The Good, Bad and the Ugly: Oct. 27th, 2010

No, Yao, you're not in a dream.  No, I can't believe Monta Ellis' efficiency either.

The Good, Bad and the Ugly is the Pick and Scroll's way of looking at the previous nights games.  We take a look at some (but not all) of the good, the not-so-good, and the downright atrocious for each team.

Yesterday featured 13 NBA games, so this is going to be a big post.  I hope the 15 of you that read it enjoy it or at least don't hate it.

Detroit Pistons (0-1)

• The Good:  Assists, turnovers and steals were good, with 21 assists to only 6 turnovers, and they also stole the ball 7 times.  Individually, Ben Gordon reminds of the old Ben Gordon, with 12 points on 6 shots.  They also did a good job getting to the line, for 30 attempts.  The bench probably played better than the starters.
• The Bad:  The defense was really bad, allowing New Jersey to shoot almost 49% from the field and 43% from three.  The starters also weren't anything special.  They weren't atrocious, but they just don't have a go-to player out there.  They got beat on the glass by 7, and remember those 30 FTA?  They only made 16 of them.
• The Ugly:  The first "Austin Daye as PF" experiment failed miserably, and he only had 4 points on 8 shots, with 3 boards.  Tracy McGrady was also bad off the bench, not scoring in his 13 minutes.

New Jersey Nets (1-0)

• The Good:  The offense and rebounding were two big positives for New Jersey.  Brook Lopez looked great, and Devin Harris had a stat line reminiscent of his All-Star year.  Rookie Derrick Favors also had a positive impact during his 20 minutes, almost posting a double-double.
• The Bad: New Jersey sent Detroit to the line too much.  It could've cost New Jersey the game if Detroit could've hit their free throws.
• The Ugly:  Travis Outlaw, 1-7 from the field, 5 points, 3 boards and 5 fouls in only 21 minutes. Ouch.

Rest of the teams after the jump.
New York Knicks (1-0)

• The Good:  The Knicks were able to beat the Raptors on the glass, and also block twice as many shots, thanks to Ronny Turiaf, who had a good night off the bench and probably should be starting.  Wilson Chandler had 22 and 8 off the bench and Landry Fields is proving doubters wrong with a nice game as the starting shooting guard.
• The Bad:  The Assist to Turnover ratio of 12 to 15 was bad, and Amar'e was the main culprit, with 9 by himself, almost earning himself a dubious points-rebounds-turnovers triple-double.  Bill Walker and Roger Mason were terrible off the bench.
• The Ugly: Timofey Mozgov should not be your starting center, despite his success in preseason.  Preseason is a different beast.  This rookie still needs to figure out the NBA, and right now all he's gonna give you is a hard foul.  He had 4 of them in 7 minutes, and 3 rebounds. 

Toronto Raptors (0-1)

• The Good:  Jarrett Jack looks very comfortable playing the point, and he did well with 16 points on 15 shots, as well as 6 assists, 4 boards and 3 steals.  Reggie Evans, despite not scoring, played tough D and grabbed 16 boards.
• The Bad:  Demar DeRozan struggled all night, especially with his jumper.  The Toronto bench also wasn't good either, aside from David Andersen.
• The Ugly:  Toronto needs to be more efficient on offense.  For a team that only plays offense, 38% shooting is not gonna get it done any night.

Miami Heat (1-1)

• The Good:  A much better game from the Heat this time around, Dwyane Wade erupted for 30 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks, and got good contributions from James and Bosh as well.  James Jones was lights out from the bench as well, scoring 20 points on 7-10 from the field, and 6-9 from three.  Three point marksmen are gonna love playing with the Heat because they will get tons of open looks.
• The Bad:  LeBron had 9 turnovers.  This team still needs to figure each other out.  Also, they should beat a Sixers team by more than ten.
• The Ugly:  Everyone not named James, Bosh, Wade, or Jones.  16 points for the rest of the team.

