THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2014
PAGE 7
THE DAILY DEBATE
Which NBA team that's off to a hot start is the real deal?
By Joey Anguiano
@Joey Anguiano
"MILWAUKEE BUCKS"
It's widely known that basketball games aren't won on paper. If they were, the Cleveland Cavaliers would be undefeated right now, the Philadelphia 76ers would be winless (oh wait, they are) and the Milwaukee Bucks would only be slightly better than the 76ers. But, as cliché as it sounds, that's why you play the games. Right now, the Bucks (10-8) are one of the hottest teams in the NBA, and they could be the real deal.
What makes the Bucks better than expected?
ESPN.com's NBA preseason preview had the Bucks as the second worst team in the Eastern Conference. Las Vegas betting lines predicted they would only win 24.5 games. Looking at the Bucks' starting lineup, it's pretty easy to see why the expectations were low. The team is young and lacks the big names and star power of many other teams in the
league. But, both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker have developed into great young players who are entertaining to watch while filling up the box score. The two young stars recently combined for 36 points and 16 rebounds in a loss against the Houston Rockets.
Another thing that makes the Bucks a possible playoff contender is the way they share the ball. The team averages 22.2 assists per game, which is ninth best in the NBA. It is a team effort, with no one player averaging more than 5.9 assists a game. This means the Bucks are constantly seeking to get their teammates the ball for the better shot, even if it isn't always translating to points for them.
As a team, the Bucks' defense is doing well when it comes to stopping opponents from scoring, as shown by the fact that they are allowing the 10th fewest points per game in the NBA. The Bucks defense is suffocating opponents, forcing 15 turnovers a game (fifth best in the league)
and only allowing opponents to shoot 44 percent from the field (eighth best in the league).
right now, the Bucks are 17th in rebounds per game, which is a little lacking, but look for that number to go back up, as Zaza Pachulia is returning from a family funeral in Georgia (the country). Pachulia is a more well-rounded player than both of his backups, John Henson and Ersan Ilyasova. Pachulia averages more rebounds, assists, steals and points than Henson, and more rebounds, assists, steals and blocks than Ilyasova. Once Pachulia gets back into the lineup, the difference will be noticeable for the Bucks.
Starring two of the best young players in the league, the Bucks have the tools necessary to make an impact on the NBA season no one saw coming. If they can improve on their offense a little bit, then the turnaround might be quicker than expected in Milwaukee.
By Sean Collins
@seanzie
- Edited by Ketsie Jennings
"SACRAMENTO KINGS"
Despite their recent three-game losing streak, the Sacra-mento Kings have surprised many at the start of this season with how they have held their own compared to the past few years.
The Kings have begun the young season holding a 9-8 record in the Western Conference in the NBA, which has been the dominant conference for years. The Kings haven't had an easy road and have proved they can play with anyone so far, defeating the Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls and the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.
These wins can be contributed to the rise of young star center DeMarcus Cousins, who is in his fifth year out of Kentucky. Cousins has put up 23.5 points and 12.6 rebounds per contest, ranking him seventh in scoring and first in boards. Along with the star center, Rudy Gay has proved to be a consistent
scoring option for the Kings ranking 12th in scoring at 21.1 points per game.
21.1 points per game.
Gay has been crucial in helping Cousins lead the team, and recently signed a three-year, $40 million contract. Gay has played the best basketball of his career this year, posting career bests in player efficiency rating (22.1), win shares (.181), true shooting percentage (56.8) and assist percentage (17.9), per espn.com. Both Gay and Cousins gained more chemistry over the summer playing for the USA Men's National Team, as well.
The Kings were expected to struggle after losing point guard Isaiah Thomas to the Suns, but his replacement, Darren Collison, has played exceptionally well, posting 15.9 points and 6.6 assists per game.
Along with the addition of Collision, the Kings have had a much-improved bench, with a healthy Ray McCallum, Ramon Sessions, rookie Nik Stauskas, Reggie Evans and Carl Landry. With the team gaining a head of steam, the improvement of the young players in Ben
McLemore, McCallum and Stauskas will prove to be beneficial to the future of the team.
Even with the 9-8 record, the Kings have lost to strong teams in the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets and Spurs. Five of their eight losses have been to the powerhouse teams of the conference.
The Kings' December schedule will prove to be a lot easier than their schedule thus far, playing many Eastern Conference teams. They will face the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers in the next five games. Aside from the Raptors, who have started 13-4, the Kings should be favored in the next few games.
Because the Kings are in the tough Western Conference, they may not see the playoffs this year, but soon they will become one of the league's top teams with stars Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins.
Edited by Alyssa Scott
DAILY DEBATE RESULTS:
Should Clint Bowen remain head coach for next season?
NO: 29%
YES: 71%
St. Louis Rams, police differ on Ferguson protest apology
JOE HARRIS
Associated Press
L. G. PATTerson/ASSOCIATED PRES
ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis Rams official and a county police chief differed Monday about whether the team had apologized for the actions of five players who raised their hands during pregame festivities in a show of solidarity with Ferguson protesters.
On Sunday, St. Louis Rams players, (from left) Stedman Bailey (12), Austin Austin (11), Jared Cook (89) Chris Givens (13) and Kenny Britt (81) raise their arms in awareness of the events in Ferguson, Mo.
Kevin Demoff, the executive vice president of football operations for the Rams, denied in an email to the Associated Press that he'd apologized.
I expressed regret for any perceived disrespect of law enforcement," Demoff said. "Our players' goal was to show support for positive change in our community. I do believe that supporting our players' First Amendment rights and supporting local law enforcement are not mutually exclusive."
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said County Chief Jon Belmar told his staff by email Monday
night that Demoff had apologized. The email said Demoff "clearly regretted that any members of the Rams organization would act in a way that minimized the outstanding work that police officers carry out each and every day."
In an email sent to the AP, St. Louis County police Sgt. Shawn McGuire said Belmar interpreted Demoff's comments as an apology.
Jared Cook, Kenny Britt, Chris Givens, Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin made the "Hands up. Don't Shoot!" gesture protesters in Ferguson have been using since a grand jury did not indict police officer Darren Wilson over the Aug. 9 shooting of Michael Brown, who was black. Some witnesses said Brown had his hands up before being shot by officer Wilson. Wilson, who is white, told the grand jury that he shot Brown in self-defense.
the players. He said it was their "choice to exercise their free speech," but he would not comment further on their actions.
"It's my personal opinion, I firmly believe, that it's important that I keep sports and politics separate," Fisher said. "I'm a head coach. I'm not a politician, an activist or an expert on societal issues, so I'm going to answer questions about the game."
Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Monday that neither the team nor the NFL would discipline
rusher did say he plans to talk with the players, who are all black, but those conversations will remain confidential.
The players made their show of support before running onto the field during pregame introductions.
The St. Louis Police Officer's Association issued a statement demanding the players be disciplined and the NFL to issue an apology.
The NFL responded with a one-sentence statement Monday from spokesman Brian McCarthy: "We respect and
understand the concerns of all individuals who have expressed views on this tragic situation."
After the Rams' 52-0 rout of Oakland, the players said they meant no disrespect by their
show of support.
"We just understand that it's a big tragedy and we hope something positive comes out of it," Bailey said, following his five catch, 100-yard performance.
Added Cook: "We help build up the people around this community daily with our visiting schools and talking to kids, so coming out and showing that we're unified with the rest of them, it was key to us."