Renaldo Balkman
by Nate Timmons on Oct 30, 2009 12:24 PM MDT
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PrintFrom what I gather ... Renaldo Balkman has not been suspended by the NBA. He would not be allowed to be on the floor with the team if he was under suspension (just like J.R. Smith is not with the team right now.)
Is Balkman perhaps serving a team suspension for the first two games? Is he injured?
Ben Golliver from Blazers Edge had this to say about Balkman's pregame routine from his post game comments last night.
Also check this photo Ben snapped of Balkman.
Renaldo Balkman
If you know anything about me at this point you know I love watching pre-game warm-ups for hours on end. Tonight Nuggets reserve Renaldo Balkman came out with his legs in crazy bandages covering pads that extended all the way up to his knees. Here's a picture.
About halfway through his personal warmup Balkman took the pads off and continued shooting without them. He was working with an assistant coach and was required to make 5 shots from a number of different positions. Once he had made 4 shots, the coach would motivate him by yelling "money ball" as he passed the ball out. When Balkman worked his way to the right baseline, the coached yelled this again and Balkman responded by shooting an airball roughly 5 feet over the hoop, completely clearing the weakside ball girl. The ball continued bouncing until it interrupted a conversation between Blazers VP of Basketball Operations Tom Penn and Nuggets VP Player Personnel Rex Chapman that was taking place off the court entirely, next to the Nuggets bench. Chapman returned the ball to the ball girl who returned it to the assistant coach. Undaunted, the coach passed the ball to Balkman saying simply, again, "money ball."
Arguably the best focus from a coach during pre-game warmups I've ever witnessed. And, start to finish, one of the more memorable pre-game routines from a player.
Be sure to read Blazers Edge's recap as well ... some good stuff by Ben who is fully credentialed and bringing you great insight from behind the scenes.
A look:
Pressure busts pipes.
It's the nightmare scenario basketball players of all ages fear. Step to the foul line in the final seconds with a chance to put your team over the top in a tight, hard-fought game against a bitter rival. Miss the first, miss the second, ballgame.
That was Greg Oden's nightmare Thursday night, as Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets rebounded the second miss, drew a foul, and calmly sunk two free throws on the other end to give the Nuggets a 97-94 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in the Rose Garden. A desperation heave by Brandon Roy as the clock expired was well wide.
After the game, Oden dressed slowly in a quiet locker room, his back turned to the media throng. Once dressed, he spoke softly and didn't smile. His first words: "I stepped up there with confidence thinking I was going to hit them and it didn't go that way. I put this loss on me. I need to step up to make those."
It was exactly the statement and attitude that you want to hear from Oden in that situation but there were plenty of forks in the road over the course of evening, alternate paths that could have prevented his nightmare scenario, a situation he said he couldn't remember facing previously during his career.
Write respectfully of your SB Nation community and yourself.
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i don't think he is hurt
Naldo should get more minutes, Last night i was hoping that he would play, especially in the last 3 minutes. if the Nuggets want Naldo to stay with the team next season they need to give him at least 15 minuets of play
by the nuggets fan on Oct 30, 2009 1:45 PM MDT reply actions
i didnt know where to right this...
thank u nate or andrew for removing that blazers fan post from our site…. hes just a troll… he took himself and his lose back to blazers edge…
yeah, that dudes a douche.
objectively speaking, there is no way melo is one of the worst floppers in the league.
my top 5
kobe
manu
verajao
bowen (although i think he just retired)
novitzki
by calvin brodus on Oct 30, 2009 1:55 PM MDT up reply actions
I think you should remove Kobe and insert CP3
Other than that I agree with them all
Manu is far more the flop artest than Kobe
That dude gets breathed on and he goes odwn, he is like all Euro players, they think it is soccor.
"Me fail english, that unpossible" - Ralph Wiggum
"Duffman is thrusting in the direction of the problem" - Duffman
"Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun" - Ash from Army of Darkness
"H.I., you're young and you got your health, what you want with a job?" - Evelle from Raising Arizona
"It happens sometimes. People just explode. Natural causes." - Agent Rogersz from Repoman
Duncan
belongs on that list. Two years ago when we lost to them in the playoffs I remember the announcers specifically mentioning that if he feels the calls aren’t going the right way he tells their coach, who tells the refs…
Because Montana has no professional sports, I gotta support the land of my birth.
Socrates was once executed for 'trolling'.
^Needs explaining: don't call someone asking uncomfortable, slightly antagonistic questions trolls. In all odds they probably just want to learn. It's real easy to differentiate a 'Socratic' post from a trolling one (unless you're a resident of WCG).
^Needs further explaining: I have yet to post anything on WCG, don't worry, I'm not trying to rationalize anything I've done. I've just lurked over there and man, they are the model of post-peloponnesian war Athens.
