The Daily Fix: Featuring Marreese Speights’ Wacky Stat Line
We’re talking ’bout preseason. Not the season. Not the season. Preseason:
Preseason Extravaganza Game Versus Random European Team
Detroit Pistons 91, Maccabi Haifa 69
Quick Hits: If you were wondering if the three-big lineup of Greg Monroe, Josh Smith and Andre Drummond would work against Maccabi’s frontline of Moran Roth, Ike Ofoegbu and Brian Randle, now you know that it does. Detroit’s three bigs combined for 42 points and 21 rebounds on 16-of-26 from the field (Smith went 3-for-4 from 3-point land)… Kantavious Caldwell-Pope shot 1-for-12 and Josh Harrellson shot 0-for-6… Chauncey Billups started alongside Brandon Jennings.
The Two Teams That Got Stuck Going to Manchester Are…
Oklahoma City Thunder 103, Philadelphia 76ers 99
Quick Hits: Bigger minutes for most rotational guys … Durant dropped 18 and 11 in 36 minutes … Reggie Jackson poured in 29 points, eight dimes and six boards in 36 minutes … Jeremy Lamb struggled shooting, going 0-for-8 from distance with five turnovers in 40 minutes … Tony Wroten led Philly with 20 points in just 22 minutes … Evan Turner played a team-high 36 minutes and scored 19 with seven boards … Vander Blue didn’t play (which is more important than Kendrick Perkins not playing, because in the preseason, your name and obscurity are very, very important).
Overtime Thriller Preseason Game Where Tyshawn Taylor Had Seven Turnovers
Brooklyn Nets 111, Washington Wizards 106
Quick Hits: Deron Williams didn’t play and Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson all played 12 minutes… Shaun Livingston had a highlight jam in the first; you have to give him credit for sticking around after that knee injury … Nene dropped 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, which should be a good sign since his shooting percentages have been declining for a few years now … John Wall scored 16 points, dropped eight dimes and grabbed five boards in 30 minutes … Pops Mensah-Bonsu is back in the NBA (I always kinda thought he could make a roster) … Eric Maynor shot 1-for-7 for just three points … Jan Vesely grabbed 12 boards, but scored just three points and he fouled out in 28 minutes.
The Rest of the Night
Cleveland Cavaliers 99, Milwaukee Bucks 87
Quick Hits: Brandon Knight had an impressive night; four points on 1-for-8 shooting and a minus-19 plus/minus in 20 minutes … Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 14 points and blocked three shots in 29 minutes (plus-3 plus/minus)… Anthony Bennett shot 2-for-12 (seven points), but grabbed 10 boards in just 23 minutes … Kenny Kadji scored 15 points and grabbed five boards in 12 minutes (6’11” undrafted rookie) … The Cavaliers have the longest bench I’ve seen (15 guys) … Stephen Graham led Milwaukee with 15 points in 19 minutes.
Atlanta Hawks 87, Charlotte Bobcats 85
Quick Hits: Mike Scott led all scorers with 19 points (he’s on the Hawks; even if you knew you had to think twice) … Dennis Schroder shot just 4-for-15 (nine points), but he did dish out seven assists … Charlotte shot 37 percent for the game … Michael Kidd-Gilchrist shot just 1-for-6 for three points … Al Jefferson played 26 minutes, but managed just seven points to go along with his nine boards … Ramon Sessions led Charlotte with 17 points and six assists (no one else had more than two).
Utah Jazz 101, Golden State Warriors 78
Quick Hits: The Jazz also have a 15-man bench … John Lucas led all scorers with 16 points … Alec Burks came off the bench while Richard Jefferson started on the opposite wing of Gordon Hayward; are the Jazz really going to start a washed up Jefferson over 22-year-old Burks? I hope not … Gordon Hayward filled up the box score with eight points, eight boards and seven assists … Marreese Speights scored 13 points in 17 minutes, but had a minus-20 plus/minus (that takes skill) … Harrison Barnes sat out with left foot inflammation and Jermaine O’Neal sat out with excessive oldness (OK, it was lower back pain) … Joe Alexander still hasn’t made his Warriors debut; we’re getting restless here, Joe.
Los Angeles Lakers 90, Denver Nuggets 88
Quick Hits: JaVale McGee led the Nuggets with 14 points in 28 minutes … Kenneth Faried grabbed 10 boards in 14 minutes. Whether Faried can take on an expanded role will be key for the Nuggets. I like to think of the Manimal as the anti-Paul Millsap; same size, but their games couldn’t be any different (which isn’t a knock on either player) … Andre Miller played just six minutes, while Nate Robinson played 27 minutes and Ty Lawson played 24; is it safe to say they’re looking for someone to call with an inquiry for Miller? … No one on the Lakers didn’t anything newsworthy (I initially had written that Shawne Williams had a plus/minus of plus-17, then I realized no one would care about that at all).
The Daily Rant
I’ve come to a conclusion about JaVale McGee; he has a giant’s complex. This guy must have always been treated differently throughout his AAU days, which HAS to be contribute to his bizarre behavior and surplus of mental mistakes. Every time anything happens, he seems like a desperate 40-year-old actor who was finally given multiple lines in a movie and is noticeably overacting. Every time McGee gets touched he flops flails his arms and I think he gets fewer calls because of it. Every time the crowd starts to get behind something he did, he instantly makes a mental mistake. Somebody’s got to calm that boy down because right now, he’s just frustrating and borderline annoying to watch. Denver should have made him have a weekend camping trip with Tim Duncan or Troy Polamalu, who might be able to put a little zen in him (this wasn’t all taken from Tuesday’s game; these are just the things that I think about in my free time).
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