Why, John, why?

And so John Terry does it. Again. That glaring lack of dignity raises its ugly and rather ill-advised head. Again. Try as much as he can, he can’t stay out of the spotlight. He craves for it. If he doesn’t see himself in the news, he just does not find sitting on the bench fulfilling. Maybe it’s all because John Terry is an adrenaline junkie. One can’t explain the repeated indiscretions that have been a constant presence throughout his career. Littered with incidents that have raised eyebrows, Terry’s career could have been the story of a one club man, whose playing style and captaincy was cited by others. Instead, all that will ever be said will be his starring role in a  varied number of controversies. Boasting of a rap sheet that includes racial abuse allegations and extra marital affair allegations, among others, he is the epitome of all that can happen to a footballer if he isn’t careful about he goes about his business, both on and off the pitch. Luis Suarez must feel lucky when he thinks of the situations Terry gets himself into.

So John Terry is a flawed individual.Everyone is, in some way or the other. But he still manages to separate himself from the large group. A terrific defender, he reads the game well, and has a fearless outlook towards defending. He hurls himself into challenges and takes the lead in playing the ball out of the defense. A Chelsea product through and through, he rose through the levels to assume the responsibilities of captain for both club and country. But mentioning him in the same breath as Steven Gerrard as a captain who leads from the front, and is a role model to follow, both on the field and off of it, is a waste of time and energy.

And that is the point. Keeping all other issues aside, this new trophy-lifting habit that he has got himself into, is just embarrassing. Two years in a row, he has managed to upstage the rest of the Chelsea squad by getting onto the dias to lift the trophy. Of course, he didn’t play in either one of them. One year he was out suspended, for kneeing an opponent in the back, the next, he was out injured. Sadly enough, one of the other players who was out injured this year was Eden Hazard, the guy who kicked a ball boy. And he thought it fit to stay in his formal attire throughout the trophy presentation and ensuing celebrations. And yet it is the foreigners who disgrace the Premier league with their antics, right?

No harm, no foul. Andy Gray will still eulogize Terry by serenading him with shouts of  ”Go on son, head it in” the next time Terry thumps a header into the goal. John Terry will still be talked about as a club legend at Chelsea, and an English icon for years to come. What’s the point of mentioning all this, you ask? Well, in a rather tumultuous season, Chelsea have done rather well to emerge with some face, and then John Terry strikes. Johnny Bravo would have been more subtle if he were in Terry’s shoes. And no, for what its worth, Wayne Rooney didn’t pull a Terry, he didn’t go lift the trophy before the team captain; and no, it was not a final. So, he is not a glory hound, not yet. And before the rant takes further course, let the humour come in.

Here is a compilation of a few of the best tweets and pictures following Terry’s guest appearances at Chelsea’s trophy lifting celebrations:

Opta Joke ‏@Opta_Joke

John Terry had spent £45 on a replica Benfica shirt as well just in case they won. Celebrations.

We all know someone who contributes nothing to a group assignment, but still turns up to the presentation. That person is John Terry.

1 – John Terry is the first man to hold the Europa League, Champions League, Ryder Cup, Superbowl & American presidency all at once. Parody.

Mick Johnson @MickJonno

Just seen John Terry coming out of Sports Direct, with a Dortmund kit and Bayern kit, ready for next weeks final. #FullKitWanker

Haven’t seen John Terry change that quickly, since he heard Wayne Bridge walking upstairs!

I bet John Terry is glad chelsea won, he would have looked out of place lifting the trophy with the Benfica lot.

Bolting

What ? Me?

And a meme to finish it off!

MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 30: Fabio Quagliarella of Juventus FC (L) and Walter Gargano of FC Inter Milan compete for the ball during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale Milano and Juventus FC at San Siro Stadium

The sentiment associated the most with the latest instalment of the Derby d’Italia was that of revenge. Forget about the long history and animosity these teams share (both industrial and political), their record of being the only teams never to have been relegated (until Calciopoli took Juventus down),and the fact that these are the two teams that have scored the most goals and won the most games in Serie A history only add to the intensity of this game. The last time these two teams met, Juventus had their 49 game unbeaten streak broken and Inter Milan showed that they had what it takes to challenge for top honours in the Serie A. The gap between both the teams was down to 1 point, and Juventus’ dominance of the Italian league had been questioned. Fast forward almost 5 months, and the gap between Juventus and Inter Milan after their captivating encounter last night is now 21 points. Juventus have well and truly shown that they belong at the top of the Italian league, and that they are too well-oiled a machine to let the setback of a derby loss throw them off course. Juventus won the game 2-1, but the Nerazzuri had a lot of positives to take out of the encounter and probably deserved to win the game in terms of chances created. The talking points of the game follow:

Despite both teams going in with identical 3-5-2 formations, the presence of Vidal in the Juventus midfield made a world of difference to their game. His ability to ghost into the opposition box unmarked, be in the right positions at the right times and the willingness to run back and get the tackle in make him a very versatile player. His effective and purposeful running helps offer another body going forward and is one of the main reasons why Juventus have been successful domestically without having a truly top-notch striker. Vidal has an engine that is probably the best in world football, both in terms of his attacking verve and his defensive tenacity; it is this versatility, coupled with his understanding with Marchisio, that allows Pirlo to play as a deep-seated playmaker, pulling the strings while all the dirty work is taken care of by Vidal.

Although Juventus do not possess an out-and-out 25 goal striker, they have a collection of forwards with different strengths, and so far they have been just able to keep Juventus afloat and contending in all competitions. The scoring load is shared pretty evenly among the 4 principal forwards, with each of them contributing around 15 goals. However, a common trait between all the Juventus forwards is that they are clinical in front of goal and they bank on their precision to make their dominance count. Quagliarella is famous for scoring from improbable angles and positions, and that is exactly what he did last night. Matri is clever, a good link up player, and makes the right kind of runs, as was seen for the winner. On the other hand, Internazionale have a pretty talented and eccentric forward line up, with Cassano and Palacio doing both the majority of the grunt work. Milito is the best finisher, and as seen by some of the chances wasted by Inter last night, he was sorely missed. Palacio and Cassano are both very creative and full of purposeful running, but they aren’t the best of finishers and that was very visible.

Juventus have historically been a very compact and solid team (remember the Lippi days anyone?). The last few seasons though, they lost some of that defensive structure and organization. Antonio Conte has restored the structure and organization to the Juventus defence and is the most important reason for their defensive stinginess. Against Inter, the three central defenders – Bonucci, Chiellini and Barzagli – were at their best, scrambling around making last ditch tackles and crucial interceptions to ensure their team hung onto their lead. The use of slightly defensive wing backs (Padoin and later Peluso for Asamoah) also helped cut down the threat posed by Pereira and Palacio. Although Inter produced a good display of attacking football, it was the due to the efforts of the Juventus backline that they managed to escape with the victory. Yes, they were lucky to dodge two probable penalty calls (both will be given more often that not), but they rode their luck and helped see their team across the finish line. Also, Gianluigi Buffon still makes logic-defying saves.

The loss of Sneijder and Coutinho in the winter transfer window looked to have taken away a lot of the attacking impetus and invention from the Internazionale midfield. However, as the new players bed in well, the attacking play has improved drastically, with the newcomer Kovacic being particularly impressive. His ability to dribble with the ball, run the channels and press the opposition quickly are all facets that are currently very rare in this Inter line-up. The link-up play between Cassano and Palacio was lovely, with their quick one touch passing and their purposeful running keeping the Juventus defence on their toes. The introduction of Guarin helped add some drive to the Inter attack. However, Ricardo Alvarez still drifts out of large phases of the game and is unable to impose his authority on the team enough.

Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni needs to make tactical decisions before the game instead of at half-time

Starting with a 3-5-2 was a surprising move, considering he used this formation in the earlier game as a surprise element to challenge Juventus’ own 3-5-2 and throw them off guard. Although the 3-5-2 has worked well this season, it needs a proper ball-winning box-to-box midfielder (defensive) and also central defenders who are mobile and positionally sound. Samuel and Chivu are two of the better defenders in Serie A, but they were too slow in closing down Quagliarella for the first goal. Similarly, for the second goal, Chivu should have closed down Quagliarella better, and Ranocchia just let Matri waltz past him as he was caught ball watching. These mistakes ruined an otherwise good defensive performance. What aided the Juventus team, especially in the first half, was that the lack of a true ball-winning defensive midfielder saw Inter being overrun in the centre of midfield. Gargano and Cambiasso both could not exert any influence on the game, and they would  be disappointed with their play. Stramaccioni needs to balance the attacking combinations with a couple of good defensive additions and adjust his tactics accordingly. In the second half, he switched the 3-5-2 to a flat back 4 and that went a long way in balancing the attacking play, giving Inter control of the match. His tactical flexibility is well-known, but he needs to get more of these decisions right from the beginning of the match, rather than at the beginning of the 2nd half.

All in all, a pulsating encounter between the two bitter rivals saw Juventus coming away with the three points and opening up a 12-point advantage over their nearest challengers. They have really stepped it up a notch or two since their loss to Inter in November, and now it looks like they will retain their title comfortably.

The states of Oklahoma and Texas have always had a rich sporting heritage, with the Red River rivalry between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns part of college football folklore. Now, the rivalry exists in the game of football, between two adjoining states and their principal universities. So how does the city of Dallas figure into the equation. Dallas is a neutral venue where the Red River matches have been played for about a 1oo years now, as the city is halfway between the cities of Austin, Texas and Norman, Oklahoma. So, there was a lot in place for a rivalry in basketball to develop. Well, almost. Oklahoma City did not have an NBA team till 2008, not counting the New Orleans Hornets’ time spent there in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Following the sale of the Seattle SuperSonics to an Oklahoma City based investor consortium, they officially moved to the city of Oklahoma.

The people of Oklahoma had a decision to make. Do they continue supporting the team they had supported for so many years, i.e. the Dallas Mavericks, or do they shift loyalties to their own home town club. Turns out it was a no-brainer. And so now we know how the Chesapeake Arena is the most boisterous on most nights in the NBA. And rightly so, as they are audience to some of the most exciting, young swashbuckling talent in the league.

The battles on the court have added that bit more spice to the geographical and historical significance of the rivalry. Rewind to the playoffs 2010-11 season, when the two teams met in the Western conference Finals. In their second ever appearance in the playoffs, the Thunder, led by Kevin Durant and supported by a talented roster of Kendrick Perkins, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka among others, made it to the Conference Finals, where they faced the experienced, battle hardened roster of the Dallas Mavericks, led by Dirk Nowitzki with a supporting cast that included Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, Tyson Chandler and Shawn Marion.

The series was went back and forth with Dallas coming through in 5 games. Two highly competitive teams, one being the youngest, the other being the most experienced gutted it out for the right to go through to the NBA Finals. Dallas had a very well put together roster, with there being defensive specialists and sharp shooters in equal numbers to support the talents of Nowitzki, Terry and Kidd while Oklahoma were an athletic, talented roster full of youthful exuberance and the emerging two man combination of Durant and Westbrook. Dirk Nowitzki was playing at a level never seen before and he put the Mavericks on his back. They took the series 4-1, on the back of two decisive and completely different road victories. In Game 3, Dallas were the picture of defensive efficiency, throttling the Thunder offense, while in Game 4, they (read Dirk Nowitzki) put up an offensive masterclass in the last 10 minutes (5 minutes in the 4th quarter and then OT) as they came back from a 15 point deficit to take a 3-1 lead in the series.

Fast forward a year and the two teams met again in the Western Conference playoffs, this time in the first round. The Mavs had dismantled their championship winning roster and instead  had a steady mix of savvy veterans on short term contracts as they looked to land it big in the 2012 free agency. Oklahoma on the other hand, were now one of the major contenders, with a roster full of established and emerging stars, who knew how to coexist and work towards a common goal. And the series showed the world why the Thunder were ready for the big time. For a change, they were the ones hitting last second game winners. And after a close and hard fought first couple of games that they won, OKC showcased their new found maturity, winning at Dallas comfortably in games 3 and 4, to rout the defending champs 4-0 in the first round. What a difference a year makes.

And then, we come to the current season. An off-season full of disappointments for Dallas, as they failed to land two of their most coveted targets in Dwight Howard and Deron Williams. That saw them signing a combination of crafty veterans again who were eager to prove themselves in a bid to sustain their push for an unlikely playoff berth. Oklahoma City on the other hand saw the first major trade of their fledgling history (Perkins for Green pales in comparison) as they moved Harden (along with a couple of extended roster players) to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb.

