NBA Playoffs S#!T List: Bottom 10
Chris Paul (photo. Zach Wolfe)
After ranking the top 30 players of the first round, who brought up the rear as the biggest flops of the postseason so far? (Second round included.)
10. Travis Outlaw
“Mr. 4th Quarter” needs to show up for the other three. He had a couple crunch-time moments in the Blazers/Rockets series, but Outlaw’s shot was generally off throughout (31% FG, 9.0 ppg). With a $4 million salary that comes off the books in 2010, and the Blazers bringing back a healthy Martell Webster next season, don’t be surprised if Outlaw gets traded.
9. Andrei Kirilenko
Could have been a vital X-factor in the Jazz/Lakers series if he’d played his usual all-over-the-court game, but simply didn’t make enough of an impact (11.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.2 spg). After AK admitted he typically loses about 10 pounds during every season, now Jerry Sloan is saying he needs to get stronger in the summer.
8. Dikembe Mutombo’s knee
No one’s blaming Deke, and after playing close to 20 years in the League without many signficant injuries, maybe he was just due. Either way, it sucks that his career ended like that, especially when his team could be in the middle of a magical postseason run. The saddest/most disappointing moment of the playoffs so far.
7. Tayshaun Prince
Granted, he was playing hurt (back), which is why he isn’t higher on this list. Because 3.8 points on 25 percent shooting from an Olympian is ugly any way you slice it.
6. Hedo Turkoglu
His only saving grace in the first round was hitting that game-winning three in Game Four. Last night in Boston, Hedo (12.3 ppg, 36% FG) bricked free throws, bricked crucial jumpers in the fourth quarter, committed at least one silly turnover (an 8-second backcourt violation) and had trouble with Brian Scalabrine guarding him.
5. Rasheed Wallace
We’ve been over this before. Averaged 6.5 points against Cleveland and got progressively worse as the series went on. My question for the ‘Sheed apologists who claim “He just wants to win” as a defense: Why doesn’t he play like he wants to win in the games that matter most? Everybody wants to win. But you have to do something about it to make it happen.
4. Greg Oden
He had more fouls (27) than rebounds (26), and just 30 points total in six games against Houston.
3. The rest of the Spurs
If this was the “2-on-2 for Brotherhood” tournament, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan would have done alright. But since it’s 5-on-5, they needed some kind of help — any kind of help — and didn’t get it. Players 3-through-12 on the Spurs roster averaged just 40 points a game between them. Most glaring in his no-show was Roger Mason, who was supposed to be a decent fill-in for Manu Ginobili but averaged just six points per against Dallas.
2. Andrew Bynum
This is the guy who’s supposed to lift the Lakers over the championship hump? After racking up five fouls in seven minutes in Game Three against Utah, Bynum was benched for the rest of that series. Back in the starting lineup last night against Houston, he got dominated by Yao Ming and played just 15 minutes.
1. New Orleans Hornets
All of ‘em. The average margin in their four losses was 30.7 points, which of course included The Kobayashi Game. Not to mention they did everything in their power to give away their Game Three win. Chris Paul was OK, David West was OK, and everybody else was irrelevant. It was like the Hornets were still in preseason mode, and ran into a real professional team who knew what time it was. Turrible.
May 5th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Steve A says:
Travis Outlaw has to get traded for a veteran with a brain. His off balance fallaways that occasionally go in is killer to have to watch. The Homer Blazer announcers don’t like him much either. Trade him now while he is young and other teams still think he can be a good player. If he were on the Spurs Pop wouldn’t let him off the bench…well maybe just this year….
May 5th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
smoove chips says:
I tried. i’m calling it right now.Oden’s a bust.He’s that fly car that looks good ,sounds good,but is in the garage 4 days out the week.
And portland is as condusive as any place to play in.They got a legit perimeter game so it’s not like he’s getting killed on double or triple teams.In most cases he’s got the mismatch in his favor.
Oden,hate to say it but uuhh…you ,are the problem.Mhmhh yeah..you.
May 5th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
D.H. says:
Get Dikembe off that list, he has no business being on there.
May 5th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Big Island says:
Thank you D.H. That isn’t even right and/or funny.
May 5th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
IGP says:
what is it with people saying things like “turrible.” Is that stylish or something?
May 5th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
kevin k says:
why is NOH first??? wtf you smoking?? Detroit Pistons should be 1st.
IT’S AI’S FAULT!
May 5th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
hucklebuck says:
what the hell is wrong with Austin?
why is Mutombo on there? we all knew he would get minutes here and there, but it was his energy he had around the team, he shouldn’t or his knee belong on the list.
AND why isn’t it CHRIS PAUL AND THE REST OF THE HORNETS? isn’t it HIS team? he deserves the fall more than the rest of them.
somebody knock some sense into this guy.
May 5th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
rangerjohn says:
im gonna have to say to all those “bynam equals manu” knuckleheads, THANK YOU DIME this is one more bit of proof that manu is the man, and bynam is just a little boy!
May 5th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
kid juicey says:
When is the May Issue gonna drop ?
May 5th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Dave says:
These articles are getting progressively worse. Pull up, DIME — why is Mutombo on this list?
You’re starting to suck.