Philadelphia 76ers (0-1)

• The Good:  This team managed to beat Miami on the boards, with help from Elton Brand and Evan Turner.  Speaking of Brand and Turner, they were probably the best players for the Sixers tonight.  Brand had 12 pts, 9 boards, 3stls and 2 blks, while Turner had 16 points on 70% shooting, 7 boards and 4 assists.  Perhaps that bust talk was a bit premature, eh ESPN?
• The Bad:  The Starters.  Other than Brand, nobody had a good night, and you have to have a good night to beat the Heat.  Sophomore Jrue Holiday especially struggled, and Spencer Hawes would have been better if he wasn't there.  
• The Ugly:  The 3rd quarter saw the Heat run away with this game and the Sixers only score 13 points.  After hanging with this team for the first half, that was a deathblow for Philly.  You cannot take a play off, much less a quarter against this team.

Boston Celtics (1-1)

• The Good:  Rondo was brilliant once again, leading his team in scoring and assists, and Kevin Garnett, while not having a great scoring night, brought in 15 boards.  Rondo even nailed a three pointer.  Glen Davis was once again big off the bench, with 14 points on 7-11 shooting and 5 boards to boot.
• The Bad:  This team couldn't hit a three tonight.  3-12 overall, including a disappointing 0-5 from Ray Allen. Also, outside of Davis, the bench could not get it going.  Nate Robinson had another night where he played limited minutes but still kept on chucking, going 1-6 in 12 minutes.
• The Ugly:  The 4th quarter saw this team lose the game.  Scoring only 14 points, the Cavs would come back and win by 8.

Cleveland Cavaliers (1-0)

• The Good:  J.J. Hickson came up big with 21 points on 11 shots.  He's the guy in Cleveland right now, and although he didn't board well, he made up for it with his offense.  Varejao played solid defense, hit the glass, and helped move the ball from the pivot.  The new Princeton offense did not disappoint, and Cleveland showed how to beat Boston's defense the exact opposite way Miami did: by moving the ball.
• The Bad:  Antawn Jamison is a very expensive bench option. He only saw 20 minutes of action, and had 4 points and 4 boards to show for it.  Cleveland needs to move him asap, even if its just for an expiring.
• The Ugly:  No ugly for Cleveland tonight, they beat a much better team by playing together.  Good start to the season after a tumultuous offseason.

Chicago Bullls (0-1)

• The Good:  They crushed the Thunder on the glass, with much of that credit going to Joakim Noah (19 boards) and Taj Gibson (11).  Speaking of Noah, he threw in 18 points on 13 shots, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks to boot.  
• The Bad:  Yes Derrick Rose had 28 points.  But it took him an Iverson-esque 31 shots to get those 28 points, and despite rumors of an improved jumper, he missed all four of his threes.  He also had five of his shots blocked.  Also, Chicago's bench other than C.J. Watson was mostly a non-factor.  
• The Ugly:  Chicago allowed Oklahoma City to get to the line a ridiculous 47 times compared to their 22.  The Thunder capitalized too, making 81% of their FTs.

Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0)

• The Good:  Russell Westbrook matched Rose's scoring output, but on 16 less shots.  He also had 10 boards, 6 assists, 2 steals and a block.  Durant may have outscored him by 2, but it was far less efficient.  Westbrook is really blossoming into a star, and to be honest, I might prefer him to Rose.
• The Bad:  Why is Serge Ibaka not a starter yet?  Green seems built for the bench as a scoring punch, but Ibaka is the one who sits.  He had 8 points, 9 boards and 4 blocks in 30 minutes there too. 
• The Ugly:  Daequan Cook (0-4 all from three)? I don't know, the Thunder look good right now.

