FreeDarko Presents: The Disciples Of Clyde NBA Podcast

 

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In the exciting conclusion to Part 1, Dan and Ken get together to talk about things that have hardly anything to do with what was going on in the earlier episode.

What, in fact, did they talk about? That’s for you to decide. Or, rather, to listen to.

Songs from the episode:

“The Plan” - Richard Hell and the Voidoids
“Let’s Take A Trip Together” - Morphine
“Roygbiv” - Boards of Canada

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Follow @DanFilowitz and @discipleKen on Twitter. Twice the inanity, same low price.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Inspired by other geniuses, Dan Filowitz tries his hand at one of these xtranormal.com movies. Enjoy!

URL: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6176345

 

 Standard Podcast [51:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Dan is joined by Ken, who was first on an old computer and then on an old phone.

Ken says he used to have good equipment, but that his dog ate it.

This dog:

Anyway, they still managed to get in a good discussion of the Bucks playing defense, Brandon Jennings playing point guard, the Thunder playing defense, the Knicks playing decently, Nate Robinson playing, John Wall playing incredibly, the poor play in the Kentucky-Louisville game, and Gilbert playing with guns.

No playing!

Songs from the episode:

“Brand New Day” - Dizzee Rascal
“Great Expectations” - The New Year
“Tron Man Speaks” - Antipop Consortium
“It Ain’t Nuthin’ (The Chapter Remix)” - MF Doom
“Freaks in Charge” - Superchunk

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So the Knicks suck. They seem to be a team that has compromised defense for offense only they still suck at offense. Which isn’t good. That’s how you lose almost every game against teams that don’t have a bus accident on the way to the arena.

The offense is based on shooting.. One guy on the entire team can shoot consistently, but he is still too young to buy beer.

Yep.

Being terrible is always terrible, but especially so when you don’t own the draft pick that will make a terrible season palatable. Such is life, and as such we must move forward.

In the name of not just bitching, here are a few players that could be moved to bring young assets in the form of picks, young players, or the rights to foreign players (such as Ricky Rubio or Tiago Splitter). Onward and upward, friends.

Al Harrington

The problem with Al’s future as a Knick, something he is currently working his ass off to ensure despite mounting evidence that it won’t happen, is that a non-insulting salary for him would mess up their free agent spending this summer. He should be a goner. Harrington is showing an all around game that made him a great 6^th man earlier in his career and a, it seems, a new level of intensity. Nonetheless, some playoff team can get a 20ppg talent who can defend both forward positions, who isn’t a douchebag, for a draft pick or a young player. He would make soooooo much sense for Cleveland (for JJ Hickson) if they weren’t paranoid about giving the Knicks another asset with which to woo Lebron this summer. Lebron and Al Harrington is a forward combination that WOULD HAVE BEATEN THE MAGIC LAST YEAR. He might work for Houston or Chicago, as well. Toronto, too. Maybe even Boston (if KG’s knee becomes an issue). I’m just saying.

Chris Duhon

He flashed something special last year, but that might have been an aberration. He’s simply too limited as a scorer to be considered part of anybody’s future. His effort seems to lag, too. Nonetheless, a team looking for point guard depth or a splash of unselfishness and defense (Orlando, Philly, Lakers) would do well to swap an expiring contract and an underutilized young player or draft pick for Duhon.

Nate Robinson

Mark my words: we will all be packing N8’s bags for several weeks and then he will go on a f***ing tear like he did after Christmas last year. When that happens the Knicks should trade him when he can bring back a late first round pick or a young player. The Lakers, Magic and especially the Bulls will need a bench guard who can create his own shot.

Wilson Chandler

A tough one to let go. This may be a fish or cut bait season for Chandler because a guy should really be better in his third year than he was in his first. If the only offense Chandler feels like contributing is long jump shot, if he keeps shooting at a volume that self-identifies him as primarily a scorer and if he doesn’t progress as a rebounder or passer, then maybe the Knicks should move him while he still impresses other teams with potential. A combo forward will be a hot commodity when teams realize that they have to match up with all the other teams that will try to copy Orlando’s success from last year. Or a team that is rebuilding and needs a SF. How about Kosta Koufos and CJ Miles or Spencer Hawes? How about Ramon Sessions?

Darko Milicic

I have a feeling that with some burn he will demonstrate enough friskiness to make people think that he could approximate what he gave Orlando in the playoffs a few years ago. Contending teams need rotation depth at the 5, and Darko’s size and passing should make him a nice component of a second unit that has other avenues to get points. What can that bring in return that isn’t a long term contract? Hopefully a draft pick or a young role player.

