But it's also NBA playoff time, and something came across our desk yesterday that made us stand up and take notice of things roundball.
Troy Daniels is a rookie for the Houston Rockets by way of VCU, where he owns the school's single-season record for made three pointers. He drained 124 triples in his senior season, including 11 in one game against East Tennessee State.
Daniels has spent most of this season in the D-League, where he's averaging 21.5 points per game, shooting 40.1% from deep. His long-distance acumen has translated from college to the professional level, as he's making five three-pointers per game, and 78% of his shots come from behind the arc. He takes 12.5 threes a game in D-League play. He was named a D-League All-Star, and has led the Rio Grande Vipers to a berth in the playoffs, while setting a D-League record for three-pointers in a season with 240.He also caught the attention of the Rockets brass, who signed him to an NBA contract in February and brought him up to the League in March. Daniels has played in five games for Houston, taking advantage of starters resting in the season finale to score a career-high 22 against New Orleans on Wednesday night.
He dropped those 22 just a few days after playing in a Vipers D-League playoff game and a Rockets game on the same day. On April 12, Daniels started and scored 30 points in 44 minutes as the Vipers fell to the Iowa Energy. He got on a plane (with Vipers teammate Robert Covington) and traveled to Houston, where he played 12 minutes off the bench. You can forgive him if his legs were a bit tired, as he only made one of five shots in the Rockets' 111-104 win over the Pelicans.
Daniels has earned consideration from Rockets coach Kevin McHale for a spot in Houston's playoff rotation, something that seems inconceivable for a rookie with five games of NBA experience. McHale said after the season-finale, "He's very diligent, he plays hard. He's a bright kid. He knows what we are trying to do. I like him."
If nothing else, the 6'4" Daniels has earned a look next season. But only if he's held to one game per day.
mazel to the Zfamily on the new addition!
ReplyDeleteHe seems like a great fit for the Houston offensive system which is 4 around 1, spread the floor and drive and kick in order to maximize FT and 3 pt attempts.
ReplyDelete4:00 conference call today. yaaaay me. People.
ReplyDeleteToday's travel tip: while on road trips, should the "trifecta" come about (the need to eat, poo and gas up at same time) during morning hours, I often use the old pull over at the hotel with breakfast buffet move. Hit one of the nice & clean, vacant lavatories off the main lobby, finish your bidnass, clean up, then grab yourself a bowl of cereal, bagel & coffee. Or hell, have a fucking waffle! Then head across the way to quench the vehicle's thirst! I pulled this patented move on Sunday on my way home from Joe-Ja. It's an underutilized and overlooked maneuver. I haven't patented it yet, so go ahead, try it out.
greatest. advice. ever.
ReplyDeleteI once pulled this maneuver, minus the petrol pull, at the Hilton on 6th Ave. during a lull between two job interviews. The suit and tie made it appear that I was attending a conference. The bathrooms were palatial and the food was good. Years later I took the bar exam there and TCOB for old time's sake.
ReplyDeleteMy office is 80% dudes and the bathrooms are terrible. We are also one block from the Waldorf. It is not uncommon to see somebody disappear for 40 minutes to TCOB in a posh crapper, the morning after making poor decisions while out the night before.
ReplyDeleteBack when I worked in DC, leading groups of kids all over on a chartered bus, I knew all of the best places to TCOB. The Crystal City Ritz Carlton was the gold standard on our route.
ReplyDeleteAll of you know I'm in the tank for Joakim Noah but even if you aren't you'll enjoy this SI feature on him. Not many modern athletes have connections to Arthur Ashe, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Laird Hamilton, among others.
ReplyDeletehttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nba/news/20140417/joakim-noah-chicago-bulls/
workdaydrinking is so choice. if you have the means, i highly recommend it.
ReplyDeletewhat that guy said
ReplyDeletei choose to believe that zbaby's name is partly an homage to saved by the bell, and i honor the zfamily for that choice.
ReplyDeleteIt's an homage to Vorheese and his Crohn's.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe I didn't do this first:
http://espngrantland.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/illmatic-infographic-final-red.jpg
These comments could well be an homage to Vorheese and his Crohn's.
ReplyDeleteLESS KIDS, MORE INFOGRAPHICS
ReplyDeletedanimal, are you a zoots endorser?