The move saw them lose an emerging All-Star, who could play both guard positions, defend the ball well and someone who also a great shooter. It could have probably been a trade that jeopardized their championship claims. Instead, what has happened is that they have become the best offense in the league and are one of the better defensive outfits. They even possess the best record in the NBA bar the Spurs. The Mavs are 6 games below .500 and are struggling to make a run for the playoff positions. Also, it doesn’t help that they have had to deal with the injury enforced absence of Nowitzki.

Clearly, both these franchises have been moving in the opposite directions since the 2011 playoff series, as Dallas is on a downward spiral while Oklahoma is shooting for the stars. The transitional period in between has been very brief, as has been seen of late, shows that the Thunder truly believe that they belong at the top, while the Mavericks are finding it tough to deal with their failure of a season so far, and will probably not make it to the playoffs for the first time in the last 12 years.

What follows is a list of videos indicating the direction of movement of the rivalry in the last couple of seasons.

From this:

And this:

To this:

And this:

Through all of this:

The weekend saw United take on Everton at Old Trafford, a fixture now etched in the memories of United fans and players alike. The corresponding game last season saw Everton fight back to square the game at 4 apiece after being down 4-2 with about 10 minutes to spare. That draw knocked  the wind out of Manchester United‘s sails, and the momentum shifted across Manchester to the blue half of the city. And since then, they have been waiting for this fixture to turn up. The spirit of revenge and reclaiming their pride back seeps through the club’s history, and is what bestows upon them their indomitable spirit and the never say die attitude. If there is any manager on the planet who will make sure his team is ready for a grudge match, it is Alex Ferguson. And his thought process was aided by the fact that Manchester City had been comprehensively beaten by Southampton, and that victory against Everton would be a giant step towards reclaiming the Premier league title.

Everton came into this fixture having lost only 3 games all season, and yet found themselves out of the Champions league places. Their inability to convert draws into victories has caused them a lot of suffering, and is what might keep them from making the top 4, despite their massive improvement this year. Equipped with personnel to threaten opponents with both an aerial assault and/or  a smooth passing game, Everton were a formidable opponent. Manchester United, on the other hand, could have been excused for not focusing completely on this game. With the midweek Champions League knock-out phase fixture against Real Madrid just around the corner, their primary aim would have been to get through the game without any injuries, and retaining a comfortable lead over City in the title race. Ferguson had his teams for both the games decided, but City’s loss to Southampton forced him to go for the jugular against Everton, and thus erase the memories of giving the title away to City after the draw against Everton.

The game itself saw Manchester United impose themselves on the game comprehensively, save for a 20 minute period towards the end of the first half. The rest of the game saw United exhibit some great attacking football, defensive fortitude and intelligent hold of possession as they restricted Everton to one off chances. The 2-0 victory, courtesy of right footed strikes by two left footed attacking players, Giggs and Van Persie, saw their lead at the top of the Premier league swell up to 12 points. At this stage of the season, it does seem pretty insurmountable, but after last year, its true to say that it isn’t over till it is truly over. And finally, a look at the specific talking points of the game.

Phil Jones might not know it yet, but his best position as of now is defensive midfield. Last season, his best games for United were in that position, as he put his strong physical attributes and his eagerness to run with the ball to the best use. However, his positioning as a central defender still leaves a lot to be desired, and speaks of his immaturity to deal with all that is thrown at him in that position. A couple of stray passes from midfield, which allowed Everton to counter immediately, were a shining example of that. But his defensive performance last night against Fellaini was admirable, as the big Belgian was not given any chance to showcase his aerial prowess and his offensive game in general. Jones made sure he was always in front of Fellaini when the ball was lumped forward in his direction, thus preventing him from using his major weapon, his barrel of a chest, and didn’t give him an inch to muscle his way around. When the ball was played on the ground, where Fellaini went, Jones went too. Fellaini could not have any impact on the game, and just like the Tottenham game, when he helped Rafael control Bale, Jones did an impeccable job in controlling the opponent’s major offensive weapon. His role as defensive enforcer has earned him a lot of plaudits, and hopefully his injury scare is just that, a scare.

To say that Ryan Giggs has had an exemplary playing career is putting the sentiment in as simple words as possible. His achievements are nothing short of stupendous, like his feat of having scored in each and every one of the Premier League seasons. The expressions ‘breaking his neck’ or ‘lung busting run’ do not apply to him, as one glance at his movements on the pitch and you realize the only word that describes it is gliding. His season so far has been limited to sporadic appearances off the bench, or a few starts in between, as Ferguson tries to manage his minutes the best way. And yet, both his major contributions this season have been memorable. The first was the 50 yard pass for Van Persie to equalize against West Ham in the FA Cup, breathtaking in its easy on the eye execution and the pass into the goal against Everton, with his right foot, both done with a nonchalance that typifies the footballer that Ryan Giggs is. He was a constant thorn in Everton’s side last night, and his movement and neat possession play helped United control the game effectively.

Post match interview

Maybe it was his curly locks that were holding him back from becoming the player that he is taking giant strides towards becoming. The loss of his curls, the separation between his brother and him, and the realization that he plays at a club as massive as Manchester United have all come together to transform a talented attacking full back to a full back who knows how to balance attack and defense, and has limited his rash tackling, instead relying on timely interceptions and exceptional positional play. He was defensively excellent against Everton, as he kept the normally rampant left flank combination of Pienaar and Baines very quite, thus making most of the Everton attacks toothless. His crucial interception helped prevent Anichebe from scoring, and it was his nicely disguised pass that created United’s second goal. His growing maturity can only help him in what will be the biggest test of his career so far, as on Wednesday night, he has the easy task of stopping Cristiano Ronaldo.

David Moyes will be worried by Everton’s slow start to the game against United. It has been a trend that has been repeated in their last few games, as they have failed to win games against Southampton and Aston Villa, both being games a team wanting to make it to the top 4 should be winning. Their performances against the big teams have been very good, which has been their calling card, but their inability to put the so-called smaller teams away will prove costly in the long run. The offensive fluidity that characterized their game early in the season has been slightly under par of late, with the injury enforced absence of Kevin Mirallas a big factor in that. Although he did play against United, he was nowhere near his best, and couldn’t add much in terms of offensive input. Their dependence on Fellaini is also well documented, and is another facet of their game that needs work. Add to that their defensive troubles of this season. Historically a strong defensive outfit under Moyes, this season has been sort of an aberration with them having conceded 32 goals already, as compared to the 40 that they conceded in the whole of last season. The next few games will tell us if they have the wherewithal to stay in the hunt for the top 4, or if their season will peter out into competing for a spot in the Europa League.

Watching City get pummelled by Southampton forced Ferguson to make some changes to his planned eleven against Everton, thus resulting in him putting out a stronger line-up than expected. This change in thought had a dual purpose, one to convincingly demoralize Manchester City by putting them 12 points behind, thus establishing their undoubted supremacy over the noisy neighbours. The second was to send a strong message to Real Madrid and their coach Jose Mourinho. United might not be as defensively strong as they have been over the years, and their midfield might not be as physical as previous years, but they are still a force to be reckoned with, and will not budge for Madrid and their eclectic group of talented individuals masking the lack of team effort. Getting the job done with authority against Everton also made sure that the scars of last season have completely healed, as it was this fixture last season that gave the advantage in the title race to City. Buckling under pressure is alien to the club’s DNA, and this season has proved that they are back on track to finding their way to the top, both in the Premier League and in Europe.

Going by the interest in his managerial nous, don’t be surprised if Michael Appleton succeeds Alex Ferguson as the next manager of Manchester United. The last 15 months have seen Appleton move a lot between clubs, and none of those moves were a result of him getting sacked. So what is it that Michael Appleton does? Does he give his players such brilliant tactical briefings that they outperform their opponents day in day out? Or is it the style of play that he inculcates in his teams that have seen a meteoric rise in his career graph? Frankly, nobody knows it yet, not even Appleton himself, as he has been in the managerial business for all of 15 months.

Born and bred in Manchester, Appleton made his way through the United academy but played only 2 games for them, and didn’t make the grade at Old Trafford. He made his name with Preston North End, and eventually moved onto West Bromwich Albion, where his career was curtailed by a knee injury at the age of 27.

Following the derailment of his playing career, Appleton moved into a coaching role with the youth team at West Brom. After having worked with the youth teams at various age groups for a period of 5 years, he became a first team coach, and was later assistant to Roy Hodgson for a period of 9 months. His first managerial assignment was as the manager of Portsmouth when they were in the middle of their debt ridden run in the Championship. His tenure with Portsmouth was riddled with point penalties, and the inability to sign players on long-term contracts. The season also saw them getting placed under administration, and hence receiving a points deduction, and the loss of big chinks of their playing squad, which saw them getting relegated. After enduring almost an entire year of all financial difficulties a manager can endure, Appleton left the club to join Blackpool as their manager following the departure of Ian Holloway to Crystal Palace.

At a club like Blackpool, which harbours hopes of returning to the Premier League, and has a talented playing squad, Appleton should have been at home. However, within 2 months (65 days to be precise) Blackburn Rovers approached him to be their manager after the sacking of Henning Berg, and Appleton gladly obliged them, agreeing to be their new manager on the 11th of January 2013. This constant moving between clubs, even before his career is set, spins off a lot of questions about his ability to handle the pressure of the managerial hot seat, as well as his ability to manage players, all boasting of different skill sets and varying ego issues. Cutting him some slack for leaving the Portsmouth position, his career so far gives the belief that he will jump a sinking ship, as was seen at Blackpool.

This hype that one is the next great English manager, or the next great English footballer, is what is throttling the growth of both players and managers in England. That is the very reason the number of English managers in the Premier League  is so low; the hype and pressure forced onto them by an entire nation sometimes makes it too much to handle for the individual. Ask Steve McLaren about that. Another factor is the unforgiving nature of the fans, who make sure they remind you of each and every failure you have ever sustained. Just so you know, there are 5 English managers in the Premier League currently, and the youngest of the lot is Alan Pardew at the age of 51. And the youngest manager in the league is 35. He is Portuguese.

Michael Appleton might yet go on to have a very successful managerial career. His achievements might be spoken of in Premier League folklore.  But the fact remains that currently, we have no idea if that is a possibility, and if it does happen, rest assured it will be talked about a lot, just like it is right now. For now though, the most impressive statistic of his career remains the 1.5 million pounds he received as settlement for being wrongly operated on, which caused him to retire. His win percentage as it stands currently is 24, i.e. 16 wins out of 67, and if he has to prove his detractors wrong, it is time he sticks to one club and fights it out.

The Gentle Giant: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks with his trademark ‘stick-his-tongue-out’ celebration.

Down 15 with 6:20 to go in the 4th quarter in game 2 of the 2011 NBA Finals, Dirk Nowitzki brought Dallas back into the game and gave them the lead with a 3-pointer, that made it a 3 point game with 26 seconds to go. The next possession saw Terry miss his defensive assignment, leaving Chalmers open for a 3-pointer. Consider the emotion of the moment. So what does Nowitzki do? He channels all his frustration and says, “I got your back, Jet”. Nowitzki makes a lefty layup with 4 seconds on the clock, and Dallas go on to win the game, levelling the series 1 apiece.  That game is now part of play-off folklore with Dirk Nowitzki a future Hall of Famer, no questions asked.

He does not have a nickname. Neither is he a brand. He cannot and does not dunk the ball well. His best friend is his coach from his childhood days. The longest he has been out of the game in his career is 27 games. He is 7 foot tall, white and German. He swishes three pointers like it’s nobody’s business. And yes, he shoots a fade away, step back jumper off of one foot. Welcome to a basketball career full of facing adversity and answering critics.

Born into a family of athletes, it was not much of a doubt what Nowitzki would end up doing eventually. Basketball though, happened because of the ridicule he faced as a child who continuously towered over the others. And the rest as they say is history. No, not that simple. Nowitzki’s first coach, Holger Geschwindner, saw the physical specimen that he was and knew he had a prospective great basketball player. He inculcated the playing style that Nowitzki follows even now, concentrating on shooting and passing .

