Juan Carlos Navarro: Call Him “La Bomba”

Let me be blunt: Juan Carlos Navarro should have gone to the NBA years ago. The NBA shouldn’t let him escape. Have you ever seen a player who plays with a smile on his face? That’s Navarro.

Let’s talk about his game: Navarro is incredible one-on-one. He can shoot, drive to the hole, score against bigger defenders with his wonderful “bombas”, and make three’s from NBA distance. He’s ready to defend and face a defence at the NBA level.

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Watch Navarro shoot:

coming off screens …

 

in pick-and-roll situations …

 

three’s on a fast break …

“La Bomba”

Navarro turned pro as a 17-year-old on one of the best European teams, F.C. Barcelona. Some people thought that he wouldn’t be playing a lot when Barcelona hired the super-strict and defence-oriented Dusko Ivanovic last season, but he was the most important player of Ivanovic’s team. Navarro was the top scorer and he played very good defence, leading his team to the Euroleague Final Four.

He has played with Pau Gasol and Navarro was the “go to” player on the team (I know that’s hard to believe). If you ask Pau about Navarro, he’ll tell you that he wants Navarro on his side. Perhaps we’ll see that happen in the NBA some day?

Hey! Whatever Happened To Kenny Anderson?

By Brian Taylor

One thing I love about sports is when a team goes from annual loser to contender. It’s even cooler to see it happen seemingly overnight, as opposed to years. I can remember when the Pacers couldn’t sniff the playoffs, when the Mavericks were an 11-71 embarrassment and when the Magic and Timberwolves went from NBA infants to postseason teams. Heck, I remember when the Clippers made that magical run with Danny Manning and Ron Harper, but the one team that really sucked (besides my Bullets) was “L.A. Clippers-East” also known as the New Jersey Nets.

One thing I love about sports is when a team goes from annual loser to contender. It’s even cooler to see it happen seemingly overnight, as opposed to years. I can remember when the Pacers couldn’t sniff the playoffs, when the Mavericks were an 11-71 embarrassment and when the Magic and Timberwolves went from NBA infants to postseason teams. Heck, I remember when the Clippers made that magical run with Danny Manning and Ron Harper, but the one team that really sucked (besides my Bullets) was “L.A. Clippers-East” also known as the New Jersey Nets.They made bad ownership decisions, like sending All-Star forward Buck Williams to the Blazers for breakdown-artist Sam Bowie. They played in a glorified parking garage (Brendan Byrne Arena also known as “the Meadowlands”), and don’t get me started on those sky-blue, tie-dye jerseys. In 1991, they got smart, picked up Euro pioneer Drazen Petrovic (Hey Nugg Doctor, can I get a Historical Glimpse?) and selected one Kenny Anderson second overall in the 1991 Draft.

Coming out of Georgia Tech as a sophomore, Anderson showed that typical NY point guard flare. He was Allen Ivey with the same attitude, but without the killer crossover, and continued the point guard legacy started by Yellow Jacket alum Mark Price. In his first season, he played a small role, while Derrick Coleman and Petrovic lead the way, and it wasn’t until his second season (under new coach Chuck Daly) that Kenny really broke out.

Finally a team to be reckoned with, and with playoff experience under their belts, Kenny was named to the All-Star team, which would be his first and only appearance. The thing is, Nets management panicked when they couldn’t get past the 1^st round (maybe it was the jerseys), and they ended up shipping Kenny off to Charlotte for Kendall Gill. With the Hornets, Kenny was still effective, but he started the “downward spiral” of going from team-to-team. First Portland, then thankfully Boston, where he underwent revitalization, providing the Celtics with the best point guard play since D.J.

He ended his career after stints with Atlanta, New Orleans, the Sonics and Clippers, but what most people may (or may not) remember about him is not really his on court prowess, but more his um……”home issues”.

If you were born before 1980, chances are you remember when MTV started with “The Real World”. While season one in N.Y. was cool, season two in L.A. was absolutely bonkers, and set the tone for every freakin’ reality show since. One of the inhabitants, “Tammy” was in fact dating and later married to Kenny Anderson, and in one of the most embarrassing cases of alimony ever in the history of man, Kenny’s ex flossed a new ride with custom “victory” license plates that read “HISCASH”.

