We're Ba-aak

So yeah, it’s been awhile.
Plenty has gone down since we last palavered, but we’ve got neither the time nor the inclination to rehash every important event and news story of the past six months. There were a few highlights that merit mentioning, however, so let’s get our chores out of the way before returning to business.

Right. So how ‘bout them Chiefs? Yowzah. Turns out you can’t play the Cover 2 without a D- line (Or linebackers. Or safeties.) after all. Aren’t you glad your team got to sponsor that little Pro Football research project? Personally, I thought Herm deserved one more year, but I can’t fault Mr. Hunt for dumping Snarling Carl. The moment that decision was made, Herm’s fate was sealed.

Needless to say, it was time for Peterson to find a new hobby. The former GM (I get goose bumps just typing it) negotiated with players as if free agency never even happened – no doubt a symptom of his swollen superego – and operated under the ridiculous assumption that his feelings were more important to the franchise than those of its players. A certain Pro Bowl defensive end comes to mind, among others.

Peterson was in complete denial about the state of the modern NFL employment market, a long-term trend we may consider in future posts.
Front-office makeover aside, it’s tough to see the ‘08 season as anything other than a monumental waste and utter failure.
Draft day, here we come. (Again)

One development of a much more pleasing nature (at least to your procrastinating publisher) has been the outstanding play of the Missouri men’s basketball team. Mike Anderson is makin’ me look damn good. Truth is, he’s finally got his recruits in place, and the team is as deep as it is defensively aggressive.

The real difference, though, has come on offense. Not since the oft-lauded days of Norm Stewart has a Missouri team worked as hard as this one does in its half-court sets. For years (the Snyder years in particular, as well as Anderson’s first two) the Tigers’ set offense consisted of little more than dribble-drives and three point bombs. No picks, no cuts, and few passes.

Granted, Missouri still shoots more three-pointers than it should. Difference is, this team actually has some natural shooters. Freshmen Kim English and Marcus Denmon (a Hogan Prep grad) can both make a man pay for doubling off of them, and their overall shot selection is good for young players. Throw in Matt Lawrence coming off of ten well-set, hard screens a night and you’re halfway to achieving one of the most crucial elements of good offense: balance -- a concept with which previous Missouri teams have been woefully unfamiliar.

And then there’s the defense. Forcing a good Kansas team into 27 turnovers is one thing (Missouri has forced 15+ TOs in 8 of 11 conference games and hasn’t yet forced fewer than ten), but statistics don't convey all the effects of Anderson’s style of play. For every steal and forced turnover, this team makes two or three traps, deflections, and assaults on the ball-handler. (There were unconfirmed reports last week that Chickenhawk PG Sherron Collins is looking into pressing charges. Luckily, Quin Snyder has agreed to represent JT Tiller in the matter -- that Duke Law degree has got to be worth something...)

But there’s one slight misconception about 40 minutes of hell that most sports journalists (yours truly included) have proliferated over the past three seasons. Every time someone describes this style of play, they inevitably talk about increasing the number of possessions in the game, and it’s true, the Tigers do, but it’s slightly more complicated than that.

See, the Tigers don’t just increase the number of overall possessions in the game, they up the count of their own possessions when compared to their opponents. By pressing the entire game, Missouri increases the amount of time its opponent takes to advance the ball past half-court -- slowing down the offense, wasting shot-clock, and limiting the number of that unfortunate team’s potential possessions.

But here’s the key -- by running on EVERY defensive rebound and nearly every turnover, Missouri also shortens its own average possession and multiplies the likelihood that it will take more shots than its opponents.

In conference play, the Tigers have out-shot their opponents in ten of eleven games, and their offensive efficiency (almost three assists per turnover) helps make every extra shot count. It’s kinda like the inverse alley-cat, for all you South grads out there – ball control with the shot-clock in mind. The difference is, Missouri controls the ball on defense – an influence few teams can muster. (See the 2008 Boston Celtics or any Gregg Poppovich team.)

Don’t think for a second that I’m dumb enough to make a prediction about this team, either, ‘cause the minute I do, you know they’ll tank faster than your stock portfolio. That said, an NCAA Tourney berth is extremely exciting and a treat Tiger fans have missed for nearly half a decade.

I think the Scott Pioli/Todd Haley hires deserve their own post, and it’s too early to make any meaningful analysis or predictions about what they might do next year, but let’s note: On the surface, I like both hires. Each is young (relatively), confident, and philosophically aggressive, both in scheme and personality. Both boast impressive pedigrees (though the media over-hypes the fact), and will likely work well together toward the common goal of winning. These are blanket generalizations and blatant assumptions, of course, but hey, it’s the off-season. Look for more on the subject soon.

The NBA regular season is plugging along, and there have been few surprises so far. Boston and LA are great again, as expected, and the Cavaliers are finally realizing some of LBJ’s infinite potential. As the draft deadline approaches, however, Cleveland likely needs help the worst. The ascent of the Magic and Dwight Howard, though expected, has helped the Eastern Conference balance itself with the West, which has been dominant for damn near a decade.

And then, there’s A-Rod. What can one possibly write about this topic that you haven’t already read?
Let’s leave it at this: A-Rod got the long, hard shaft on this one. The Union should have never agreed to “anonymous” testing in an era when unnamed sources outnumber identified ones and your commissioner makes no bones about hanging his players out to dry. The trend in sports journalism (hell, all journalism these days) is to publish first, verify later, and fuck everybody in-between.

So, sorry, Alex -- consider yourself reamed. The fact that Selig insists he deserves none of the blame for the steroid era nor the leak itself gives you a good idea of what kind of fella he is. Pretty scary when you think about it.

Alright, I think we’re about as caught up as we're gonna get for now. We hope to see you again next week – same bat-time, same bat-channel.