Fast forward a year and the question the 15-year old Dirk gets asked is: “You must now decide whether you want to play against the best in the world or just stay a local hero in Germany. If you choose the latter, we will stop training immediately, because nobody can prevent that any more. But if you want to play against the best, we have to train on a daily basis.” I guess we know what he chose. That work ethic is what has helped Dirk Nowitzki survive in the NBA for the past 15 years. This is what Dirk Nowitzki was doing in the middle of the Western Conference Finals in 2011:

The summer of 1998, following the completion of his military service, Nowitzki was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, who then traded him to the Dallas Mavericks for Robert Traylor. This was the first good thing to happen for Nowitzki in the NBA. He went to a team with not very great expectations, and with a coach who wanted flowing, offensive basketball as the output. Nowitzki’s game was a perfect fit.

After a rookie season where he struggled to adapt to a much more physical style of play, Nowitzki came really close to quitting the NBA and going back to Germany. And we are all thankful he didn’t. The next good thing that gave Nowitzki the feeling that he chose the right place to play was the purchase of the dying franchise from Ross Perot Jr. by Mark Cuban, the eccentric Internet billionaire. Both these feel good factors gave the city of Dallas and the Mavericks franchise a soft spot in the big German’s heart.

Following the disappointment of the first year, Nowitzki had it all to overcome. The difficulty of adjusting to a foreign culture and coming to grips with the physicality of the NBA was something he was finding a tad tough to overcome, given the lack of friends and familiar faces. However, in Steve Nash, the point guard of the Dallas Mavericks and a player who was unveiled alongside him, Dirk found a true friend, a brother-in-arms if you will. Both had a chip on their shoulder, and were eager to show the fans that their true pedigree. Nash grew into the role of the vocal leader and floor general of the Mavericks, while Dirk was allowed to play his natural game, prospering in the power forward role, being Dallas’ go to guy. Dirk Nowitzki had finally shaken off the abomination that was his rookie year, and flourished in the free offense employed by Don Nelson.

The 2001 season saw Nowitzki lead the Mavericks into the playoffs. Dallas had last made the playoffs in 1990, and had last won a series in 1988, so the achievement of getting into the business end of the season was considered pretty monumental. Their opponents Utah, won the first two games, as Dallas seemed overwhelmed by the occasion. The next two games however saw Nowitzki put the team on his back, scoring 33 points in each game as Dallas squared the series. A thrilling victory in the final game in Salt Lake City saw Dallas go through to the Conference semifinals, where they would lose to the Spurs. The fact though was that the monkey had been lifted off of their backs; Nowitzki was the one of the principal reasons for their success.

Nowitzki has been an All-Star for 11 straight years, starting from the year 2002. The only others to have had a longer streak of All-Star appearances are Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan. That right there is very elite company and it shows you the pedigree of player that Dirk Nowitzki has become. Having his streak broken in 2013 because of his long injury layoff and the slow rediscovery of his form, Nowitzki does not bear a grudge. He willingly accepts he should not have made it, and rather, focuses on looking to get back to that level.

In a day and age where players and their egos have threatened to take over the sport, it is refreshing to see a player who still works at his game the same way a draft prospect does when he is trying to impress different teams. That work ethic is what defines Dirk Nowitzki as a basketball player. That same work ethic saw him pass Allen Iverson for the 18th spot in the list of players with most points in January 2013.

The Dallas Mavericks have always been considered playoff regulars, but never a threat or a serious contender by their rivals. The reason for that is their teams have always been either too offensive, or too defensive with very few offensive options. The 2010-11 season was the exception, when Cuban and Donnie Nelson made all the right moves in the market, and gave Nowitzki a supporting cast that turned them from also rans to contenders. Nowitzki has always had this term used for him, “soft”. Crudely interpreted, it means that when the going gets tough, Dirk does not get going.

That is what the NBA has been believing till the year 2011. Nowitzki is a great player, but when the pressure is on, he doesn’t deliver, and crumbles. His decision making during end game situations, double teams and defensive capabilities have always been questioned. Well, one thing that can be made clear now is that out of all the playoff series that Dirk has been part of, the only one wherein he under-performed would be the 1st round against Golden State in the year 2008, when the top seeded Mavericks and the regular season MVP Dirk Nowitzki were eliminated by the 8th seeded Warriors in 6 games. The 2006 NBA finals frequently come up when Nowitzki’s toughness is questioned. Dallas were up 2-0, and were minutes away from cementing a 3-0 advantage when Miami came back, won the game, and went onto win the championship 4-2. That breakdown, coupled with the 2008 playoffs, gave Dirk the tagline of a choker, someone who will not be able to handle pressure consistently.

Inner strength is the trait of channelling all the negativity lined up against you, and converting it into a positive. That exhibition of strength is what differentiates a player from a winner.The wherewithal to face adversity and yet emerge victorious from it, comes with maturity and belief in oneself. But whenever questions about his temperament, his leadership qualities, his clutch ability were raised, Dirk has always persevered.

During the NBA Finals in 2011, Lebron James and Dwayne Wade mocked his illness before game 5, and had a laugh about it. He scored 29 points in the game. He never let himself be affected by all that was thrown at him. Patiently, he kept delivering one strong performance after another, and soon enough, everyone was talking about his inner toughness and his clutch ability. He is tied with Jerry West for the most points in elimination games in playoffs. He is also one of a select group of players who average more points and rebounds in the playoffs when compared to the regular season. And yet he’s considered a choker.

He has always been thought to be a defensive liability, with him not possessing the mobility to actively cover any player in either the centre or forward positions. Teams have always looked to take him on, trying to exploit his lack of pace to their advantage. However, the past couple of seasons have seen Nowitzki work immensely on the defensive aspect of his game. An efficient shot blocker, he used to average 1.35 blocks a game, which is pretty sweet for a 7-foot power forward with the shooting range of a guard. His defensive stats are misleading when seen individually, but if you notice the team defense when he plays, it is much more tight and very well anchored.

Selfless and loyal, Nowitzki is the epitome of happiness. During free agency in the year 2010, he accepted a reduction in the maximum possible salary he could receive, thus saving some money for the Mavericks to go and spend in free agency knowing that they needed the depth and defensive intensity to go the distance. Another example of his selflessness is when Don Nelson made him play centre, in the 2003-04 season. Nowitzki sacrificed his attacking play and bulked up, notching up numbers of 21.8 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 2.7 APG to go with 1.2 SPG and 1.35 BPG. In terms of statistics, that was the most diverse year ever in his career. Since joining Dallas in the year 1998, he has not asked for a move away from the franchise. All he has ever asked for is that the franchise build a roster that can contend for the Championship.

#35, Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki #41, Jason Kidd #2, Jason Terry #31 and Shawn Marion #0 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrate with the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy after the Mavericks won 105-95 against the Miami Heat in Game Six of the 2011 NBA Finals.

Never one to hog the limelight, Dirk is more than happy to divert attention onto his team-mates, so that he can pass under the radar. That does not mean he shies from saying what is on his mind. All it says is that he does not need the arc-lights and the glamour to make his point, his actions speak louder than his words. A team man, he is always seen standing by his team-mates, supporting them, working with them, and encouraging them. Case in point: Last season, in one of the games when he was on the sidelines, he went bananas while doing commentary, screaming out in support of his team mates.

One would imagine after hitting a game winning layup, a player would like to exult, indulge his ego a bit. Guess what Dirk Nowitzki does, he goes back to try and put a hand in the opposing player’s face, and prevent him from getting a clear shot at the basket. And yes, more often that not, he celebrates by sticking his tongue out or pulling his jersey out. I doubt if he has done more than that ever.

In a career that has spanned almost 15 years (and still counting), Nowitzki has played 1072 games out of a possible 1144 games. That means that he has missed a miserly total of 72 games in his entire career. For someone who is 7 feet tall and plays an outside-in game, that is an incredible number of games. Before the beginning of this season, he had played 43, 595 minutes. And his first major surgery was at the age of 34, in October 2012. Not to forget, when he has the time, he plays for his national team, leading them from the front to positions of respectability despite their lack of quality players.

And that is why Dirk Nowitzki is ranked at No. 3 on our list.

A lot of eyes were focused on the match up between the Spanish top flight’s most stingy defence and the most prolific attack. Both teams have of late been in the news for off the pitch stuff. Malaga have been in a tough spot of late, with their financial irregularities leading UEFA to ban them from taking part in European competitions next season. The first team to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions league, Malaga have proven that they are a force to be reckoned with, what with Manuel Pellegrini’s coaching pedigree guiding them through all their issues. Barcelona, on the other hand have had a tumultuous last month or so, with the club first rocked by the news that their manager, Tito Vilanova would have to undergo another operation and ensuing treatments to combat a recurrence of his cancer, and then buoyed by the fact that he would be making a return to the touchline for the game against Malaga. Also, Barcelona had Messi winning the Ballon d’Or for the 4th time in a row, and had five of their team chosen in the Team of the Year for 2012.

The game definitely stood up to its expectations, with Malaga putting up a stiff resistance in the first half, an errant backpass leading to Barcelona opening the scoring through Messi. Caballero had been outstanding in goal, and the defensive shape and closing down maintained by Malaga was commendable. The second half though saw their commitment to attack leave huge gaps behind the midfield for the Barcelona attack to exploit, and resulted in Barcelona running rampant and building up a 3 goal cushion. Buonanotte curled in a peach of a free kick to reduce the arrears, but it was too little too late as Barcelona juggernaut rolled on, continuing their unbelievable start to the season, taking 55 points out of a possible 57.

A look at the specific talking points follows:

So far, apart from the exception of Real Madrid, Sevilla and Atletico for the first half an hour, none of the other teams have attacked Barcelona. Most teams park the bus when they play Barcelona, seeking to limit the margin of defeat, and the ones that do try to attack, have troubles keeping Barcelona from scoring, as Barcelona have not yet gone a game without scoring so far this season. Malaga played their usual 4-2-3-1 with Isco pulling the strings and Camacho and Toulalan providing the defensive screen. Due credit goes to the tactics and coaching of Pellegrini, as Malaga were able to hold their own when faced with the much vaunted Barcelona attack, and additionally were adventurous in possession, as was seen by Natxo Monreal frequently overlapping Eliseu on the left flank. The defence was in perfect shape, successfully nullifying every threat that came their way and keeping the Catalans’ attacking prowess in check. Caballero was brilliant whenever called on. Apart from a shot dragged wide by Fabregas and the goal that Messi scored thanks to an underhit backpass that gave Caballero no chance, Barcelona could not create much in the way of chances in the first half.

Try as hard as one may, it is difficult to contain and yet express Messi’s genius in a few words. Last night, playing as the fulcrum of the Barcelona attack, he controlled the game by creating chances for his team mates, playing the final pass, exchanging swift and deft one-twos and constantly making runs at the defence. His pass for the Fabregas goal was deft and yet marked with deadly precision. He was involved in the third goal too, playing  a quick one-two with Thiago before the latter provided a sumptuous finish. If only he could decide what to wear on the red carpet with an ounce of his footballing genius.

In a game that saw them being put under a lot of pressure by the Malaga defenders, the Barcelona midfield showed the presence of some very quick feet in addition to their awareness and incredible control of possession. On multiple occasions, the Barcelona midfield pulled themselves out of tight corners by demonstrating nimbleness and skill of a very high level. Cases in point being one where Busquets gets out of jail with nimble footwork, and the video below showcasing Iniesta at his very nonchalant best. Watch the Iniesta skill where he controls the air ball without making an effort to do so.

Isco has had a brilliant season so far, having already scored more this year than he did last year. His creativity and balance in passing is a joy to watch, and along with Muniain and Thiago, he is the star of the next generation of the Spanish midfield. Against Barcelona, he was not at his best but his exuberance while attacking and the intention of getting everyone involved in attack was admirable. Shackled well by a combination of Busquets and Mascherano, he could not showcase his talents to the maximum and so Malaga were left slightly toothless whenever they attacked, as they could not create many clear chances.