Larry Hughes

As much of a pleasant surprise as a woefully bad value for 13 million dollars a year can be, Hughes seems to be demonstrating at least a little bit of self-awareness as he tries to carve a niche for himself for the tail end of his career. Hughes can still offer a modest scoring/ball handling/frisky defense combination to somebody’s second unit. A playoff team in need of backcourt depth might give you a prospect from the end of their bench for him.

It was all so promising at the beginning.

Sure, Knicks fans knew about the baggage, the history.  The selfishness.  The inability to play for a winning team.

We didn’t care.  The Knicks were beyond depressing at that point.

Bringing Steph back home, it could have made the Knicks fun again.

Now we know it didn’t. He put up some very impressive numbers, especially in 2004-2005 (21.7pts, 8.1ast, 3.0reb, 2.8tov, 21.9 PER, 46.2%fg, 83.4%ft, 35.4%3pt, 57.5%ts).

Of course, we’ll mostly remember that season for Steph’s statement in January 2005:

“Don’t get me wrong — I love Jason Kidd. He’s a great point guard. But how am I comparing myself to him when I think I’m the best point guard to play basketball? That doesn’t make any sense. I mean, how can I sit here and compare myself to somebody if I already think I’m the best?”

And this was not that long after Jason Kidd absolutely destroyed him in the 2004 playoffs.  Incidentally, the last time the Knicks even made the playoffs.

It was not meant to be, this particular homecoming.  Things devolved, and rather quickly.  The Larry Brown year.  The threats to Isiah on the plane to Phoenix.  The D’Antoni/Walsh exile.

So, despite arriving on the wings of hope and promise, mostly we’ll remember him for the negativity. For the dark cloud that always seemed to follow him.  For the sadness.  For the jokes everyone got to make at our expense.

But also for the glorious weirdness.

The bizzare.

The factorial.

So, on behalf of the Disciples of Clyde, Knicks fans, and good people everywhere, so long, Steph.

It is no longer possible to escape men. Farewell to the monsters, farewell to the saints. Farewell to pride. All that is left is men.
- Jean Paul Sartre

Not too long before the All Star break, the Knicks had a stretch of games the MSG marketing folks called “Dream Week.”  They played the Lakers, Cavs, and Celtics in the same week, all at the Garden.

The Knicks went 0-3 that week.  However, they played well enough in each game to give rise to a lot of Moral Victory talk.  Even David Lee said it was the best 0-3 week he ever had.

The team then went out and promptly lost to the Blazers, the Warriors, and the Clippers.

All of this got me to thinking about what a Moral Victory in the NBA is really worth.  Let’s take a look:

As you can see, a Moral Victory is worth nothing in terms of actual wins.

In terms of expected future wins, Moral Victories are worth more to fans than to players, especially against bad teams, where after a Moral Victory, fans expect the team to win 100% of future games against bad teams.

It surprised our analysts to find that a Moral Victory did increase expectations of future wins for players - it seems that all that talk about “taking it one game at a time” is just so much platitude nonsense.

However, past Moral Victories have no relation to future actual wins.

This, once and for all, should end talk about how valuable close losses to good teams can be.  Though, interestingly, this does show that a close loss against a good team will by definition lead to increased fan expectations and thus more talk, continuing the cycle in perpetuity.

Apparently, we can’t kill Moral Victories, even with math.

We’ve plugged him before, but, seriously, if you’re not up on what Gian is doing at Seven Seconds or Mess, you need to get up on it right quick.

Look at this breakdown of the Knicks’ breakdown at the end of the Blazers game.  You’re not going to see anything better.

Thanks, Gian. Keep up the awesomeness.

 

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This week, with Ken busy (probably out saving orphans and puppies) the Disciples of Clyde welcome Detroit’s own Tony Lawry to the NBA Podcast.

Dan and Tony talk about:

- The old Pistons

- The new Pistons

- Annie Potts

- Dan going to the Knicks-Cavs game at the Garden

- Apparent gun shot wounds

A good time was had by all. Especially you, the listener!

According to Alan Hahn:

“The Knicks, Warriors and Clippers are talking about a three-way deal that would involve Jamal Crawford, Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins being sent in a cap-space clearing move that would bring in Tim Thomas, Cuttino Mobley and Al Harrington.

The contracts on all three incoming players expire in 2010.”

Everything about that would make me happy, except for the part that says “Tim Thomas.”  There is no player in the NBA I would find it more displeasurable to root for.

If this goes through, though, expect these two things:

- Decidedly more mediocre basketball this season

- A big free agent in 2010

So, yay-ish?