But court issues aside, Kenny was really a key component to turning around a sorry franchise; so if you want to see him in action, hit the link!

The Way Up Is Down

By Ryan McNeill

There are some life lessons that only come with age and experience, one of those is “the way up is down.”

Allen Iverson is one of the few players in the NBA that grasps this concept.

Far too often players come into the League with a me-first mentality – whether that means shooting first and passing second, worrying about individual accolades or getting a maximum contract.

It’s not too often that younger members of our society grasp the concept of putting others first so that we can advance ourselves. In basketball every great team needs a great floor general. Someone’s who’s willing to sacrifice some of their personal glory so that the team can flourish. Someone willing to make the extra pass so that a teammate can get the easy deuce. Someone who’s not worried about seeing their name in flashing lights as long as their team gets the W.

Need proof? You only need to look as far as the Phoenix Suns resurrection two years ago thanks to the gutsy play of Steve Nash. Before Nash arrived in Phoenix the Suns offense has sputtered like a 1992 Topaz. Nash epitomizes the kind of selfless play that any great team needs from the point guard position.

Allen Iverson is slowing becoming that kind of player of selfless leader.

With the addition of Chris Webber two seasons ago Philadelphia finally provided Iverson with the kind player who can draw double teams away from him while banging down low in the paint. While Webber will never be referred to as a warrior in the post, he does posses a well-rounded game that compliments Iverson’s well and the two should mesh well. Then in Webber’s first game in Philly Iverson went out and dished out a season-high 14 dimes. Unfortunately this wasn’t a sign to come as last season the tandem had a hard time finding their chemistry. After playing together for a full season last year this tandem should be able to build upon the chemistry which started to form last season. This year Iverson will have the benefit of three teammates in Webber, Kyle Korver and Andre Igoudala that can finish. Who has he had to pass to in recent years? Glenn Robinson? Aaron McKie? Kenny Thomas? Please, what kind of athlete would hold tons of faith in names like that?

Now that Iverson has had a year to get used to playing with Webber, Andre Iguodala and Kyle Korver look for his assists to continue climb.

76ers fans are hoping that the team’s win total will climb this year as well.

Historical Glimpses: Peter Press Maravich

By Nugg Doctor

Quite possibly the greatest showman the NBA has ever seen. Collegiate scoring numbers that will most likely never get touched. Handles that would make you believe that the ball was actually tied to his hands like a yo-yo. A deadly jump shot that started from the hip. All from the boy with the sad eyes. If you haven’t yet figured it out, this installment of Historical Glimpses is dedicated to “Pistol” Pete Maravich.

Peter Press Maravich was born in Aliquippa, PA on June 22, 1947. To say that basketball was in his genes would be an understatement because his father Press Maravich was a long time basketball coach at almost every level, including coaching the Pistol at Louisiana State University. A couple of legendary stories from Pete’s childhood will always live on in my mind as illustrations of what true legends are made of. First, there is the famous story about Pete spinning a basketball on his finger for almost an entire hour before the nail on his index finger got worn so low that his finger burst into a bloody mess. That story happened in an ice cream parlor and was highlighted in the movie, “The Pistol”. A lesser known legend was that Pete’s father Press would drive the family car around the neighborhood after dinner while Pete would dribble a ball ,through the window, outside the moving car! This guy had handles, trust me!

All of this hard work and raw skill landed Pete at the Louisiana State University with father Press. During his four years at LSU, keeping in mind that freshman were not permitted to play varsity basketball in those days, Pete would set scoring records that tower above where current college players are posting. In his freshman year of 1967 the Pistol would average 43.6 points per game on the freshman team. Just a varsity guy playing on the JV right? Wrong! The Pistol would continue to leave opposing defenses in shambles for the next three years while setting NCAA records in nearly every offensive category. His sophomore, junior, and senior years, Pete led the NCAA in scoring by posting 43.8, 44.2, and 44.5 points per game. He was named first team All-America in 1968,‘69, and ‘70 before being drafted third overall by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1970 NBA Draft.