It was a welcome sight, seeing the familiar face of Vilanova at the touchline, back after undergoing surgery and treatment for his cancer. He has added a new level of directness to this Barcelona team, as they now look to pounce on any weakness shown by their opponents ruthlessly. Also, he has brought an increased sense of trust in the patented 4-3-3 that the Catalans play. Last season, Guardiola had moved in between the 4-3-3 and a 3-4-3 to increase their threat going forward against teams that might defend stubbornly. Vilanova has in general stuck to the 4-3-3, but has added his own touch of dynamism to it, equipping Barcelona with a counter attacking threat without compromising their possession game. What he has also added to the gameplay is the feature of tactical fouling. With Barcelona playing a high pressing game, it is imperative that the opponent’s attacking forays be contained at the earliest, which is why one can see many innocuous challenges being committed deep inside the opponent’s half, thus depriving them of the momentum. An example of this was Fabregas’ challenge on Toulalan deep in Malaga’s half.

The next 10 days offer Malaga the chance for revenge, as they meet Barcelona in the Copa del Rey over two legs to decide who goes through to the last four. If last night’s game was anything to go by, those two games aren’t going to be easy and will need Barcelona to be at their imperious best to go through with ease. For now though, they are the team with the best record across Europe, having drawn 1 and won 18 of their 19 matches at the halfway stage of the Spanish La Liga.

Till the beginning of this season, Dante was a relative unknown, unless of course Borussia Monchengladbach happens to be your favorite team. A cult hero among the Monchengladbach fans for his Afro, Dante has brought stability and solidity to the Munich defense like never before. His calmness in possession and experience has served to calm the Bayern defense down, thus helping Bayern to become the immovable object that they are now. Their defense has conceded just 7 goals in the Bundesliga thus far, and has helped their attacking flair thrive without needing to worry about conceding goals. Bayern have already almost clinched the title, and have been pretty dominant in Europe save for an opening match blip against BATE, so this season could hold a lot of good for them, and Dante has been key to holding their defense together in all of it. The question was never of ability, it was whether he possessed the mental toughness to make it at a club as cutthroat and demanding as Bayern. I guess the answer is there for all to see.

He who must not be named has finally shown us the player that he is and could possibly become in the near future. Shelvey has seen a lot of managers come and go during his time at Anfield, with no less than 4 managers having come and gone during the last 2 years. That is one of the reasons that Shelvey has taken his time to break through. From Benitez to Rodgers, he has sat through all of it. The loan spell out at Blackpool was the turning point, as Shelvey really grabbed his opportunities by the scruff of the neck. Playing in an attacking midfield role, he scored 6 times in 10 games, which prompted Dalglish to recall him to the Liverpool team. The remainder of the season he was in and out of the team, though it was clear he had it in him to play as a box-to-box midfielder. This season, he has shown himself to be adept in a variety of roles- as a make shift striker, in an attacking midfield role, or sometimes even as a box-to-box midfielder. His playing style is very combative, very British; he has an eye for making a pass with a cutting edge, he pings crossfield balls with ease and has a pile driver of a shot, very reminiscent of a young Steven Gerrard. A fiery temperament notwithstanding, he should one of the first names on the Liverpool team-sheet for a long time to come.

The expression, “The world is your oyster” holds true for El Sharaawy. Clearly the only reason Milan agreed to sell Zlatan Ibrahimovic was because only they knew what they possessed in El Sharaawy. He has single-handedly transformed Milan’s fortunes this season. He has scored about half of Milan’s goals in Serie A this season. For a team boasting of Robinho, Boateng, Pazzini and bereft of their main forward in Pato, Milan sure are underachieving. And it is down to only one guy, El Sharaawy. He has put the team on his back and has carried them thus far. His relentless running, sublime tricks and touches and full range of passing have helped him to be an all-round star, both while attacking and while tracking back. In a dull season so far, his performances have been the only bright spark, and his decision to stay and try breaking into the first team for one last year clearly seems to have paid dividends. Milan surely caught a break.

The only reason to include Muller in this list is because of the year he had last season. Muller was clearly out of favor, and there were doubts over his long term future at Bayern Munich. However, this season has been a complete turnaround. Rejuvenated and restored back to his favored position on the right hand side of an attacking trio, he is the leading assist provider in the Bundesliga, apart from being one of the top goal scorers. His return to form has been one of the major reasons for Bayern’s attacking fluency this season. Bayern have had an electric start to this season, and currently they stay on top of the Bundesliga enjoying Christmas. With a Champions league fixture against Arsenal to come, and regaining the Bundesliga a priority, Bayern need Muller to be firing on all cylinders. The major reasons for his return to form have been a back to basics approach, with him making more of his trademark runs, layoffs, and getting into positions behind the defense regularly. His form has been rewarded with a new contract running till 2017, so yes, he has turned over a new leaf.

The most improved player in the Premier league by far, Rafael has cemented himself as the first choice right back in the Manchester United line-up. And for the first time since Gary Neville went down with his ankle injury in March 2007, United have a buccaneering right back who attacks and defends properly. Till the beginning of this year, the position was one of a handful of positions which seemed like a problem area for the club, but Rafael has shown great maturity in finding a balance between attack and defense. The rash tackles, the bad positioning have come down to an extent one can almost ignore them. And his strengths going forward have become indispensable- his link up play, crossing, and even finishing! Ask Anfield if you will. He has been the one good constant in the United defense this season, running around like a Duracell bunny unaffected by all the chaos going on around him.

Honorable mentions: Alexander Meier, Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini, Carl Jenkinson, Jordi Alba, Falcao, Hatem Ben Arfa, Borja Valero, Wes Hoolahan, David De Gea, Wilfried Zaha

When you give it some thought, it takes a lot of effort choosing a handful of players from all of those who have had a great season so far, and it is always going to get polarized opinions. All one can do is clench up, and brace oneself. So here goes.

In part one, we deal with the bottom half of the 10 most improved players.

From being a Manchester United reject to a goal scoring machine, Diouf has experienced it all in the last year. A total of 15 appearances and 2 goals speak volumes, as Diouf could not make the grade at United. A January move to Hannover 96 has rekindled the fire in him. The past year, he has scored 20 goals for Hannover in 32 games, and his goals have helped Hannover perform competitively in both the Bundesliga and the Europa league. A blistering turn of pace, coupled with great instincts in the box, Diouf has proven his critics wrong comprehensively. If he continues to perform with this level of consistency, the sky’s the limit, and it might just be a matter of time before he makes a move to a big club again.

Probably the most ridiculous choice, but then, Henrikh Mkhitaryan deserves to be recognized for the performances he has been putting in for Shakhtar Donetsk. A gifted attacking midfielder, he has really turned the screws for Shakhtar this year, propelling them to the knockout phase of the Champions league and helping them maintain themselves at the top of the Ukranian league. His composure, vision around the goal and finishing are all top notch, and so are skills he has honed after enduring a difficult start to his Shakhtar career, when he was kept out of the team by Jadson. This season has seen him score 20 goals and assist 8 goals in just 26 matches, incredible statistics for an attacking midfielder. The time will come soon for Mkhitaryan to make a move to one of the big clubs in Europe, and it sure is going to be a long list of clubs who make a beeline for him. Armenia have a very good, developing football team, and Mkhitaryan is going to be the one to put them on the map.

A new term for powerhouse in midfield: Wanyama. The Kenyan is proving to be one of the best signings ever in the history of Celtic. Exactly the sort of midfielder teams across Europe are struggling to produce/buy, Wanyama has redefined the term engine room. Comparisons with Vidal and Yaya Toure are completely justified, as he has raised his game to that level. His positional understanding is impeccable, and offers the team a balance in terms of defence and attack. His defensive anchoring has been crucial in Celtic’s push for a good Champions league, helping them set out their stall, and rely on swift counter attacks and set pieces. The younger brother of Mcdonald Mariga, the Inter midfielder, Wanyama has seen his stock rise rapidly, from playing for Beerschot in Belgium to becoming one of the most sought after defensive midfielders in the world.

Tagged for fame at the age of 16 can be tough. Coutinho can vouch for that. Bought by Internazionale in 2008 at the age of 16, the Brazilian finally joined them in 2010 after he turned 18. Unlike most players coming out of Brazil, he didn’t have the pressure of being tagged as the next Pele or Ronaldo. Playing football in an alien country in a team that gave him the freedom to show his full range of play, that was easy. What was not was the pressure thrust onto him just as he was getting acclimatized to a foreign land and new team mates. The next couple of seasons saw him being reduced to a bit-part role, with sporadic appearances off the bench. And then it all turned. A loan spell at Espanyol followed, which saw him score 5 times and helped his self confidence. This season, he has been a joy to watch, with his constant running at defenders, mazy dribbling skills and snap shooting coming to the fore. Coutinho this season has shown himself to be a genuine attacking threat. Given a free reign to operate, his creative skills have come to the fore, and he has been very involved in Inter’s games so far, and long may it continue.

His versatility is what has helped him become an important member of the Blaugrana squad. The ability to play either flank in both defense and midfield, and in the centre, of both defense and midfield, has helped him carve out a place for himself in the squad. Adriano has had to work himself into a position of merit, and now he more often than not commands a position in the line up either at right back (instead of the increasingly erratic Dani Alves) or on the wing. The fact that both Pedro and Alexis are not performing to their levels has been offset by the direct running, shooting and crossing of Adriano. He is greatly appreciated in the Barcelona squad for re-inventing himself. This season and the second half of last season, he has been exemplary playing at centre back, where he has shown great passing skills in bringing the ball out of defense. Tito Vilanova has shown great trust in abilities and Adriano has paid back his trust in kind. And yes, he is the only La Liga player to make the list (considering the lopsidedness of La Liga).

The draft night is like a battlefield for a prospect. A thousand thoughts flowing through his head; it is an amalgam of so many contrasting emotions, it would be an understatement to say that he can get overawed by the moment. Not considering the enormous pressure associated with being the no. 1 pick, it generally is smooth sailing for the first pick. He knows which team he is going to and what his role their is going to be. For the others, it is an experience of a lifetime, where they aren’t sure when they are going to be selected, and which team are they heading to. And just like that, with the 2nd pick of the 1994 draft, the Dallas Mavericks drafted Jason Frederick Kidd. The most versatile player in the ’94 draft, Kidd was tagged as the guy who will help uplift the sagging fortunes of the NBA whipping boys, the Dallas Mavericks.

No pressure Jason, none at all. But pressure what he thrived on. By choosing to play in a program not known for its basketball prowess, he had already made the news. At UC Berkeley however, he helped them become a genuine contender for the Division – I in the NCAA championships. This was a stark contrast to the time before he joined Berkeley, when they struggled to get a winning record, let alone make the Division – I. His high school years saw him lead his team to consecutive state championship titles. He was also the recipient of the Naismith High School player of the year. Coming from a fairly well-to-do family, Kidd was always the kid gutting it out on the street courts of Oakland. His friendship and sparring with Gary Payton was well known, and another indication as to the kind of player he would become.

Most NBA players crave for the chance to become the face of a franchise. Many get that honour, but are unable to handle the pressure and attention that comes with it. Those that do are the ones that really stand out. The ability to shoulder the burden of an entire franchise’s expectations and reactions is not something that one can develop. It is something ingrained in an individual. Come what may, I have to help keep improving my team, and while at it, I have got to be the best player on the court. This is the thought that every franchise player has time to time. What distinguishes a franchise player from a leader is the ability to single – handedly lift the team’s performances over the course of time. Jason Kidd is definitely one of those who yearns for the opportunity to create a dynasty. His leadership ability is clearly seen, with him being able to galvanize a franchise and lead them to the top, and also show that they belong there by sustaining their meteoric rise.

Time to come back to Kidd’s career in the NBA. Drafted by Dallas, he was one of the three J’s in Dallas, along with Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn, and the three of them were expected to change Dallas’ fortunes. Sure enough, he did not disappoint, effecting a 23 game turnaround in their record, and going from 13-69 to 36-46. Voted co- Rookie of the year along with Grant Hill, Kidd continued his stellar performance the next year, getting selected for the All- Star game. Consider the situation, a guy goes into the team with the worst record in the league, turns the team round on its head, gets elected the Rookie of the year, and the next year makes the All-Star team. If there’s ever an instant impact, there was one. His story in Dallas though wasn’t over.

Traded to Phoenix, Kidd raised his game to another level, establishing the Suns as a regular play-off team. His time with the Suns saw him becoming a complete player, becoming a defensive force to be reckoned with, to go along with his playmaking and scoring. However, he sort of plateaued out at Phoenix, as the club could never go beyond the Conference semis. Yes he did make the All-Star team thrice, and was also part of the all-NBA team thrice. His individual game was going great guns, but the Suns lacked the play-off calibre to make it deep through the post-season. The much talked about back court of Hardaway and Kidd turned out to be a bust, as both of them could not find a way to stay fit during the same time. Also, his off-court problems were at an all time high, as he was arrested on charges of domestic abuse and had to go through counselling to avoid jail time. A culmination of all of this resulted in him being traded to the New Jersey Nets in principle for Stephon Marbury.

