Here are a few thoughts from my end.

1)  One of the ESPN commentators said it well:  Two years ago Paul Pierce more or less outplayed Kobe Bryant.  And Kevin Garnett outplayed Pau Gasol.  Those tables have turned and that makes all the difference.  I think that is a great explanation for why the Lakers look so good so far.  We shall see if they keep it up.

2)  The Lakers team we saw two years ago has played a few hundred more games together.  Big, big difference.

3)  As much as I have been down on Ron Artest, you have to give him props defensively.  He spaces out sometimes it seems, but on the whole, he really is a great physical presence.  There has to be a connection between his defensive play and Paul Pierce’s struggles offensively.

4)  A part of me is excited for the NBA Finals to be over, so I don’t have to endure so many stupid commercials.  Ok.  So no one is forcing me to view them, but man, the commercials these days are beyond pushing it.  Most cross the line in my opinion.

If you see this, give me your thoughts.  Maybe I will be write some more later.

Joe

Actually, as I look at things now, it was a little over a month ago that I wrote my last update here. At that time, we were at least one game behind the first place team. Now, only 5 games later, we find ourselves three games ahead of them in first place, with one game to play. They have struggled mightily while we found our grove.

It’s been a fun season over all, though it wasn’t an easy one. The last few weeks in particular, have been especially enjoyable as the people of Brindisi and our team have been soaking up the championship.

We play our final game this Sunday on the road against Pavia. I then head home on May 4, as Erin is due with our fourth child May 8th.

Tonight we beat Imola 98-76. We played well and I am hopeful it can continue as we play the third place team next week at their place.

I ended tonight with 28 points on 10-15 shooting. Wouldn’t mind if that continued as well!

This year Crispin Basketball will host three camps running from June 28th to July 2nd at both Pitman High School and Pitman Middle School.  We are also looking into hosting a fourth camp at some point during the summer for kids ages 4-6 (Joe’s son is four and has personally requested such a camp).

Session A will be held for players entering the 3rd-5th grade at the Pitman Middle School from 9:00am-11:00am.

Session B will be held for players entering 6th-8th grades at the Pitman High School from 9:00am-12:00am.

Session C will be held for players entering 9th-12th grades at the Pitman High School from 1:00pm-4:00 pm.

As the week progresses, the times of Sessions B and C may be cut back, but we will run each camp Monday through Friday during that week.

As always, we focus on diligently teaching the fundamentals of the individual and team game.  The level at which we teach naturally depends upon the ages of our players.  We enjoy this week every year and have continually seen improvement in the players we have worked with.  We trust that will be the same this year as well.

Camp fees are as follows:

Session A 3rd-5th Graces Fundamental Camp – $85 for Pitman Residents and $100 for non-residents.

Session B 6th-8th Grades – $110 for Pitman Residents and $125 for non-residents.

Session C 9th-12th Grads – $110 for Pitman Residents and $125 for non-residents.

Each camp is strictly limited to 40 participants.  Reserve your spot today with a $50 deposit.  The balance will be due upon check-in.  Please provide your email address with your registration and deposit so we may send you a confirmation upon receipt.  (Note also that Pitman residents receive a discount because the camp is run through Pitman Recreation.)

You can view and/or download our camp flier/registration form by clicking here.  If you have any other questions or are having difficulty downloading the form, please  contact us.

You can check out my full six-part series here.  If you have anything to add, I am sure you won’t be shy about sharing it!

Joe

Combine that with the inevitable home court favor and it wasn’t easy. But if we had made a few jumpshots, we would have won. They just didn’t go down. I am hopeful they will this coming Sunday when we play a tough Vigevano team at home.

I ended the Venice game with 17 points on 5-12 shooting. Would have liked to have hit two more threes, but that is sometimes how it goes.

We now remain one game behind the leader with 10 games left to play. We have been playing good basketball over the past few months, so I am hopeful it can continue.

I ended the game with 21 points and played pretty well overall. Next Sunday we play in Venice. Though their team is towards the bottom of the standings, they are difficult to beat and starting to play much better. I am hopeful we can stay focused and get another win.

Until later…
Joe

But that is how it goes sometimes in basketball, as much as I hate to admit it! I ended the game with 18 points, but it was far from my best game. I missed a few good opportunities down the stretch that could have moved the game in a different direction.

This coming Saturday we play Sassari, the first place team who we are still two games behind, at their place. I don’t think they have lost there yet. I am hoping for a good performance.

I have posted the third part in my series concerning the Outside the Lines video.  Scary thing is that I am just getting started.

Check it out here.

Until later…

Joe