Sacramento Kings (1-0)

• The Good:  With Tyreke Evans out the Kings played great team basketball on offense, managing 25 assists to only 13 turnovers.  Francisco Garcia and Luther Head combined for 36 points on only 17 shots, Carl Landry had 22 and 11 as well, and rookie DeMarcus Cousins came up big in the 4th to finish with a nice NBA debut of 14 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists.  The team also got to the line a LOT, getting 47 attempts.
• The Bad:  Despite the offense looking good, the defense was bad, allowing Minnesota to shoot 47.3% and 44.4% from three.  
• The Ugly:  Donté Greene's offense (his defense was good) was bad.  He took the shots you want him to take, but he just couldn't hit.  His misses from the line continue to infuriate me however.

Minnesota Timberwolves (0-1)

• The Good:  The Wolves beat a much bigger Kings team on the boards, thanks to Kevin Love, Michael Beasley and Anthony Tolliver.  Luke Ridnour was on fire as well, with 20 points on 8-13 (2-2 from three), 6 assists and 5 rebounds.
• The Bad:  The Wolves had a big problem with foul trouble in this game, committing 32 of them, and sending the Kings to the line 47 times.  Pekovic was especially having trouble, with 4 in only 11 minutes.
• The Ugly:  Kurt Rambis.  In a close game, how in the world do you sit your best player.  Love had a double-double in 23 minutes, and was stroking it from outside as well (2-3 from three).  But he was nowhere to be seen in the final quarter, and the Wolves definitely could have used him to get some extra opportunities or run the offense through him.  I just don't get it.  You can't use Al Jefferson as an excuse anymore Rambis.

Utah Jazz (0-1)

• The Good:  Jeremy Evans came into the game late when it was already over but was productive.  11 points in 11 minutes on 5 shots.  Way to take advantage of your minutes.
• The Bad:  Al Jefferson was supposed to be the next big thing in Utah.  6 points and 7 boards in 30 minutes is not gonna cut it.  The 3 blocks were a nice touch though, but too little too late.
• The Ugly:  Where do we start? 38.6% shooting? 22 turnovers?  So much for that perfect preseason record.

Denver Nuggets (1-0)

• The Good:  Well Carmelo definitely seems to be focusing on just playing basketball right now, even if it isn't for the Knicks, and he had a typical Carmelo game: 23 points on 16 shots, 9-10 from the line.  Arron Afflalo chipped in with 22 of his own, and he was even more efficient, shooting 8-11 from the field and 3-5 from downtown.  Not to be forgotten, Shelden Williams, despite 3-11 shooting, had 8 points and 16 boards.
• The Bad:  Utah got to the line too often in this foul heavy game.  This game would've been even more lopsided had Denver not fouled so much.
• The Ugly:  J.R. Smith.  1-7 in 22 minutes.  Also, he has bad tattoos.  But so does everyone on the Nuggets it seems. 

Charlotte Bobcats (0-1)

• The Good:  Tyrus Thomas was about the only bright spot in this game, getting 22 points on 8-15 FGs in 30 minutes off the bench.  I don't understand why he's not starting.
• The Bad:  Pretty much everything.  Nobody other than Jackson and Thomas could buy a shot, and they turned the ball over way too much (20 times).  D.J. Augustin was particularly horrific, shooting 2-10 in 40 minutes.  I think I might want to change my pick for MIP.
• The Ugly:  The vaunted Charlotte defense was nowhere to be seen.  Dallas shot 54.7% from the field.  When all you have is defense, you sort of have to play it.  They didn't tonight.

Dallas Mavericks (1-0)

• The Good:  The offense was awesome.  Dirk had 28 points and only missed 2 shots, as well as grabbing 13 boards.  Jason Terry threw in 22 points with 10-15 shooting.  Jason Kidd had a vintage Jason Kidd game, only scoring 12, but dishing out 18 assists, and accumulating 3 steals too.  Even Tyson Chandler looked ok, with 8 and 8 as well as 2 blocks.
• The Bad:  Caron Butler still looks out of sync with the Mavericks.  Only 5-16 from the field.  If he can figure it out, the Mavericks could look scary come May.
• The Ugly: Other than hitting the boards, Shawn Marion does not look good coming off the bench.  He cannot shoot at all anymore, so he's a bit like Matt Barnes now, except probably worse.