The time with New Jersey was Kidd’s golden period. As he had proven earlier, his ability to rejuvenate a broken franchise with his playing style and his leadership skills was still very good. He was able to take a very ordinary Nets team full of young, athletic forwards (Martin and Jefferson) and shooters (Kittles and Van Horn) and take them to the best ever season in franchise history, reaching the NBA finals, where they lost to the Lakers. The Nets repeated their feat the next year, again losing in the Finals, this time to the Spurs. Following major microfracture surgery, Kidd was back with the Nets completely rejuvenated and fresh. He was pivotal in the trade that resulted in Vince Carter moving to the Nets in 2004, which again showed the intent of the Nets in building a core group around Kidd so that the team could become legitimate challengers for the championship. During this period, Kidd was at the peak of his playing prowess, and was hands down the best PG the league could boast of.

2008 saw Dallas complete a long and protracted trade to get Kidd back to the Big D. Devin Harris had taken the Mavericks as far as he could, and Cuban decided he needed an experienced, shrewd point guard to run the Dallas team. Following Avery Johnson’s dismissal, Kidd was given complete control of the Dallas offense, as he called the plays to run on the go. It was the system Nowitzki had always wanted after his close friend Steve Nash moved to Phoenix. In the flow offense system at Dallas, Kidd showed his best abilities, helping space the floor accordingly, and moving the ball quick so that they could get an open shot. Jason Kidd’s game has continuously evolved and matured and, just like fine wine, he gets better with age. The only thing lacking from his trophy cabinet was the Larry O’Brien trophy. And 2011 saw him winning the championship after having spent 17 seasons in the league and at the age of 38. It was only just that Kidd got to win the championship with the same team that gave him a shot at the NBA in the first place.

Now with the New York Knicks, Kidd is still going great guns. His performance levels are still right up there, and he has led the Knicks to the best record in the East so far. What it clearly says is that Kidd possesses the savvy and calmness needed to reach the very top and stay there. His age- defying game, coupled with his understanding of the game, has enabled him to stay a couple of steps ahead of his competitors and contemporaries. Just have a look at this play he makes a couple of years back, right when the game was in its most crucial phase. Kidd shows the mixture of savvy and experience that characterizes his game.

He has been pivotal to the USA basketball National team and their international victories. You’d consider me to be out of my mind when I say he has never been defeated in USA colors after he turned professional. Yes, its true,  he has a record of 56-0 over the course of a 10 year career with team USA, with two Olympic golds added to his kitty. His professionalism and workmanlike attitude is what has set him apart from a lot of his peers, and is the primary reason for his longevity. Summarizing his achievements is not an easy job, and its safe to say he is probably one of the most awarded players in the history of the game, and yet his thirst for the game and the insatiable desire to win has kept him at the forefront of his profession.

Mark Cuban probably will do good to apologize and make up with Kidd. Yes he did sign with NY, but then he had done his job in Dallas. Kidd has shown he has the qualities necessary to bring about an upturn in the fortunes of an ailing ball club, and so he has  taken the challenge of the Knicks. Saying stuff that is petty works to spoil the good work done by the both of them, and also taints the spirit of the 2011 championship winning Dallas team. Maybe if Kidd does his best Elmer Fudd impression, all the bad blood will be forgotten. Or maybe at the next Knicks- Mavs game, Kidd just blows Cuban his trademark free throw kiss.

All basketball teams crave for a playmaker. One who can run their game, one who anticipates the opponents’ next move, one who can lead the team. More often that not, we struggle to find players who work like a well-oiled machine but yet are enigmatic and possess that element of surprise. The word ‘work’ is used for a reason. It is only when one works and hones their abilities, that a passion can develop into a profession, and only when that happens, does one make the jump from being a player to a franchise player.

Jason Kidd is the best defense oriented PG, maybe just behind Payton. His offensive skills are second to none, and his passing is par excellence. He is third on the list of players with most triple doubles, behind Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson. He is 2nd on the list of total assists and steals, behind Stockton in both lists. He is also a PG with good size, who uses his size to great effect, isolating and posting up smaller players. His rebounding is the best among PGs of all time. Also, he swishes the three ball real good too, as he stands 3rd currently in the list for most 3 pointers made, behind Ray Allen and Reggie Miller.

Come to think of it, by the time the 2000s were upon us, Kidd was already 27. Talk about impact!

If I ever owned an NBA team, and trust me, I dream a lot about it, Jason Kidd would be my PG. If and when human cloning catches on, I’d order myself a couple of Kidd’s and send them over to Dallas to help the struggling Mavericks. Wishful thinking. Even Kidd cannot save Dallas.

Or maybe he can.

The last two seasons have seen United fail to answer and effectively deal with the threat posed by Toure. His power, pace and ball control is unparalleled, and United have no one in their ranks to match his strengths. United have a small squad in terms of size, with no midfielder player similar in stature and strength to Toure. So, the threat he poses is the most dangerous kind, as his direct running and power have been key to City doing the double over United last year, and the FA Cup semi final victory in 2010. The last player United used to man mark him was Park Ji-Sung, and he could hardly keep up, and kept getting shrugged off repeatedly. Cleverley did a great job in the Community Shield last year, but he will miss the game tomorrow due to injury. So, the need is to counter his runs right when they are about to start, close to the halfway line. Looking through United’s line up, its clear as daylight that the only player possibly capable of marking Toure is Wayne Rooney.

Rooney has reveled in the slightly withdrawn role that he has been given this year, with his performances being absolutely first class. His work rate and link up play has been spotless, and in recent weeks, his defensive work has been immense. Coupled with the fact that he is the strongest and fastest of all of United’s midfield options, it seems logical that he be the guy to hassle and harry Toure, and at the same time, provide the offensive spark that catalyzes United’s attacking play.

Both Barry and Carrick play a very important role as a defensive shield for their respective sides. However, they go about their duties with a highly contrasting approach. Barry helps intervene and break up opposition attacks primarily, and then plays the ball out, mainly sideways. Carrick on the other hand, acts as a deep lying playmaker, utilizing his brilliant passing range, and helps provide a seamless transition between defense and attack. They both are not the fastest movers on the field, but help bring composure to the play. Barry has a very good left foot, and is also of use when it comes to taking set pieces, with his deliveries more often than not creating problems for the opposition.

Carrick has improved greatly in the air, him being one of United’s principal threats off set pieces. His role on set pieces is to rush to the near post, and provide clever flick ons for the players crowding the six yard box. Apart from being a threat offensively, his role on defense cannot be underestimated, as he provides all the running to cover for the defense when they are out of position. His understanding of situations is crisp, and he is always available to receive the ball.

The last couple of times Van Persie has faced Belgian central defenders, he has had pretty good games. He was excellent against Arsenal, tormenting Vermaelen, and against Spurs, he continuously made Vertonghen toe the line, but could just not find the finish to match his performance. Tomorrow he comes up against probably the best defender in England, in Vincent Kompany. The captain of both his club and country, he has been a colossus in defense, and is one of the primary reasons that City have been able to keep 6 clean sheets. His performances have been top notch, and he has helped organize a City defense ravaged by injuries very well. His match up with Van Persie should prove to be critical to the outcome of tomorrow’s game.

Van Persie has added a new dimension to the already vaunted United attack. His ability to play multiple positions, coupled with his timing of runs and finishing has helped United sustain themselves at the top of the League. His added threat from set pieces has added to United’s options. He has shown that he can stay out of trouble with injuries, and that he is one of the best in the world at what he does. His link up play with his back to goal has been nothing short of phenomenal, and it is this facet of his game which defenders have found difficult to handle.

The flexibility that City possess is in their midfield options, with both Silva and Nasri capable of switching positions on the flanks, as well as playing through the middle. Although they haven’t really performed to their potential so far this season, the derby is a one off, and for players like them, it takes less than a split second to conjure up some magic. Nasri with his direct running and dribbling skills, and Silva with his impeccable ball control and his eye for producing a defense splitting pass, are the danger men as far as United are concerned.

Rafael this season has produced some sterling displays, and has given a lot of indications of his growing maturity. His performances have been the only silver lining for the United defense, but he will have his task cut out against both Nasri and Silva. Additionally, he is a big threat going forward, and his wing play will force the City wingers to fall back and defend, which demands a lot from attacking players like Nasri and Silva. Patrice Evra has had an alright season so far, his performances having fluctuated from really good, to downright disappointing. He will need to bring his A-game tomorrow, otherwise he stands to see himself embarrassed repeatedly. His play going forward has been good, and gives United penetration on the flanks.

Aguero is still City’s most dangerous striker, and although his play has been patchy, he will be up for the game tomorrow. He might have scored only 5 goals so far, but then he remains their most dynamic forward, with his blistering change of pace, and excellent positional awareness. He will be under a lot of pressure to produce in the game tomorrow, but he has shown himself to relish such situations. Having graduated from the Madrid derby to the Manchester derby, he will not be fazed by any of the spotlight.

Ferdinand has adapted his style of play to suit his body’s needs. He might have lost his explosive pace, but he now relies on his positioning and organizational prowess to marshall the United defense. His performances this season, along with most of the United defense has been suspect, but trust him to raise his game in time for the derby. His experience has been a guiding light for the other young central defenders in the squad, and he will have to muster each and every ounce of his know-how to control Aguero and the rest of the City attack tomorrow.

“I’ve been a fan of his since he came out of Arizona. He does a good job. He’s a very good defender. He’s ‘Pippenesque’ in terms of his length and his ability to cover ground,” said Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant.

Nuggets coach George Karl said, “I just like his courage, and I don’t know what it is, his savvy? He’s made big shots, won games at the buzzer.”

These quotes probably gives an indication of how highly Igoudala is rated within the players’ and coaches’ circles in the NBA. It is very difficult to find a guy who can defend, be the playmaker, and throw it down hard all at the same time.

The following video clip shows an instance of Iguodala at his best. After hustling his man to throw a poorly executed hook shot, Iguodala is the first to the rebound. He then bounds up the court, and is surrounded by 4 defenders while his teammates are in bad positions. So what does he do? He pulls off an outrageous move, throwing the ball onto the glass, and then finishing off the dunk himself. Doing that in an All Star game is understandable, but in the first quarter of a regular season game, to have that composure and cool, is unreal.

Do-it-all:

Andre Iguodala has for long been one of the most athletic swingmen in the NBA. A jack of all trades, he is one of the most complete players in the league. Apart from being an incredible athlete, an elite defender, a dependable shooter, and a good Point forward, Iguodala is also one of the premier dunkers in the league.

At 6’6”, he is not the tallest in the league, but his dunks are some of the most ferocious on display. A wingspan of 6’11” gives him the ability to dunk the ball from some distance to the basket, and a vertical of 34.5” helps him jump over most of the guys. One of the most muscular basketball players, Iguodala imparts a great combination of power and accuracy to his dunks, which is seldom seen. Have a look at an example of the power being talked about. The ball goes through, bounces off his chest, and goes back up through the hoop. Power indeed.

In-then-out:

Oh, and yes, the basket did not count.

Unlike most others, Iguodala is a modest dunker. Notice how each dunk is just another basket for him. The execution of the dunk is what matters. No showboating, no taunting, he just goes about his business, preparing himself for the next defensive assignment. An explosive change in direction, a sudden burst of speed running off the screen, and Dre, as he is called, is close to the basket, ready to take flight. His hands hold the ball as though a mother is caressing her baby, full of care and protection. Once he gets his jump, he throws it down like all hell’s about to break loose.

Iguodala top 10 dunks:

His best dunk probably came in the 2006 Dunk contest, when he caught the ball off the backboard, went below the backboard and then threw it in. The dunk is out of the world because of its flawless execution, and the fact that he got it right in the first go.

