simmons always writes good stuff...especially when it comes to basketball.

Be glad the guy is still young and has a lot left in the tank. And hopefully other journalists can come along and be as good in their respective sports...

I agree, the guy is a diamond in the rough these days. And he is actually brutally honest about the New England/Boston teams, whether they are good or not. The ONLY problem that I have with him is that in 90% of his articles, he ALWAYS talks about one of his Boston teams... usually at great length.

I understand, the guy is a fan of his hometown teams. Doesn't mean I want to hear about it all the time. But all-in-all, Bill Simmons is one of the best.. and as you said he is young, so we have plenty of time with him!

 

[Scoot26]

And you can't envision that happening? I sure can.

I can envision the Bulls losing to the Indiana Pacers...I can envision anything happening. Sure LA could win in Chicago in 6, but I just hope something like that were not to occur. If the Lakers beat us, just kick our ass and win in 5.

 

[TopekaRoy]

The only thing is...

But I think they will. L.A. over Chicago in six.

And that would be L.A. winning at the United Center.

If you put that quote in context, Simmons admits that he has no rational basis for Picking the Lakers and even admits he's crazy to think so.

It's really, really, REALLY hard for me to believe that the 2009-11 Lakers are 16 wins away from [winning a 3rd straight championship]. But I think they will. L.A. over Chicago in six. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go wander into traffic.

I love his sense of humor, his insight and his use of hyperbole to make his points. He's not just a "diamond in the rough". He's a rose growing in a field of manure.

 

[pinkizdead]

Out of the national journalists/podcast guys, I like Bill Simmons and Ryen Russeillo.