ReplyDeleteI just barely looked at the Illmatic infographic and I already love it. That is one if my top 5 favorite albums of all time. Might be #1.
ReplyDeleteFavorite track off Illmatic?
Mine is Represent.
Rob - depends...yes, I love their stuff. Heading to dinner tonight w/my good pal who is on the zoot elite tri team so I and lots of other peeps here get gear from him at half price. I've never used their shoes for long-distance training stuff if that is why you are inquiring. All shoes I've owned are for short stuff and races - you don't get a lot of miles on them. For miles - Newton, Newton, Newton.
ReplyDeleteThe Cracker Factory has effectively beaten me to a pulp the last few weeks. I need to quit and become a barista.
ReplyDeleteNah. You'll get carpal tunnel.
ReplyDeleteGolfers and non-golfers alike should see the "Arnie" series on the Golf Channel.
ReplyDeleteMaybe a barsista. I love them.
ReplyDeleteMet Stewart Copeland last night. Super nice guy. The opposite of Sting.
ReplyDeleteMy old college roommate Roberto is having his bachelor party in South Beach in July. Looks like neither Greg nor I will make it. Greg will be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. Ill be in St. Pete with my in laws and another Italian family. A huge family (about 15 deep) that's a total Italian-American stereotype.
ReplyDeleteI'm so bitter.
pour some out for ike davis' mets career
ReplyDeleteNick Calathes failed a drug test and is suspended for 20 games. A sneaky big suspension for Memphis. Sounds like a legit mistake with a supplement and that's not just me being a Gator homer. Adrian Wojnarowski reported it as such. Bummed for Nick. His first year in the league after 3 in Europe and now he'll miss the Playoffs.
ReplyDeleteUm. Can we go back to the Greg thing, please.
ReplyDeleteYep. Mt. Kilimanjaro. As reported to my this afternoon. Kinda jealous.
ReplyDeleteI figured Mt. Kilimanjaro was a nickname for some shapely coed.
ReplyDeleteAnd I like Ike and wish him well. Won't miss his enormous looping swing that resembled my softball swing after pregame beers and Rob insulting my prowess.
speaking of softball, i'm sore all over after playing last night for the first time in months. that might be a sign.
ReplyDeleteit's taken exactly one game of playoff hockey to get my heart racing.
ReplyDeleteFinally watched the Bad Boys 30 for 30 doc. Very fun trip down memory lane in the late 80's NBA.
ReplyDeleteTortuga's DDD episode is on.
ReplyDeleteAlso I spent way too much $ on the special Easter edition Kobe's.
Watched it last night, TR. Then watched some more of it again. The young Isiah clips were great. He's somehow slipped through the cracks of the all time greats. Best little guy ever.
ReplyDeleteThe young Rodman clips were fun too.
Meant to tell you folks that Tortuga's received a shoutout on Morning Joe a couple of weeeks ago.
ReplyDeleteJust completed my first run in about 6 weeks. 3miler. Get some.
The Rodman part of the Bad Boys doc was great. I didn't know his backstory. He was essentially a janitor at an airport out of high school, and then grew seven inches. Chuck Daly was an enormous positive influence on him.
ReplyDeleteAnd I call you on your 3 mile "shake the rust off" run and raise you an extra half-mile, Danimal. Went 3.5 on Monday w/ my bulbous yet fragile calf muscles hanging in there.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best parts of the Rodman backstory was the pic of him in his college uniform with the college mascot name on the jersey. The mascot name? Savages. I'm going to guess that college has a different mascot these days.
ReplyDelete6 miles today - first decently long run since the marathon a month ago. danimal - are newtons 'natural' shoes? not sure that works for me.
ReplyDeleteNo...not at all.
ReplyDeleteNewtons are super high end bonkers runners. Very pricey.
ReplyDeleteA bunch of the regulars at my gym wear Newtons. I don't run enough or long enough distance to invest in running shoes. I blow my money on basketball shoes so I wear Nike free runners for running/gym. Pretty sure the Newton wearers look down on me.
ReplyDeleteI love Kyle Lowry. He's such a bastard. I mean that as a huge compliment.
ReplyDeletenew post up. may contain the word 'motherfucker', though not in reference to kyle lowry.
ReplyDelete