From A.I. to AI:

Spin and stuff:

1.
2.
3. Andre Igoudala
4. DeMar DeRozen
5. Russell Westbrook
6. Dwight Howard
7. Derrick Rose
8. Dwyane Wade
9.  JaVale McGee
10. Josth Smith

An ill-fated 5 game reign at Internazionale not withstanding, Gasperini is probably still a good coach, with a footballing philosophy of his own in place. His career choices though, are astounding. To recover from his stint at Inter, he went ahead and took over as coach at Palermo, the very epitome of coaching instability. However, if he can do it at Palermo, he can probably do it anywhere. A proper grudge match, Gasperini would have wanted to win it desperately. Both teams played a 3-4-3, with Gasperini still persisting with the 3-4-3 that got him fired at Inter. He has the team to do it at Palermo, led by Josip Ilicic and Barreto. Though Palermo had some bright moments going forward, they were unlucky to lose due to a very flukish own goal. Palermo are struggling though in the Serie A, languishing just outside the relegation zone. Is it just a matter of time before Gasperini is sent packing again?

With both teams playing an attacking 3-4-3, the game was concentrated in midfield, as both teams tried to impose themselves over the other. However, the lack of a proper passing midfielder was felt on both sides as all the link up play going forward went to waste for both teams. Coutinho was very purposeful in his running, but with a lack of support from deep, the attacks became pointless. Ilicic was very slick on the ball, all feints and shimmies, but did not get great support from the talented but inconsistent Dybala, and Barreto was too deep to be of great effect. So despite some purposeful running and intent, the lack of a cutting edge was felt badly.

Pereira and Zanetti were full of energy, providing constant support on the wings, with Pereira being specially involved. His direct running at the defence led to various half chances opening up for the attack, however an off-day meant that none of those chances were converted. Their defensive coverage was good, controlling Palermo for most part of the game. However, the lack of a guy in the penalty box was glaring, and so Inter couldn’t capitalize on the opportunities. The addition of Nagatomo in the 2nd half added some much needed speed and dynamism to the team, and helped Inter maintain the lead. Morganella and Pisano helped provide the threat on the flanks for Palermo.

The only goal of the match came as a result of a deflection off of a poor cross from Ranocchia, which was diverted in to the goal and away from his goalkeeper. The ironic fact about the goal is that the cross sent in by Ranocchia was inaccurate and misguided, and with no Inter player in sight, the defender sent it in to the goal. The goal hopefully helps Inter get their season back on track, as they have faltered in the last couple of weeks. Palermo will consider themselves unlucky to lose out to such a freak goal, and their performance was encouraging, to say the least.

Inter struggled to connect the play from midfield to attack, and Palermo did the same, defending being their problem. The lack of a passer in the centre of the field was clear, with Cambiasso trying valiantly but to no avail. The reinstatement of Sneijder might go a long way in helping the team pass the ball with much more fluidity. Similarly, the absence of Cassano was felt so badly, as his free attacking role helped add unpredictability to the team.

Stramaccioni needs to get his team’s balance right, and with that, put an end to their continuous change in shape and personnel. Gasperini though has his work cut out,  as he needs to try and find a formula that works, or else Zamparini will start playing his favorite game – Managerial poker. Palermo felt the absence of their talisman Miccoli, as he was not on the bench, and so they could not finish off the chances that they had.

 Full time: Inter 1-0 Palermo

A virtuoso performance it was, and boy did he eclipse the others on the pitch by a country mile. His play last night was a combination of direct running and clever link up play. His tracking back and defending was the best one has probably seen him exhibit. He provided a constant outlet for his team while on the attack. His free kicks were out of the world, and that was because he toned them down. He reduced their speed, while going for more curl and placement, and it resulted in two exquisite set pieces, both that gave Courtois no chance at all. One went into the corner of the goal, while the other bounced right off the crossbar. He set up Ozil with an opportunistic pass once his pass to Benzema was cut off. He lured defenders into fouls with his dribbling and ball control, and was a thorn in their flesh all night long. He missed the opportunity to round off his performance with another goal, as he saw an effort bounce off the post. All in all, he was unplayable last night, and hopefully, the Ballon d’Or beckons. I guess all that sadness he had inside of him at the beginning of the season is long gone. Going by his reactions to his misses last night, he might just sink into depression, if he does not win the Ballon d’Or. Let’s just hope he does win it.

That definitely was not why Simeone put him out on the pitch from the start. All Costa did was try and incite a reaction from either of Real’s combustible central defensive duo. He had one useful touch, when he passed the ball to Falcao who forced a save out of Casillas. But that was it. After that, it was all about shoving others, leaving your foot in after tackles, hands in people’s faces. It was disgraceful, beyond a point, and frankly childish. Well done Mr. Costa, point taken. You truly are the thug you want to be.

A lot has been made out of Atletico’s performance in La Liga this season. Questions were asked by everyone, wondering if they were going to be the ones to break the stranglehold that Barcelona and Real have had over the league. Their rise to prominence this season has been based on defensive solidity, and a fluid midfield feeding their lifeline, Radamel Falcao. The trio of Turan, Koke and Costa were completely lackluster in their play, and that left Falcao bereft of the ball, and hence goalscoring opportunities. The defence was forced into mistakes regularly by Real’s pressing, and the warm-up injury to Filipe Luis did not help. Adrian’s absence from the starting 11 was felt as his pace and trickery on the wings was sorely missed. They just were surprised by Real’s pressing and hustling, and continuously ended up on the backfoot, trying to retrieve possession, while defending for their lives. They forced one proper save out of Casillas the entire game, that says it all. A couple of weeks from now, they face Barcelona, and the outcome of that match will be decisive in understanding what they are : A force to be reckoned with or the new “Best of the Rest”. For now though, they still haven’t beaten Real since 1999.

Granted, the first half was dire, with the only talking points being Ronaldo‘s free kick and Costa’s antics. The second half, though, was a stark contrast. Real stepped it up a notch or two, and Atletico couldn’t handle it. The offensive tempo, coupled with their intense pressing forced errors out of the Atletico players. Ronaldo was consistently the best player on the pitch, and Ozil and Benzema rose to the occasion in the second half. Benzema was very good with his back to the goal, linking up beautifully with the others, his best moment characterized by the turn which befuddled two defenders and leading to a foul on the edge of the box. Ozil was all guile and composure, his best moment being the perfectly weighted defense splitting pass to an onrushing Ronaldo. His loss of form has been an irritant for Mourinho all season, and the Special One would be hoping that this would be the game that triggers a change in fortunes for him, and Real Madrid.

Staying up till almost 5 in the morning, you expect a lot more from the Madrid derby. A clash of cultures and ideologies, and you want to witness an end to end game which keeps you on tenterhooks. Well, that did not happen. A game completely dominated by Real was what we witnessed. What made the game an eyesore were the stupid altercations that kept occurring. The eventual outcome of that was a whole bunch of nothing, and handbags is the term that best describes it. This was an opportunity for the world to take note and agree that the La Liga is not a two team competition anymore, and yet, the game might just have reinforced the existing belief further. In Ramos and Pepe, Real have a combination who can be brilliant one day, and the next day, all that interests them would be getting into a scrap. In a season where they face adversity for the remaining duration of the campaign in order to defend their title, it would benefit them greatly if those two get their act together and acquire some sense of the good kind. So, the weekend finished with Barcelona still 11 points ahead of Real, and Real closing the gap down to Atletico to 5. The element of challenge is what has been missing from Spain for the last few season, and call it wishful thinking, but the hope exists that it might change. This season is not over yet, hopefully.

]]> http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/12/02/5-talking-points-from-el-derbi-madrileno/feed/ 1 15066 http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/11/27/5-reasons-for-the-resurrection-of-internazionale/ http://www.sportskeeda.com/2012/11/27/5-reasons-for-the-resurrection-of-internazionale/#comments Mon, 26 Nov 2012 19:01:34 +0000 Vsu http://www.sportskeeda.com/?p=1004000

Stramaccioni was appointed on a permanent basis at the beginning of the 2012-13 season, following a successful interim period, the highlight of which was the victory in the Derby della Madonnina. And so far, his appointment has proven to be the best signing of the season. His tactical understanding of the game is impeccable, and he sends his teams out with a clear bent of mind, to attack, and yet keep the defense protected. For a team going through a period of transition, he is exactly what the doctor prescribed, a young coach who understands the players, and yet has a strong belief in his own abilities and the will to succeed.

His calm demeanor on the touchline, an obsessive attention to detail and confidence in his team are all features that have endeared him to the Inter faithful. It’s still early days, but he has his team going great guns, and long may it continue. The example of Sneijder being kept out of the squad till he makes a decision on his future speaks volumes about Stramaccioni’s personality, and how the team comes above all for him.

The retooling of the squad had become important, as the squad contained many senior personnel with bloated egos (Lucio, Maicon, Julio Cesar) who were hindering the redevelopment of the squad. The essential step of letting them go was taken without much fuss, and the players brought in were done with an intention of improving upon last year’s positioning, and getting into the Champions League positions. The arrivals of Palacio and Cassano gave the squad great impetus going forward, whilst the permanent signings of Guarin, Pereira and Handanovic added solidity.

The weakness in midfield and defense was addressed with the loan signings of Gargano, Mudingayi and Silvestre. The overall transaction that Inter made over the summer was around 7 million Euros, with the club generating enough revenue through sales to buy players who were ambitious and exhibited versatility in terms of the positions they play, which suited the club’s needs perfectly.

The promotion of several players from the Primavera has added some much needed freshness to the Inter squad. Having seen them develop during his tenure as the youth team coach, Stramaccioni has complete faith in their talent and youthful exuberance. The introduction of Juan Jesus into the team as a centre back was injury enforced, but his performances have shown that throwing him in to the deep has helped him develop greatly. Livaja has been a regular in the Europa League this year, and his performances bode well for the future. The promotion of youth into the first team squad was also a principle that Guardiola followed during his time as Barcelona‘s coach, and shows the forward thinking approach that Stramaccioni employs.

The emergence of Coutinho and Alvarez is also something to be recognized, as they have good chances of becoming mainstays in the team for a long time to come. Coutinho has looked like a perfect trequartista, while Alvarez, if he can shake of his injury problems, will be another versatile addition to the attacking midfield/ forward line.

Inter are slowly moving away from a 4-3-1-2 to a more Italian 3 man defense, with their players offering them the flexibility to switch between a 3-4-1-2, a 3-4-3 and a 3-5-2. The reason for this change in formation is the surplus of defensive midfielders and the lack of wingers who can provide an outlet on the counter attack and help stretch opposition defences in the squad. The return of Samuel has provided a veteran presence to the inexperienced defence. The burgeoning partnership between Juan Jesus and Ranocchia is promising, and the versatility of Cambiasso means he too can play in a back 3.

The wing backs in Zanetti, Nagatomo and Pereira help provide the width going forward, and also give protection to the defence by cutting off supply from the wings. The midfield is solid with Guarin/ Gargano and Cambiasso providing the energy and steadfastness necessary in such a formation. This setup has helped provide some much needed solidity to their play, and also help make up for the general lack of depth in terms of specialists in their positions.

The presence of Cassano has added a lot of unpredictability to the Inter attacking play. Palacio has added great work rate and pace. When combined with Milito’s predatory finishing, it helps add many dimensions to the Inter attack. The constant interchange of positions between Milito and Palacio, combined with Cassano’s free role adds to the variations in terms of their attacking. Throw in Coutinho, and the deliberate passing and guile of Alvarez, and Inter possess of a multitude of options going forward. The marauding wing play of Nagatomo and Zanetti, along with the new signing Pereira, adds a lot of threat from the wings, and presents multiple threats for the opposition to focus on. We haven’t yet talked about Sneijder and his offensive versatility and capability. So, attack is clearly this Inter team’s strength. And Stramaccioni is smart to focus on their strengths.

Mind you, the resurrection is still ongoing, and there is a long way till the end of the tunnel, but Stramaccioni has got the team going on the right track, and is the best man for the job.

World Peace absolutely blitzed the Mavericks in the 1st quarter, scoring 16 of his 19 points. He drove to the hoop a couple of times for easy layups, and was on fire from behind the perimeter, making 4 triples in the 1st, and going 5 of 7 overall. He is thriving in the D’Antoni offense, having recovered a lot of his offensive fluency back, and looking like his natural self, playing with a lot of freedom. With his confidence soaring, his defensive game should be back to its throttling best, which would be a scary proposition for any team.