Indiana Pacers (0-1)

• The Good:  The core of Danny Granger, Darren Collison and Roy Hibbert looks like a good one.  28 points and 9 boards for Hibbert tonight, as well as 3 blocks and 3 assists.  Granger chipped in with 26, and Collison had 19 and 7 assists.  Only 3 turnovers, which is good for him.  T.J. Ford also deserves a mention, coming off the bench and hitting 4 shots without missing.  Good for him, and way to showcase the expiring contract Indiana.  Also, 53.2% from the field for the Pacers.  Good stuff.
• The Bad:  23 turnovers to only 20 assists.  It probably cost Indiana the game too, as the Spurs took care of the ball.
• The Ugly:  Paul George did not have a good debut.  1-5 from the field, and 0-3 from downtown.  He also had 3 turnovers.  He almost had the same stat line as James Posey.  Hopefully its better from here Pacers fans.  He just needs to figure out when to shoot, and when not to.

San Antonio Spurs (1-0)

• The Good:  Duncan had a stellar game, 23 points, only missing 2 shots, 12 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 4 blocks with only 1 turnover.  Tony Parker added 20 and 9 assists, and Richard Jefferson started the season off strong this time, scoring 16 on 6 shots.
• The Bad:  DeJuan Blair did not have a good night.  He only shot 2-9, and even more surprising only had 3 boards in 20 minutes. 
• The Ugly:  The Spurs might have beat the Pacers, but they still let them shoot over 53%.  This needs to get better if they want to contend for a title again.

Milwaukee Bucks (0-1)

• The Good:  Carlos Delfino had a good night, with 19 points on 12 shots, and 3 steals and 5 boards.  Corey Maggette did exactly what he was supposed to do off the bench, shooting 4-8, but getting to the line 8 times.  He hit all of them too, to give him 16 points in 20 minutes.  It was also nice to see Bogut back, even though he didn't have the best shooting game.  Still, 15 points and 15 boards.
• The Bad:  It looks like Brandon Jennings still has some learning to do on what is and isn't a good shot, as he shot 5-14 (2-6 from three), and also had trouble with Chris Paul, picking up 5 fouls.
• The Ugly:  Everyone on the bench other than Maggette.  6 points on 9 shots, 5 fouls, only 3 boards in a combined 39 minutes for those guys.  Not good.

New Orleans Hornets (1-0)

• The Good:  Chris Paul is back! 17 points, 16 assists, 4 boards and only 1 turnover.  He did a superb job running this team.  David West was also very efficient, adding 22 points on 14 shots and 7 boards. New Orleans did a great job taking care of the ball, with only 9 turnovers, and also 23 assists.
• The Bad:  New Orleans could not shoot from deep, hitting only 4-17.
• The Ugly:  Trevor Ariza still hasn't figured out that carrying an offense isn't his thing, and he threw up bad shot after bad shot, going 4-13 overall and 1-6 from downtown.  Stop shooting threes Trevor, you're really not that good at them.

Atlanta Hawks (1-0)

• The Good:  Zaza Pachulia had a great game off the bench as Atlanta was in control of this game from the beginning.  Pachulia had 17 points on 7 shots, and 11 boards and 2 blocks as well.  Bibby had a throwback game as well, scoring 19 on 9 shots, only missing two and hitting all four of his threes.  Atlanta his 50% of their 3PA, and 52.5% overall.
• The Bad:  Joe Johnson struggled shooting wise, going 6-16 and only 1-5 from three.  This is your highest paid player. Awesome.
• The Ugly:  Al Horford had a really bad start to the season, 1-5 from the field, 3 fouls, and only played 18 minutes.