Leaving father Press at LSU, Pete left a mark that reads like this, and will continue to read like this until the second coming of the lord himself decides to lace up some high-tops. He holds the NCAA records for points scored in a career at 3,667 with a 44.2 PPG average in 83 games, most field goals made and attempted with 1,387 for 3,166, most free throws attempted and made with 893 for 1,152, most games scoring 50 or more points at 28 times, single season scoring average and points total at 44.5 and 1,381 in 1970, single season field goals made and attempted in 1970 with 522 makes and 1,168 attempts, single season 50 points games with ten in 1970, most free throws made in a single game with a 30-31 performance against Oregon State in 1969, and had the damn arena at LSU named after him in 1988 by the Governor of Louisiana Buddy Roemer. It is now called the Maravich Assembly Center. Talk about leaving your mark!

While in the NBA, Pete continued to awe crowds with his trademark style, long hair and floppy socks, and fast-paced flashy play. As a rookie in 1971, Maravich averaged 23.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. These numbers qualified him for the NBA All-Rookie team. Similar numbers would be posted for the next five years before Pistol Pete would once again leave his mark on the game forever. In the 1976-77 season with the New Orleans Jazz Pete would average 31.1 points per game and lead the NBA in scoring and average better than five rebounds and assists. This monumental season would solidify Maravich as more than just a flash point guard, but a true lights-out scoring machine regardless of level of play. He has the third highest single game scoring total in NBA history for a guard with 68 points coming against the New York Knicks.

More than all the numbers and accolades along the way, and obviously there is a cornucopia of them, Pistol Pete may be best remembered not for his ability to score but more for his skills dishing the rock with the no-look dime to an often times invisible teammate. He was a master at the behind-the-back, between-the-legs, and even the behind-the-head pass. Pistol Pete had so many passes in his repertoire he rarely did the same one twice, and no one since has done it better. If his passes weren’t your cup of tea, Maravich could dazzle any crowd with his dribbling skills. Nearly impossible to touch when he wanted to elude defenders, Pete made a show out dribbling out the clock while an opposing team was trying to foul. He was such fluid ball handler, and maybe the best since the Harlem Globetrotter’s Marques Haynes (Another legend in his own right and a pioneer that led the way for guys like Maravich).

The final read on Peter “Pistol” Press Maravich concludes like this; Maravich was a two time All-NBA First Team in 1976 and ‘77, All-NBA Second Team in 1973 and ‘78, NBA Scoring Champion in the 1976-77 season, five time NBA All-Star, one of the 50 greatest players of all-time, and his jersey number 7 is retired to the rafters of the Utah Jazz organization. These accolades here, plus all the other history in this article, are why Pistol Pete is this installment of Historical Glimpses, but there is something else all true hoop fans should know about Pistol that makes his legend that much more magical…

After Pete died back in 1988 of a heart attack while playing in a pick-up game, it was revealed that he only had one coronary artery complex. People without this condition have two coronary artery complexes. That means that Pistol Pete Maravich played his entire ten year NBA career with only half a fully functional heart. Most people that are born with this condition rarely live past their adolescence. This just proves that Pistol Pete was born to do one thing and one thing only and that was to play basketball. He was truly an inspirational figure for the future of the game. He was a showman that put people in the stands while this great league was developing. He was a commodity to be seen when his teams came to town and he rarely disappointed. As one of the 50 greatest players of All-Time Pistol Pete can be remembered as truly a gift to the game of basketball forever.

Check out The Nugg Doctor for more Historical Glimpses and all your Nuggets news.

Garbajosa and Calderon: Toronto’s Spanish Dynamic Duo

By Raul Jimenez

You’ve heard about Jorge Garbajosa’s skills, his shooting range, his toughness on defence, his ability to create team chemistry. You’ve heard that he played in Italy for Benetton, and that Maurizio Gherardini likes him. That’s nice. But I’ll tell you something about Garbajosa that nobody told you before: He’s the most Italian of the Spanish players.

Why do I say that? Because “Garba” has that thing that only Italians seem to have: he always knows how to win. Even when he plays poorly (and that doesn’t happen very often) he knows what to do to win.