Dwight Howard had probably his best overall game as a Laker yet, contributing effectively on the offensive end. But where his performance really stood out was on the defensive end, as he did a great job of providing a second defensive barrier to the Dallas players. He altered multiple shots, and had a lot of steals as the Lakers used their defensive intensity to drive their offensive game. Gasol also had a good game, as he looks to slowly feel his way out of his slump in form. He had a balanced game in terms of scoring and rebounding, and did a great job defensively, not allowing the Mavericks’ inside players any room, and forcing poor shots off of them. Jamison had a great game off the bench, getting a double-double. His performance would have brought a lot of smiles to the Lakers’ coaching staff, as he will be their principal reserve, and they will look to him for both scoring and rebounding.

In the absence of Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks are dependent predominantly on Mayo, Collison and Kaman for their scoring. So, in a crucial game against the Lakers, they chose to fail miserably, all 3 of them. They shot a combined 8 of 37, contributing a total of 19 points. The Lakers had 3 guys who scored 19 each. Enough said.

LA outrebounded Dallas 61-39 on the glass. They just did not allow the Mavericks to get any sort of edge in this game, and sure enough, Dallas caved in. Anyway, lets not take away anything from the Lakers, they really were comprehensive on both ends of the floor. It shows the new found confidence and belief in their abilities, that has been enforced by the coaching style of Mike D’Antoni. He has injected pace and purpose in their play, and the effects percolate down to all facets of the game, especially the rebounding. The quicker they get the rebound, the quicker they move the ball up the floor, and get a quick basket.

The Dallas bench outscored the Lakers bench 58-42, which was rendered immaterial, as it came when the game moved into garbage time i.e. from midway through the 3rd quarter. Dallas also had less turnovers (15-19) and more blocked shots (6-4) which tells us of the impotence of their key players. LA got a good look at its reserves, and the performances of Jamison, Meeks and Duhon would surely bode well for a team aiming to win the championship. Following the return of Nash and Blake, they will have a very deep roster, and will be a legitimate contender.

For Dallas, a rivalry that they shared with LA till last year now looks like a thing of the past, as the rosters have moved in such contrasting directions since the season began. This defeat was embarrassing and morale shattering, and it will take a lot of graft and grind to rise from it.

So after flirting with the English National team coaching vacancy, getting himself fired and taking a little summer break, Henry James Redknapp is back, and he would have liked what he saw; At least the first hour of it. Unlike last time, he has two months less to fix the mess that Rangers are in now. He would have seen enough encouragement in the performance tonight, with the players showing endeavor going forward, especially the trio of Taarabt, Dyer and Mackie, that loomed as a constant threat for the United backline. Their defending from set pieces is still an eye sore, but Harry would be hoping that would be something he could rectify. The situation that QPR find themselves in is something that Redknapp revels in, and he is a fitting managerial appointment to get the best out of them. Contrary to the squad he inherited at Spurs, the one at Loftus Road is well balanced, and with some good ol’ Harry magic, they should fight their way out. Time will tell.

There isn’t much more to say. His performance left a lot to be desired, and the worrying part was that it has been that way for some time now. United’s passing was much better without his involvement – that is as damning a judgement as it can be. As a winger, his role is to make use of his pace, go past defenders, and put balls in the inviting final third for strikers to add the finishing touches. What he did was dilly dally on the ball, turning inside, then going back outside, then finally he either lost the ball or passed the ball back. Apart from an early flourish, he has been poor for most of his time at United. People in Birmingham will probably be patting themselves on the back for utilizing his talents till they lasted, and then shipping him off to Manchester for a substantial amount. Days like these remind us of the importance of Valencia, and how United missed his direct running and wing-play today.

The last couple of weeks have exposed the frailties that exist in the center of the United midfield completely. Scholes and Giggs have lost more than a couple of paces, and have struggled to keep up, especially on the defensive side. Scholes has had a great time since he came back from retirement, but his honeymoon period looks to be over. He was late on most of his tackles, couldn’t be his usual self with his passing and was never able to cope with the QPR midfield. There was no tempo to their play, and the lack of understanding between Scholes and Fletcher would have been disconcerting to watch for Sir Alex. There was a huge gap between midfield and defense, and United struggled to get bodies back to help their defenders, thus making each and every one of QPR’s attack look dangerous.

If there was ever a case of substitutions made by both teams making a significant impact on the outcome of the game, this was it. Replacing Young and Scholes with Hernandez and Anderson added an element of directness to the play. Anderson especially, was key to the crisp passing that ensued after the equalizer. His decisiveness and execution were necessary for United to put QPR away once and for all and his pass for Hernandez’s goal was just the precise bit of football Sir Alex would’ve hoped from his intervention. Chicharito’s touch to cushion the ball and then the nonchalant finish reminded us why he is lethal inside the box. His 5th goal in the league this year (all five have been as a substitute) helped the side to seal the result. The half time deficit would have enraged Sir Alex, and he would have surely given the team a piece of his mind. Rangers were defending wonderfully, when they had to make a change, replacing Traore who got a knock, with Anton Ferdinand. This left them with four central defenders, playing across the defense, giving United more time to build their attack. It took less than 10 minutes after the substitutions for United to claim the victory with 3 quick goals. (not that Ferdinand had a hand in any of the  goals!!)

Dyer played the entire game. True story. And for parts of it, he looked like the Kieron Dyer who used to play for Newcastle. He was active, involved in all their good attacking play and made several intelligent runs off the ball. He linked up well with the forwards and helped the attack on the counters. His display was heartening to watch, considering it was his third league game for QPR in the last couple of seasons. Fletcher on the other hand, made his first Premier league start for almost a year and gave a solid performance that was later rounded off with a deserving  goal. His emotion was there for all to see and his return to the midfield adds that bit more of steel and poise the side has been lacking for quite some time. He was tired by the end, but on the whole, he had a good game and will be just like a new addition to the team.

LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 29: Ricky Rubio #9 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dribbles away from a fallen Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on February 29, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

Coming into this game, Minnesota were fourth in the league in terms of points allowed, and Portland were 11th when it came to points scored, so it was sort of a battle between the Blazers’ offense and the Wolves’ defense. Come the end of the game, Portland had enhanced their reputation, while Minnesota have a lot to ponder over. Simply put, the injuries have taken a toll on their team, and they need Ricky Rubio back.

The only reason we are even talking about this game being a close one is because Minnesota pounded the glass. They out-rebounded the Blazers 47-33, and Pekovic was crazy on the offensive end, grabbing seven rebounds. A game of two halves, the Wolves took the first, while the Blazers completed a great comeback in the 2nd half, winning the game 103-95. Minnesota had a hard time of it in the 2nd half, as they failed to get any transition opportunities, and were very slow with the ball, while the Blazers backcourt completely dominated the game, exhibiting great versatility in their shooting, mixing great three-point shooting with very good mid-range jumpers.

Portland played with great fluency, a departure from previous seasons, as they adjust to a new coach, and an inexperienced roster. J.J. Hickson did a great job of attacking the basket, as he was the only guy in the Blazer’s ranks who had anything going offensively. However, Aldridge’s foul troubles kept him out of the game, giving the Wolves the chance to work the ball inside to Pekovic and Love. Repeatedly, they would either drive to the basket, looking for contact, and more often than not, get it they did.

They did get several second chances, thanks to their offensive rebounding. What the Wolves did well was play the ball inside, getting the Blazers’ big men in foul trouble, and then going to the free throw line. The reason the game was tight for long periods was the foul shots and bench scoring (22 points to the Blazers’ nine) that Minnesota were getting. Looking at offensive numbers, both teams attempted the same number of shots, Portland just made 10 more.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 12: Gold medallists Andre Iguodala #9 of the United States, Kobe Bryant #10 of the United States, and Kevin Love #11 of the United States celebrate on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men’s Basketball on Day 16 of the London 2012 Olympics Games at North Greenwich Arena on August 12, 2012 in London, England.

Kevin Love grew up in Portland, and his choice to play for UCLA in college was not well received. So, in his second game back from injury, he was given a hard time, both, by the fans who booed him relentlessly, and the Blazers’ frontcourt, who were very physical with him. He is yet to get his shooting touch back, but his effort on rebounding and intensity on the offense was admirable. Indicative of this was the third quarter skirmish he got into with Aldridge, both players completely frustrated with their offensive games, and not willing to give an inch. The double technicals issued changed the game, as from that point on (with over nine minutes left in the 3rd), Portland were much more decisive on the offense.

The Blazers’ have a very high scoring starting line up but both Aldridge and Batum had an off-day today. In stepped Matthews and Lillard. Matthews had a great game shooting the ball, and was pivotal in Portland, pulling away in the 4th quarter as he made a couple of crucial baskets, the three-pointer with 6:17 to go, and the turnaround fadeaway posting up against Ridnour that pushed the lead to 11 with a little under four minutes left. He was brilliant shooting from beyond the arc, and was very active on defense, getting four steals. However, the star of the game today was Damien Lillard, the rookie point guard who had the game of his short career so far. He ran the offense brilliantly, and worked the floor very well. His shooting was top notch, and for someone who has been having a slight issue with turnovers, he notched up eight assists without any turnovers. Lillard can be the star the Blazers are craving for, but lets not put him under pressure, not so soon.

Both teams are having an inconsistent season, and they will look to take positives from this game, the Wolves of slowly getting players back from injury and getting their game going, and the Blazers of working through a transitional year, and finding their feet in an up-tempo offense.

Larry Bird seems to think Rick Carlisle is a coach any team would be lucky to have. And when Larry Bird speaks, you make sure you listen. Guess what, the Dallas Mavericks sure do agree that they are lucky to have him. One of only eleven people to win the NBA championship both as a player and as a coach, Carlisle has for long been one of the game’s most diligent students. Heavily under-rated, he is truly a well rounded coach, as his teams have always been known to play a combination of efficient, decisive offense coupled with an organized, disciplined defense. His obsession with attention to detail is very well known, as during his early coaching days, he used to have one playbook fully dedicated to half-court offensive systems. The only coach of the Mavericks to successfully be able to put a leash on Mark Cuban, he has a knack of going about his business quietly and effectively.

He spends his time during games walking up and down the court, looking on at proceedings with an almost Buddha-like straight face. Never one to give much away, his demeanor during games is remarkable. His calm exterior sometimes gives way to an outburst of emotion, during the course of which he turns into a crazy, gesticulating blur of a human. The tactician that he is, even his outbursts are well planned, just like his timeouts and substitutions. Always ready to take one for the team, his belief that his ejection will spur the team on to perform better has more often than not proven to be the truth. This is how he gets when he decides to have a meltdown, with emphasis on the word “decides”. Dallas were playing the Celtics last season, when Carlisle felt Nowitzki was being manhandled too often for his liking without any protection from the officials. Watch.

Guess what, Dallas won the game.

Carlisle started off his coaching career as an assistant, first for the Nets under the legendary Chuck Daly, and then for the Trail Blazers. His big break came when he started working for the Indiana Pacers as an offensive coordinator, under his Celtics teammate Larry Bird. The next two seasons were the best ever in the franchise’s history, with the Pacers going to the East finals in one and the NBA finals in the other. Following the 2000 season, Carlisle took over as the head coach of the Detroit Pistons, leading them to two very successful seasons for a team that was rebuilding. He was awarded the Coach of the Year for the 2002-03 season, as the Pistons finished runners-up in the East. However, he was dismissed at the end of the 2003 season, fueled by his lack of trust in the young players, and his interest in moving back to Indiana to take over the head coach position there.

His reign in Indiana coincided with a tumultuous period in the Pacers’ history, as there were periods of great successes, like the 03-04 season when the Pacers lost to Carlisle’s old nemesis Detroit in the Conference Finals, and the 04-05 season, when he took them to the playoffs despite missing some of the roster’s best players through suspensions enforced as a result of the now infamous brawl between the Pacers and the Pistons.  His last season in Indiana saw them failing to make the playoffs, as a result of which Carlisle was fired. His reigns at both Detroit and Indiana saw them going through an offensive slump, as the tiring half-court sets that he used to play were not working, and his emphasis on defense sort of slowed down their offensive tempo.