I also read something about Duncan
He went like 13 games in a row without a foul called on him. I can’t remember the number but for some reason 13 is coming to mind. Duncan definitely deserves to be on the list along with CP3.
All time flop list?
Anybody up for it?>
Some ideas:
Vlade Divac
Bill Laimbeer
Dennis Rodman
Manu Ginobili
Andrei Kirilenko
The last two might not deserve to be on there, but since I can’t think of any else off the top of my head…
"I always believe there's a reason why you go through everything." -John Elway
Link on suspension
Here is a link that says s he’s suspended
http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=Nba&id=1280
My name is the One...
Yes, not totally clear ... could be a team suspension for the offseason stuff.
Denver Stiffs.com: Defending the sovereignty of Nuggets Nation.
by Nate Timmons on Oct 30, 2009 2:50 PM MDT up reply actions
I pray it is a suspension
If not, Karl is shooting himself in the foot again by not playing him. He would have matched up great against either Rudy or Roy. He is probably on par with Melo on the defensive side.
Really?
if you think Balkman can stay with either of those two, your wrong.
Balk> Melo defensively
But Balk is a combo forward, not a guard
"I always believe there's a reason why you go through everything." -John Elway
No I am not
LOL, we should fight like little kids. No, you are.
No you are.
LOL
This would be the first time ever that a team suspended player was allowed to sit on the bench and show as DNP-Coach’s Decision on the box score.
http://www.nba.com/games/20091029/DENPOR/boxscore.html
I would bet my house on it that Balkman was not suspended for those first two games.
Here is a link to the box score from the Pistons Nuggets game last March when Carmelo was suspended by the team:
http://www.nba.com/games/20090303/DENDET/boxscore.html
Notice the status states: NWT – Team Suspension
Not with team – team suspension
Hopefully Karl's not playing games again..
It worked out this time for the victory but we will need all available talent next time
My name is the One...
free throws
a big problem balkman would have had in the game was a hack a shack. utah did that to kmart in the opener. because balkman lacks an outside shot teams back off on him and clog the passing lanes. free throws will be a huge priority for all players on denver this season.
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
Balkman can't hit his freebies
But I believe he’s improved
"I always believe there's a reason why you go through everything." -John Elway
sure, he could adversely clog up the middle
but he would provide considerable dividends at the other end. I like scrappy energetic D, and he does good things when he’s out there. Considering the Nug’s horrid clinic on how not to rebound last night, he would have certainly helped. Can’t wait for Karl to give him some damn minutes.
4th quarter free throws
denver went 15 for 16 and portland made 17 of 22. balkman could have had a huge impact in the second quarter when denver finally had a lead at the end of 1st quarter after a bad start. at the end of the game it became a free throw contest.
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
Balk could have had a huge impact
in the third, guarding Rudy or Roy, as well. Balk could have put a damper to those guys hot streaks in the second half. Karl needs to utilize him more.
I was just thinking that even if defensive players slack off Balk and clog passing lanes and the middle that Melo would still go barreling in and drawing fouls at will. Sure is nice to have that guy on my home team.
agree
i would have liked to see melo at shooting guard and balk in the game at small forward. on defense balk could have played roy at the guard position and melo at forward. it is a question of when balkman is in the game. oden was at the line at the end of the game for a reason. late in the fourth quarter it was a free throw contest and balkman would have been fouled on purpose. kmart can put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket. balkman has a hard time creating his own shot in the half court offense.
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
I think too much is made of these free throw issues...
Sure Balkman isn’t reliable with his outside shot and he is free throws could be improved but good things happen when he’s on the court. In fact the same can be said for Martin, lousy outside shot and pure FT shooter but his intangibles are how he is measured. Last year, Martin shot 60% from the line as compared to 65% for Balkman. In rebounding, Balkman is superior to Kmart. So they are very similar player but, you never hear talk about not playing Martin because of his outside ugly shot or poor FT %. So as long as their not in the game at same time, it should be the positive on the court for nuggets. Maybe the reason is that Balkman is on his rookie contract making $2M and Martin is making $15M.
My name is the One...
big difference between martin and balkman
they are both lousy free throw shooters and defense first players and that is where the similarities end. martin weighs more and is way stronger than balkman. blazers had 2 seven footers in the game that weigh 260+ lbs. balkman is under 220lbs. kmart can create his own shot and drive to the basket in the half court offense. i think balkman would be better in an open court running offense and a full court pressing denfense. martin is one of the best big men in the nba for defensing the pick and roll in a half court defense. when jr returns denver will have him, lawson and balkman in a pressing fast break line up. portland is a slow it down and grind it out type of team more suited to kmart’s talent. the fact one player makes 2 million and the other 15 million has nothing to do with anything.
pick up a calf every day pretty soon you will be picking up a cow
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