I’ve read some profiles that say that he keeps on shooting even if he misses, but I know he won’t if his team doesn’t need him to do it. Yes, he can hit the three: he’s a good shooter from 6-7 metres [20-23 feet], and he completes this skill with a nice dribbling ability to drive to the hole. He likes to receive and drive to the opposite side, which is something important to keep the defence from recovering.

What we see in the diagram is Garba (4) getting the ball and driving to the basket. The help defender (3) comes over but he can’t cover Garba.

There seems to be confusion about Garba’s position. I can tell you that he is a 4-5-3 in Europe, but I think he’s really a 4 in the NBA. He can defend 5’s sometimes, but he’s perfect on 4’s (watch his defence over Dirk Nowitzki in the World Championships – simply great). He anticipates and he denies passes. Another thing you’ll love about him is his ability to force charges. He’ll be in the right place at the right moment.

Garba can play the low post, although last year he seldom did it (in Malaga they had Dan Santiago, who’s a really dominant 5 in Europe) but he is not as physical as needed to do it regularly in the NBA.

And about his passing abilities: just think that he has played for two of the best European coaches (Ettore Messina and Sergio Scariolo) and both of them remarked on this skill.

If Coach Sam Mitchell gives him time to play, you’ll fall in love with Garbajosa, and not only for his beard! And please, don’t assume that every Spanish man has a beard.

Now let’s talk about Jose Calderon. European coaches often say that European players don’t improve their game in the NBA. But after watching Jose play in Japan, it’s clear that he’s a better player than he was before. He can change not only the pace of his team, but also his own role from floor general to scorer to defender in the same game. That’s something he didn’t show in his last year in the Spanish ACB League and in Euroleague.

Now “Calde” knows the NBA, knows the teams, knows his own team and, as you realized last season, he’s a talented, hard-working player who likes playing D. He’s the complete package! I’m sure he will play more and better than last year. You’ll see him shooting more on pick-and-roll situations and scoring more often.

Enjoy the Spanish Dynamic Duo… two World Champions for Toronto!!!

Hey! Whatever Happened To Chuck Person

By Brian Taylor

Let me take you guys back in time for a second, to the late 80’s, early 90’s.

(Initiate Wayne’s World Dream Sequence)

My Bullets were still falling from grace, some kid named Mike was challenging the old head Celtics, and Zeke and Rodman had yet to lose their minds. In the few years previous, the Indiana Pacers were perennial lottery attendees, always behind the Bucks, Bulls, Cavs, Pistons and Hawks in their division. In 1987, an awkward, Urkel-esque kid from UCLA was picked up in the draft by the Pacers (Reggie Miller) to go along with another guy who quickly earned the nickname of “Rifleman”, Chuck Connors Person.

Chuck Person came out of Auburn in the 1986 draft, picked behind Brad Daugherty, Len Bias and Chris Washburn, and was a player in the mold of another Auburn alum, Charles Barkley. Many thought of Chuck Person as Chuck Barkley Lite: same mouth, but with a little more range from downtown. Keep in mind, they called this guy “The Rifleman”, partly because, well, his name was Chuck Connors Person, after the star of the Rifleman TV show (who also played for the Celtics!), but also because he never met a three-point shot he didn’t like. In his first six seasons as an Indiana Pacer, Person averaged around 19 points per game, and was often the other first-option scorer behind an up-and-coming Reggie Miller.

What folks remember most was the absolute highlight of his career, a five-game shootout in the 1991 Playoffs against Larry Legend’s Celtics. Person led the Pacers into the series with the mindset of not being afraid, not being shook by the famed “Celtic Mystique”. Larry and Chuck went mano a mano throughout that series, but the trash talk had started earlier when, during a Christmas Day game, Larry warned a trash-talking Chuck he’d receive a “present” from the Legend himself. Next time downcourt, Bird noticed Person was guarding him on the perimeter. Larry swishes one of his fadeaway treys in Chuck’s grill and tells him on his way upcourt, “Merry Christmas”.