As a talented young coach, the fact that Carlisle was fired from his first two jobs indicated that there was some level of growing up to do for the coach too. His teams were a combination of talented, temperamental youth (Artest, Jackson and O’Neal) and experienced professionals eager to achieve something big in their careers. However, what was obvious was that although he could bring his teams together for a season or two, he could not help them achieve continued success over a period of time. His unwillingness to throw the young players in at the deep end, and the refusal to budge from his favored conservative offense drew him flak, and caused his stock to fall. The inability of his teams to exhibit toughness during the playoffs, and achieve all they can, reflected poorly on his qualities as a coach. So once the Mavs came calling in 2008, it was seen as a match made in heaven, and was billed as the meeting of two perennial playoff underachievers. The rest, as they say, was history.

Carlisle has had a very successful reign with Dallas so far, taking them to the NBA championship in 2011. He has evolved into a coach who listens to his players, engages them in fruitful discussions, and comes out with conducive solutions. With the Mavs, he has relaxed his rigid, half court offense into what he calls the “flow offense”, which focuses on spacing the floor out well, and calls for a lot of patience in the passing. The continuous ball movement, allows the team to wait for the best option during any offensive set, and so, increases the efficiency manifold. The opportunity to work with a veteran team was something Carlisle was waiting for, as the team would be willing to be coached, and would have the necessary experience and know-how to deal with a variety of different situations. Also, Dallas offered him something no previous employer of his could – the chance to work with an all-star of the calibre of Dirk Nowitzki. Also, coaching Dallas would be a totally different proposition compared to his earlier jobs. Everywhere else he’d been, he had to take a team full of raw, unproven talent working hard to get into the business end of the season. With the Mavs, he was taking over a franchise which is one of the most stable in the NBA, in terms of its continuous playoff appearances. What was needed was for them to show that they could do it in the playoffs too, and shed that ill-wanted tag of chokers that had been bestowed upon them. And this period of his career has shown his evolution into a coach who plays to his team’s strength, and not the other way round.

The championship winning team that Dallas had was full of true shooters out on the wing, and defensive specialists not so good on the offensive end. So to suit his team, Carlisle used to draw up plays which would maximize their offensive output. Again, all his plays are basically drawn up with a psychological boost in mind. Crucial to Dallas’ run were their defensive specialists, Chandler and Stevenson. However, they were also the weakest offensively. In order to keep them keyed in defensively, they used to have plays directed specifically at them, generally at the beginning of quarters. For example, Chandler’s main role in the offense was to set screens for the guards (Kidd, Terry, Barea) at the high post. Coming off the screen, Kidd would make the simple pass to the guy with the best available shot, and Barea would dribble penetrate before either kicking it out or passing it to a shooter. Works like clockwork, job well done. However, there was also a variation, wherein Chandler would roll off of the defender after setting the pick, and move to the rim, where a lob would be thrown up for him to unleash his fury. The following videos are a case in point:

Stevenson would pull off to one of the corners, and a good spate of ball rotation would see him finding the ball in his hands, or during a transition opportunity, instead of driving to the rim, Dallas would always look to the wing to spot up their shooters.

Most of the attacking sets would see Dirk setting the pick, and rotating, so either he or the ball handling guard (mostly Terry) would get a good look at the basket. What maximized the efficiency of this play was the availability of shooters spaced around the floor, so once, the pick and roll gets going, there are multiple options for the guy with the ball: One, he could shoot the ball, or two, he could pass it to the guy who he executed the pick and roll with, or three, he could drive with the ball, invite extra attention and then pass the ball to an open shooter or take it to the hoop. Dirk and Terry were on of the best pick and pop duo in the league, and the floor spacing of the Mavericks was always such that they get Dirk and Terry to their favorite spots on the floor, so that they could then execute the play perfectly. This video (albeit from the 2012 season) showcases the Mavs one-two punch the best:

Also, some isolation plays run by Carlisle included Kidd posting up the smaller guard on the opposing team, which would result in an easy lay-in, or Kidd feeding Beaubois with an alley-oop. The play run with Beaubois was normally a misdirection play, using Beaubois’ height to his advantage. Him being of not so tall a stature by NBA standards, nobody would expect him to be going up for lobs. However, how this play was designed was that Beaubois passes the ball to Kidd, and then darts off in the opposite direction, straight to the rim, waiting for the lob to come his way. His run to the basket would be unimpeded on account of a screen set by the forward (Dirk usually). These plays would generally be run early in the 1st or 3rd quarters (they have been run all through Beaubois’ career with the Mavs, not just the 2011 season), while the defense is still not set and does not anticipate the play. Another play designed at increasing the confidence of the guy. Beaubois is a streaky shooter, and scores in spurts, and getting him an easy basket could always open the floodgates for him any given game.

One of the reasons Dallas has been very good offensively is its late game execution. Central to their late game play is that the ball will find its way into Nowitzki’s hands, from where he takes the decision as to what to do with the ball. What does happen before the ball comes to him are a spate of staggered screens, which are run to facilitate easier shots for Nowitzki and Terry, or to attract help defense if they drive to the basket, resulting in a perimeter shooter open with a good look (if the pass happens). The screens are generally set by the Centre, moving swiftly between defenders to help space out the floor. Observe that the plays are set to the strength of each player specifically.  Nowitzki likes going to the left side more often than not, so most of his plays are focused that way, while Terry likes to move to the right off the dribble, and so most of his moves are in that direction.

The principal reason for Dallas winning the championship was their defense, and defense is something the Mavericks aren’t very well known for. Carlisle on the other hand, is a strong defensive coach, who expects a lot from his players on the defensive end. The teams he coached earlier were both very athletic and defense oriented, and so it was not that difficult getting that effort from his players night in night out defensively. Dallas however were a different cup of tea. With the franchise consistently one of the more flashier teams going forward, the change in mindset achieved almost overnight in working hard and putting in a shift defensively was remarkable. The defensive schemes were structured to suit the roster’s strengths on the defensive side, with a constant switch between a 2-3 zone and man to man confusing opponents and forcing them to take low percentage shots. The presence of versatile defenders like Shawn Marion and Jason Kidd helped in creating matchup issues, with Marion sometimes guarding the point guard of the opposing team, while Kidd would guard the principal scorer. Also, using a mobile center while operating the zone helps keep the rest of the defense on its toes, ready to provide weak side help if anybody tries driving to the rim.

Most of Carlisle’s defensive systems revolve around good spacing, and active hands while facing the ball, thus forcing the opposition to take tough shots. An interesting statistic is that his teams have been in the top 12 in points allowed in all seasons but one. Maybe, just maybe he is one of the best coaches around on both ends of the floor.

Getting into the Carlisle rotation is in itself a tough job. Players might be thinking they are performing well, when one fine day they will find themselves out of the rotation, and get a chance only after a couple of games. What his ploy is to see how you respond to the DNP-coach’s decision, and whether it sparks your play the next time you get your chance. Like throwing Barea into the starting lineup against the Heat in Game 4 of the Finals. Or the recent example of Jae Crowder, the rookie who was kept out for a couple of games, before being thrown in against the Knicks, where he played his best game so far hands down.

The courage he exhibits in his substitutions is exemplary, the most common instance of that is the innumerable times Dallas finish games with a 3-guard line up, forcing teams to make adjustments late in the game, which gives the Mavericks enough time to make a couple of decisive plays and get that little bit of breathing room needed to clinch the game. It’s no coincidence that Dallas had one of the best 4th quarter records in the league, alongwith one of the best records in games decided by less than 5 points. His ability to break opponents’ momentum by taking timeouts very quickly is uncanny.

It is not easy to work with as hands on and as demanding an owner as Cuban, but as Carlisle has proven, it is something quite possible. Probably his dry sense of humor has kept him going.

“We’re doing it every way you can do it,” Carlisle said before this season’s game against the New Orleans Hornets. “If we were a sex manual, it’d be a best-seller.”

Maybe he does share a lot in common with his doppelganger, Jim Carrey.

Whether he can work his magic with this year’s Dallas roster, one doesn’t know yet. What we can be sure of is that Carlisle will make sure his team comes out to play every night, and will push them all the time to become the best that they can, just like he strives to do.

Here’s to Rick Carlisle, probably one of the league’s most versatile coaches ever.

Read more on the Top 5 Coaches in NBA here.

There was a point of time when Adebayor was the scourge of the opponents’ defense; let’s just say that time is slowly going past. Yes, he did score a lot of goals for Spurs last year, and yes, he did open the scoring against Arsenal today. Try as you might not to pay any attention to him and his antics, he always manages to capture your attention. Be it his goal and spectator-inciting celebration against Arsenal for City, his stamp on Van Persie in the same game, or the goal and sending off against Arsenal today, he always manages to offset all good that he does by doing something unbelievably foolish. It has reached a point now where he is expected to do something which defies all expectations. But then, he did score, the day Tottenham started their first match this season with two upfront. I guess now we know why they don’t do it often.

 2. Wilshere and Cazorla: Two-pronged playmaking tandem

Arsenal fans can relax, Jack Wilshere is already showing signs of getting back to the level he was at before injury and that he will not become another post-injury Ramsey or Eduardo (through no fault of theirs). His play today was quite brilliant, with a lovely turn and ball behind the defence for Walcott on the right just after the Adebayor goal the pick of his display. His link-up play was very good, as was seen by the two passes he played out to the flanks for Arsenal’s first goals in each half. He does seem to have become very irritable though (Angry Jack anyone?), following his return from injury. As far as Cazorla goes, everyone has been waxing lyrically about his play throughout the season, and he hasn’t stopped impressing yet. He was the epitome of incisive football today, running into empty spaces, holding onto the ball till the very last, and then releasing a teammate with an exquisite pass. His desire to keep passing the ball, and to keep going forward is admirable, and deservedly got the goal his display deserved. The run for Giroud’s goal, coupled with his willingness to stay on his feet should hopefully set an example. With the two of them operating in front of Arteta, Arsenal shold not find goals hard to come by.

 3. Defensive vulnerability still persists

What was very clear from today’s game was that both Arsenal and Tottenham are defensively weak, and susceptible to teams which attack in numbers and with pace. All talk of Arsenal and their stingy defence is very premature as was proven by Mertesacker and his lapses in concentration for both the Spurs’ goals. Vermaelen had a pretty ordinary game defensively, and the only bright spark was Koscielny, who has blossomed into a compact defender, and one with a turn of pace. They cannot wait for Gibbs to return from injury, and for Wojciech Szczesny to get back to his best. The fact that Spurs threatened to get back into the game in the second half time and again is clear indication of improvements needed in the defence.

Spurs are in the same boat when it comes to their defending, as was shown by William Gallas and his calamitic defending. Age has clearly taken its toll on his game, and he has become a liability for the team. Naughton too was outfoxed multiple times in the first half by Walcott, with the equalizer coming because of his error, and a foolish foul within the next sequence of play almost leading to Giroud heading Arsenal into the lead from the ensuing free kick. Lloris had a good game in his first taste of the north London derby, and Vertonghen was outstanding for most part of the game, except for the last goal, by which time he was completely exhausted because of his continuous sojourns up and down the left flank.

 4. Andre Villas Boas and his tactical flexibility

The fact that he accepted that his 4-2-3-1 does not work well without Dembele, and showed the maturity to change it into a more regular 4-4-2 to suit his team shows he is learning, albeit very slowly. What was more encouraging was the changes he made at half time, switching to a 3-4-1-1, and bringing on Dempsey and Dawson for the Sheffield boys, Naughton and Walker. The change to a back 3 helped Tottenham control possession for the first 10 odd minutes of the 2nd half, and it was a shame that they could not convert their dominance of possession into a goal. Bale and Lennon were very good as wing backs, running tirelessly the entire match trying to provide outlets to ease pressure on the defence. With a full quota of players, the 3-5-2 looks to be a good fit for the Tottenham squad, and it remains to be seen whether he persists with it or not.

 5. Impact of today’s fixture

Well, for Arsenal, a much needed victory after a winless three weeks, and some much needed momentum in their quest to rise up the standings and into the Champions League places. Their defensive failings not withstanding, their free flowing offense has been very inconsistent, and they will hope this display was what they needed to get some wind in their sails.

Tottenham on the other hand, have a lot to ponder. Yes, they have been in and around the top 4 after a disastrous first couple of weeks, but then their displays have hardly been convincing. The offensive fluency that has been a characteristic of Spurs the previous seasons has been missing, and Villas Boas still does not seem to know his best team and formation. But as he rightly said, one defeat does not change much, and they did play better than Arsenal with 11 men. What he also has to keep note of is that one defeat is alright, 5 in 12 games is not. Not for a team with lofty ambitions.