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February
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Bits & Pieces To Chew On
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Sorry, it's been a while since I've written anything. Life has been busy. But I've got some little ideas floating around on stuff I wanted to point out. Just give me some time to catch up.The Bernie Era Has Begun
What do you think about the start to the Bernie era. Do you think it's going to be permanent? Will the Bullets get to the playoffs under him this year? Do you like the changes you see on the court? Does it really matter? "Let me know."
My answers, in short, are I no, strong possibility, yes (definitely), yes.
Do I need to explain? I won't go into much detail, but here's what I think. Bernie likes coaching this bunch. He continues to emphasize publicly that he likes the effort that they put out, and that he thinks this is an exceedingly intelligent bunch of players. Hidden under that seems to be the implication that he believes these players are only just now starting to get the fundamental structures - offensively and defensively - to make them successful.
He's getting them to think in terms of help defense as a team, and not individually. The ball is being passed more, and there's a lot more movement on the floor. Cheaney is getting looks by being allowed to run the baseline, and Muresan is being posted up early to see if he can be effective. Further, Strickland is doing a lot more creation, and the ball is finding his hands most of the time in transition or on the break.
I still think the Bickerstaff is going to move to the front office if the Bullets can get a good coach in the off-season. You will see Phil Jackson and Larry Brown mentioned. You will also see Dennis Johnson and Jim Cleamons (who isn't getting a fair shake in Dallas, and it's just a matter of time before Don Nelson steps in) as young coaching possibilities.
Why Does This Matter?
It matters because this team needs to learn to win. I've noticed this before, but this Bullets team seems to play to the level of its opponent. With a few exceptions (such as the games leading up to Lynam's firing), games are always tightly contested, no matter the talent level of the opponent.
Usually, it means that the Bullets can win against the lesser teams, split with the middle tier teams, and lose to the big teams. In fact, going into tonight, they are 0-17 against the top 2 teams in each NBA division. This Bullets team continues to fail to convert its opportunities late in games. They get close - oh so close for us regulars - only to let us down in the end. Whether it's a failure to convert a scoring opportunity or a defensive lapse, it always hurts.
But what Bernie seems to be doing is instilling the discipline necessary to win these close games. I think I saw a star recently which said the Bullets are 1-7 in games decided by 3 points or less. Until they can win those close games, they will be as frustrating as they have been in the past. But the offensive and defensive discipline being instilled will hopefully help them win a few close games down the stretch because they know what needs to be executed.
The Bullets may only be 3-4 under Bernie since he started, but something good is going on here.
Will It Work?
In the short-term, yes. Most interestingly is that the key players (Webber, Howard, Strickland) seem to be buying into what Bernie is doing. At least, publicly. But their play on the court seems to indicate that they are listening.
Howard, in particular, has made some comments about how the offense is more disciplined, and the defense has definitely changed. Probably for the better. In many ways, I see that the Bullets had many of the same problems that the Magic recently complained about - especially not knowing what their roles were.
The Bullets, unfortunately, don't have anyone who's a go-to leader on their team like Penny Hardaway. Webber may put up better stats, but Penny makes things go on that team. The closest player the Bullets have might be Strickland, but that's a big reach. Some day, the Bullets might find that leader.
Then, they may go to the top of the conference.
Why Will They Make The Playoffs?
Because of Rod Strickland. In his 9 years in the league, the teams he has been on have never missed the playoffs. They may not go far, but they make the playoffs. Maybe that'll be our good luck charm.
And while I'm talking about Strickland, isn't it nice that he's been calm on the team since arriving here? There are reports he walked out on a practice or two, but he hasn't seemed to have been a divisive influence. And his play, outside of his 3-point shooting, has been excellent.
Knock on wood. *knock, knock*
Something Smells Here
Actually, I'm laughing extremely hard. I'm talking about the Gheorghe Muresan cologne commercial. Actually, it's a spoof of the MJ cologne, put together for the Snickers ("Not going anywhere for a while?") commercial campaign. You can't miss it if you watch NBA games or ESPN.
It's a very funny commercial. ("Items sold: 0") The best line, by far, can only be heard in the long version of the commercial:
Host (smelling a spray of the cologne): Is that cabbage I smell?
Muresan (nodding his head): Chicks dig it!I bet they do - in Romania. Great attention to detail, a very funny commercial.
But I can't help but wonder - is Muresan's commercial success going to his head and affecting his play on the court? The ESPN commercials, the Snickers commercial, a possible Hollywood film.
Meanwhile, his on-court play is suffering. He's playing better under the Bernie regime, but he's really regressed in his concentration on the court (especially on the defensive end). And that's too bad. Hopefully, he can return to his level of play from last year, when he really affected the defensive flow of the game with smart double teams, few reach-in fouls, etc.
wtf 27 February 1997