Memphis Grizzlies (0-1)

• The Good:  Mike Conley stepped up big time, scoring 23 points on 9-15 shooting, with 5 boards and 8 assists.  Maybe this is the year it clicks for him.  Darrell Arthur had a career scoring game starting for the injured Marc Gasol with 19 points on 9-12 shooting.  Rudy Gay threw in 21 points and 10 boards for good measure.  Sam Young was stellar off the bench with 17 points on 8-12, with 5 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals and a block in 26 minutes.
• The Bad:  Zach Randolph got off to a bad start (1-6) and then missed the rest of the game with a rolled ankle.  With Randolph and Gasol out, Memphis got beat on the boards.
• The Ugly:  These Grizzlies have the same problem sharing the ball as last year.  Only 13 assists on the game, and 14 turnovers.  Also, Hasheem Thabeet and Tony Allen combined for 0-10 from the field, 5 fouls, and 4 boards.  Thabeet did have 2 blocks, but he was also a team low -18.  Allen was 2nd with -17.  

Houston Rockets (0-2)

• The Good:  Houston got to the line a ridiculous amount of times (52) and converted as well.  Kevin Martin made all 17 of his Free Throws on his way to 28 points, and Luis Scola hit 8 of his 12 for part of his 36 points.  Scola continued to rebound well, with 16 boards.  
• The Bad:  The Rockets got outrebounded by the Warriors by six, something that probably shouldn't happen if you want to win the game, even though the Warriors are a better rebounding team now with David Lee.
• The Ugly:  The Rockets gave up 55.4% from the field.  Just atrocious defense, especially when going up against quite possibly the most lethal offense in the league.

Golden State Warriors (1-0)

• The Good:  Golden State's backcourt went bonkers on Houston, Monta Ellis especially.  Ellis scored 46 points on 18-24 from the field, and also only turned it over once, which is huge for him.  Curry had a slow start, but ended up with 25 points and 11 assists as well on 9-16 shooting.  Newcomer David Lee was big for the Warriors as well, with 17 points and 15 boards to go with 6 assists.
• The Bad:  The interior defense was pretty bad, giving up 36 points to Scola, but the 16 points to Hayes was probably worse.
• The Ugly:  This sort of goes with the bad interior defense, but the Warriors sent the Rockets to the line way too much.  52 times is just ridiculous, and its the only reason Houston was in the game (the Warriors had 10 more field goals made, and still only won by four).

Portland Trailblazers (2-0)

• The Good:  The Blazers owned the glass, outrebounding the Clippers by 10, including getting 21 offensive boards.  Three players (Roy, Camby and Aldridge) had 10 or more boards.  Nic Batum continues to be highly efficient, hitting 6 of his 7 shots, including 3-4 from three.  He also had 6 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
• The Bad:  Wes Matthews came back to Earth, going 2-7 from the field and missing all three of his 3PA.  Not a good game for him, but luckily the Blazers won anyway.
• The Ugly:  Armon Johnson played 2:40 seconds and picked up three fouls.  Ugly.

Los Angeles Clippers (0-1)

• The Good:  What a great NBA debut for Blake Griffin, my pick for RoY.  He scored 20 points, had 14 boards (9! offensive), and 4 assists as well.  Rasual Butler had a good game off the bench, scoring 16 points on 7 shots, thanks to his ace 3 point shooting (4-6).
• The Bad:  The team got to the line 30 times, but it only converted 63.3%.  Normally good shooters like Davis and Gordon were missing too, which was strange.  In a close game, you need to hit your freebies.
• The Ugly:  Chris Kaman had 8 points, but it took him 18 shots to get there and he didn't get to the line once.  Baron Davis (3-11), Ryan Gomes (1-6), and Randy Foye (1-4) also all had terrible shooting nights.

Whew! That was a lot of work.  Thankfully the NBA doesn't have 13 games every night.  Still, I'm glad it's back.