The Month That Was December 2009

Words such as adversity, attrition, & triumph can best describe the month of December for our pro Buckeyes. The last month of the calender year marks the point in a basketball season where clubs hope and expect to be past the 'settling in' phase. Team questions like playing style, chemistry & defined roles begin to fade away as clubs aspire to reach the type of form that will carry them to a playoff spot in each of their respective conferences and leagues.

As we all know, the month got off to a sour start when Greg Oden went down with a knee injury on December 5th vs the Houston Rockets. Simply put, when Greg Oden was on the floor, he was a problem for opposing teams..a top 5 center in the NBA type of problem. The Portland Trailblazers Center was averaging almost a double double in just about 22 minutes per game. He was one of the leagues most efficient rebounders, as well as one of the best paint defenders.

Greg's offense was definitely beginning to emerge too. He scored in double figures in 12 of his 20 full played games. 8 of those 12 were games where Oden scored 14 points or more, including a season high 24 point performance against Chicago on November 23rd.

We have no doubt that GO will come back strong. Just take it day to day, week to week..and before you know it he will be back out there swatting ish again.

-A mid-December address by Greg Oden-



Doubt Me Now - The Player of December certainly has to be 3rd year pro Mike Conley Jr. A bit of a rocky early season start prompted some criticism, yet Conley was able to silence the voices in the crowed quite nicely with a multitude of good December performances. It is no surprise that Mike's improved play coincides with the overall better quality of basketball that Memphis is currently displaying for us. December remember? Time to get Ws. The Iverson stuff was in the past, guys started to settle down, & chemistry improved. After a dreadful beginning to the season, Memphis now currently sits with a 17-16 record, thanks to a 9-4 record in December

It was almost as if Greg Oden subliminally passed the baton to his former High School teammate when he went down. Conley opened the month with a 20 point game at Minnesota on December 2nd, he made a career high 8 threes. We guess we should have considered ourselves warned because Mike was not playing.

He averaged 13 points & 5 assists in December including super games vs Cleveland (12 &5), Oklahoma City (20 & 8), twice vs Indiana (19 & 8, and 13 & 7), and a season high 22 points & 5 assists vs Washington.. But most importantly, Conley is playing heady, winning basketball. The selfless point guard is limiting turnovers, and is picking his spots to score in sound fashion.. Perhaps Mike's "Moment of Arrival" or highlight of the month was on December 8th vs Cavs when scored the game winning layup in overtime to give Memphis their signature victory of the season so far. Conley was able to carry that momentum into a successful month of basketball, and is definitely safe to say that #11 is a bonafide threat on a team that is very much in the mix for the playoffs in the western conference.

The Power Of The Lefty - Most basketball players will tell you that in order to play at a high level, one must be in a certain rhythm. This especially rings true for those who specialize in shooting the ball. A rhythm, or lack thereof, can be the difference between putting your team over the top or trashing a forgettable box score. When left handed shooters Michael Redd & Ivan Harris are in that much sought after 'zone', they each rank among the best shooters in their respective leagues.

In Redd's case, he simply wanted to get back on the court. Knee soreness stalled his early season campaign. And even Michael would be the first to note how difficult it has been for him to get back to top form. He returned to action in late November to disappointing results in the form of rusty play. Yet, by mid-December, Redd would get his legs under him and display that familiar scoring prowess that we are used to seeing. Mike captured the attention of many when he dropped 25 points vs the Lakers in a one point overtime loss on December 16th. He returned to Milwaukee's starting lineup vs the Pacers on the 21st where he scored 14 points in a game high 41 minutes. Two days later Redd exploded for 32 points versus the Washington Wizards on the 23rd. A steady Michael Redd is a welcoming bonus for Milwaukee, a club that still struggling to find a chemistry that will bring some type of consistency. (losing record in December)

Ivan Harris of the Erie Bayhawks officially settled in to the 2009/2010 season with some big scoring outputs in December. He scored in doubled figures in 6 of 11 games, including a 28, 21, and 19 point games. Though the current problem for Erie is that wins are few & far between. When watching the Bayhawks we can see that this club has yet to 'click'. We don't know if it is the player movement, lack of chemistry, or improved competition..but Erie just cannot close games out. Head coach John Treloar has tinkered with starting lineups (some games Harris is starting, others he is not), but nothing has seemed to really work thus far. The Bayhawks currently own a 4-11 record.

Rookie Byron Mullens spent most of December in the NBA D-League with the Tulsa 66ers. The young developing big man received plenty of run in the form of 35 minutes per game. He responded to his first D-League assignment with an average of 15 points & 8 rebounds. His biggest game was a 23 point, 10 rebound performance vs Rio Grande on December first. Byron missed a coupled games in mid-December due to an ankle injury, but came back and played in two more games in Tulsa with last contest being a 16 point, 8 rebound effort vs Reno on December 27th. The Oklahoma City Thunder rewarded Byron with a recall on December 28th. He would make his NBA debut that same night in spot duty during a blowout of the New Jersey Nets.

Thanks Joe - Seldom used forward Othello Hunter got a taste of regular season NBA action with the Atlanta Hawks. A hand injury to veteran Joe Smith made way for Hunter to be activated. The high level play of Atlanta allowed Hunter to play in 7 blowout games. He scored his season high of 6 points vs Memphis on December 16th..he also threw down a nice dunk in this game as well.. don't trip O we got the dunk for ya :)