But back to the series: the Pacers were just starting to sniff playoff basketball, so they were the young upstarts. Even though Indiana went down in five games, they made it feel like seven, with Person matching Bird shot for shot, and averaging 26 points to Bird’s 17 for the series. In his last season in Indy, Chuck became the Pacers’ all-time leading scorer (to be surpassed later by “Baby New Year”, Reggie Miller).

In one of the league’s more questionable moves, the Pacers moved Chuck to Minnesota to give Detlef Schrempf more playing time. Chuck would continue to drop bombs with the Wolves, but ended up riding the bench in favor of … get this … Isaiah Rider. It was when the Spurs picked him up that his career came back to life, averaging 9 points a game, but still hitting an effective 40% from downtown. After stops in Charlotte and Seattle, Chuck called it a career in 2000.

Ever wonder about what Antoine Walker was supposed to be coming out of college? Take a look at some old clips of Chuck Person.

Dual Role: A Success Plan For Student-Athletes

By Ryan McNeill

A book that I would like to recommend for high school athletes is Elwood Scales book “Dual Role: A Success Plan For Student-Athletes.” This book gives high school athletes helpful tips on how to earn a college scholarship, ideas on how to impress coaches and ways to stay out of trouble on and off the field.

Scales motivation for writing this book stems from the fact that he is dismayed with the lack of direction given to high school athletes. In the introduction of his book he wrote that, “it saddens my heart to read the newspaper or to turn on the radio or television and hear about athletes jeopardizing their future with destructive behaviour. It is not uncommon to hear about high school and college athletes getting involved in everything from academic fraud to violent crimes. The ‘dumb jock troublemaker’ syndrome is at an all-time high. Despite the high tech society we live in, athletes are graduating from high school barely able to read and write. Some go on to college, but, after completing four years of eligibility, they are going out into a society with no marketable skills.”

Scales hopes to help fix this problem by providing students with a strong game plan for success in the classroom and he does a great job of this in a chapter called “Knowledge is Power.” In this chapter he examines college athletes chances of becoming a pro athlete (one in 50,000) and then gently reminds athletes about the important of obtaining an education so that they can find a job once they graduate. He also provides 10 study tips as well as a page at the end of the chapter with three tips on what to do when you don’t have homework.

Some of the suggestions in his book – for example never bad mouth a couch or an opponent – will come across as things that should already be put into practice by athletes and things that most coaches teach athletes at a young age, however, the problem with this generation of high school athletes is they have forgotten the fine art of sportsmanship. Young athletes watch professional sports and they see Chad Johnson doing a dance after a touchdown, they see Terrell Owens wearing a racing jacket while riding a bike instead of practising and they get bombarded with streetball videos from companies like AND1. While all of these antics are enjoyable to watch the problem for adolescents is they think this is the normal way to approach athletics. Because this is the only way they see to act in sports they feel that they can treat opponents and coaches in a disrespectful manner like they see their favourite athletes do on television. This kind of attitude can turn off college coaches that might be recruiting them and it will definitely give them a bad rep with a college coach once on campus, thus limiting their playing time. Scales does an excellent job of cutting through the pollution of sports by the media and he does great job of informing young athletes on the proper way to act and talk on and off the field.

Another thing about his book that impressed me was the emphasis that he placed on the importance of the mind, body and soul. Most teens feel that if they learn the game plan and work out in the weight room that they will be prepared for games and they neglect their soul when it comes to athletics. Scales informs athletes that things like diet, alcohol and drug use, personal hygiene, sexual activity, sleep, laughter, stress and their soul are all attributes that come into play when your competing.

I was also impressed with the willingness Scales had to include his Christian faith in this book. Throughout the entire book Scales was able to include scripture verses and biblical principles that related to the concept he was dealing with. It was a refreshing change to see a writer include his faith in a book that wasn’t written just for Christians. Usually when someone includes their faith a book will be targeted just at Christians but this is a book that every high school student athlete should read, whether they are a Christian or not.

I want to finish off this review by stating that following the ideas of this book may not give you street cred but it will help you appreciate the game while helping you achieve greater personal success. Because of this I highly recommend this book to any young athlete. Whether you are hoping to play NCAA athletics or if you are just looking for a way to improve you game, this book will do an excellent job molding how you act on and off the field and in the process help you become stronger spirit, body and mind.