May 5th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
dk says:
Mutombo is on the list because he sux and should have retired after they knocked the Sonics out in th 20’s
May 5th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
jnuh says:
Can any of you idiots read?
It’s not Mutombo himself, it’s his KNEE.
His KNEE is on the list. Get it?
His KNEE. “Dikembe Mutombo’s knee”.
He was just fine and dandy until his KNEE blitzed on him.
Jesus.
May 5th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
bakedbeing says:
Thankyou jnuh. For everyone else, Dikembe’s busted knee bad = Mutombo good = COMPLIMENT IF YOU’RE PAYING ATTENTION.
May 5th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
K.i.n.G. says:
honestly can’t y’all read this is a list of the top ten flops of the playoffs. Dikembe’s knee FLOPPED on mt. mutombo and the houston rockets and frankly, the entire NBA!!! Turrible
May 6th, 2009 at 12:56 am
Big Daddy Ben says:
In this list, YOU FORGOT T-MAC !!!
Then again, it´s easy to forget T-Mac….
May 6th, 2009 at 1:10 am
Big Daddy Ben says:
“Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace is going to retire unless he gets $8 million to play next year”
it´s financial crisis! please nobody offer him anything!
Sheed go to Moscow, the Russians would be dumb enuff to sign him
May 6th, 2009 at 2:59 am
Mark says:
Big Daddy Ben: Now why would the Russians be dumb enuff (sic) to sign him?
May 6th, 2009 at 4:21 am
king ralf says:
Big Daddy Ben says:
In this list, YOU FORGOT T-MAC !!!
Then again, it´s easy to forget T-Mac….
This one´s cold…
May 6th, 2009 at 5:33 am
QQ says:
Way to call out Sheed apologists, Burton. Because being a TMac apologist is better than those who support the other guy.
The irony.
May 6th, 2009 at 9:16 am
doc says:
@AB-the only person who still say that about Sheed is u.He a old man in ball years now and they used to say that 2 years ago.When the last time u heard somebody call Sheed a top player?Get over it.@big daddy ben-Sheed send kids out the hood to college for free every year.Why should nobody offer him nothing?What u do for people besides yourself or fam with ya paychecks.U need to give Sheed your bread.
May 6th, 2009 at 9:19 am
doc says:
@Qq-Sheed buckled down and got 1 chip.Also he got out the first round plenty of times.What is T-mac known for besides scoring a lot of points from November to April while skipping weeks and months at a time while doing it and telling the media his team is gonna get that ass whipped by the lakers.What happened to they gonna need him against LA?
May 6th, 2009 at 9:24 am
QQ says:
@ 20:
And it’s funny seeing him try SO HARD to sell the idea that he is right about Sheed.
And I don’t get it. Burton is a blind T-Mac apologist devoid of any grasp of reality regarding his favorite player. And he has the fucking nerve to call out Sheed. That’s just bullshit. That’s like Kwame Brown fans calling Greg Oden a bust and a disappointment. It’s fucking retarded.
May 6th, 2009 at 9:33 am
QQ says:
@ 21:
I don’t know if you can read, brother, but my post is SARCASTIC. Is it that hard to get? You probably know that I hate T-Mac and I hate Burton’s fucking fanboy T-Mac love.
I was saying that here is a guy (BURTON) who keeps defending a soft ass player (T-MAC) calling out Sheed for his lack of heart.
I even finished my post with ‘The irony’.
How ironic that Burton calls out Sheed’s lack of heart and weak desire to win when he (BURTON) can’t fucking see that T-mac has these EXACT SAME FLAWS.
The irony.
If you still can’t get that, I don’t fucking know what to say to you.
May 6th, 2009 at 10:49 am
blazerjunkie says:
In the last 1 1/2 years Bynum has missed more games due to injury than Oden. Bynum is an injury prone bust!!
May 6th, 2009 at 11:29 am
sh!tfaced says:
Hornets should have just left James Posey alone and let him stay in Boston…LOL. They ruined something special… What a waste….
May 6th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Tbone says:
I’m glad jnuh can read
May 6th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Ekstor says:
@ blazerjunkie
Bynum wasn’t a #1 pick.
May 7th, 2009 at 7:37 am
RANDO says:
I really don’t think anyone who’s team advanced to the 2nd round should be this list. If they advanced they have a chance to make up for it. Albeit the 2 on the list (Bynum, Hedu) haven’t done shit thus far they still have a chance to overcome being Playoff busts. I’m a die hard Spurs fan and I’d take Hedu back in a second. In the Spurs system with all those other sorry you know what’s we would have advanced with him. Regardless I’m bitter and not used to my team not being in it. Go Nuggets LOL
May 18th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Dave says:
Whatever you do Dime, DO NOT, under any circumstances say anything negative about Chris Paul, I mean really, the guy is so overrated that the overraters won’t tell it like it really is. Next we’ll hear how he carried the team by himself on both ends of the floor and not only that, he also booked all of the team’s flights, rooms, and did the actual design and printing of the team’s media guide. Someone must have some serious man-love for CP3, there is definitely no journalistic integrity when it comes to telling it like it is with CP3 and Dime. Love your stuff most the time, but let’s get real with CP3, he’s definitely in the top half of the leagues pg’s but nowhere near the top 4 and got HANDLED in the first round.