duncan228
12-08-2009, 08:28 PM
First-Quarter Report: Teams’ Identities Have Developed, for Better or Worse (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-firstquarterreportte&prov=tsn&type=lgns)
SportingNews
We’re just at the quarter pole in the NBA, and though much can change between now and the season wrap-up in April, most teams have established their identities—some that have been surprisingly good, some disappointingly bad. "I think by now, you are starting to get a feel for what you have, for your teammates, for how it is all fitting together," Cavaliers star LeBron James said. "I think the races have been shaping up."
Indeed, much has shaped up across the NBA thus far:
Big surprise, Eastern Conference: Atlanta. The Hawks won 47 games and advanced to the second round of the playoffs last year, and they’ve only gotten better, adding guard Jamal Crawford to bring some offense off the bench. They’ve won on the road against top teams—Boston, Dallas, Portland—and are close to breaking into the league’s elite.
"It’s OK if people don’t consider us on that level. Remember Miami in 2006, no one was talking about them," Crawford said, referring to the Heat’s championship season. "We feel we can be that kind of team."
Big disappointment, Eastern Conference: Washington. With Gilbert Arenas back and new guards Mike Miller and Randy Foye on hand, the Wizards looked ready for a revival. Hasn’t happen. Miller was injured, Foye has been ineffective and the team has devolved into selfishness and an excess of jump shots—the Wizards rank in the bottom six in the league in shooting percentage and assists. There’s still time to get back on track. Miller will soon return from his calf injury and new signee Earl Boykins has brought life to the lineup. But it will have to happen soon.
Big surprise, Western Conference: Phoenix. The Suns dumped Shaquille O’Neal for nothing in return, instead deciding to hand the reins back over to 35-year-old point guard Steve Nash and see if they could recapture some of their run-and-gun magic. They have, getting back up to second in the league in scoring and ranking among the top three teams in the West.
"I know a lot of people outside didn’t think we could get back to this," Jason Richardson said. "But in the locker room, we all know how we can play."
Big disappointment, Western Conference: New Orleans. Two years ago, the Hornets looked like a team that was prepared to challenge the Lakers in the West for the foreseeable future. Injuries and a lack of depth knocked the team off course last year, and things fell apart this season as coach Byron Scott was fired, upsetting star guard Chris Paul. The Hornets may yet be a playoff team, but they’re not a group that can carry any championship delusions.
First quarter MVP: Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers. There are some intriguing candidates—Nash and Carmelo Anthony, as well as the usual field of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard—but ultimately, Bryant has been consistently terrific for the league’s best team. He took on a bigger scoring role for his team when Pau Gasol was out and now has the Lakers playing a better team game. He’s shown few weaknesses.
First quarter top rookie: Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee. It’s nip-and-tuck for rookie of the year, between Jennings and Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans. Momentum belongs to Evans, but since this is a first-quarter award, we’ve got to recognize Jennings’ accomplishments.
"I still need to learn consistency," Jennings said. "I have to be able to help my team every night, not just once in a while."
Offseason payoff: Vince Carter, Orlando. The Magic are still working Carter into the offense, trying to find the right balance between getting him to be aggressive and dominate, and getting him to be one of the cogs on a very talented team. But so far, things have gone well, as Orlando sits tied for the best record in the East.
"Vince is going to be fine," Howard said. "He’s been great for us, and the more he gets used to what we do, he is only going to get better."
Offseason bust: Richard Jefferson, Spurs. The slow start by San Antonio is not all Richard Jefferson’s fault, of course, but he has not been nearly as useful in the lineup as the Spurs had hoped. He was supposed to provide some insurance in case Manu Ginobili was injured, but he has struggled both when Ginobili was healthy and when he was out. His shooting has been terrible (43.4 percent), especially his 3-point shooting (33.3 percent). Even his free-throw shooting is off—he’s at a career-low 68.3 percent.
Three good stories:
1. The East race. The Magic, Celtics and Cavaliers are all on pace for at least 60 wins, and will slug it out all season. There haven’t been three 60-win teams in one conference since 1998-99.
2. The hang-tough Rockets. They aren’t going to win a championship, but the Rockets’ role players have managed to scrape above .500. There’s no Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady, but they’ve been adequately replaced by Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry.
3. Rising in OKC. They hustle. They play defense. They have better-than-expected depth. The Thunder are on the way up, and there’s a lot more to this group than Kevin Durant. They’re going to challenge for a playoff spot.
Three bad stories:
1. The Nets chase infamy. They were finally able to stop the losing streak at 18, but the Nets now have to be concerned about this number: 9-73. That’s the all-time worst record, held by the 1972-73 Sixers.
2. The Blazers’ tough luck. Portland is dealing with some especially difficult situations. Owner Paul Allen was diagnosed with lymphoma. Coach Nate McMillan blew out his Achilles. And Greg Oden’s comeback was cut short by another season-ending knee injury.
3. Warrior mentality. The Warriors dealt disgruntled guard Stephen Jackson, but in his wake is a team that has been battered by injury and still has an unhappy star Monta Ellis on board.
SportingNews
We’re just at the quarter pole in the NBA, and though much can change between now and the season wrap-up in April, most teams have established their identities—some that have been surprisingly good, some disappointingly bad. "I think by now, you are starting to get a feel for what you have, for your teammates, for how it is all fitting together," Cavaliers star LeBron James said. "I think the races have been shaping up."
Indeed, much has shaped up across the NBA thus far:
Big surprise, Eastern Conference: Atlanta. The Hawks won 47 games and advanced to the second round of the playoffs last year, and they’ve only gotten better, adding guard Jamal Crawford to bring some offense off the bench. They’ve won on the road against top teams—Boston, Dallas, Portland—and are close to breaking into the league’s elite.
"It’s OK if people don’t consider us on that level. Remember Miami in 2006, no one was talking about them," Crawford said, referring to the Heat’s championship season. "We feel we can be that kind of team."
Big disappointment, Eastern Conference: Washington. With Gilbert Arenas back and new guards Mike Miller and Randy Foye on hand, the Wizards looked ready for a revival. Hasn’t happen. Miller was injured, Foye has been ineffective and the team has devolved into selfishness and an excess of jump shots—the Wizards rank in the bottom six in the league in shooting percentage and assists. There’s still time to get back on track. Miller will soon return from his calf injury and new signee Earl Boykins has brought life to the lineup. But it will have to happen soon.
Big surprise, Western Conference: Phoenix. The Suns dumped Shaquille O’Neal for nothing in return, instead deciding to hand the reins back over to 35-year-old point guard Steve Nash and see if they could recapture some of their run-and-gun magic. They have, getting back up to second in the league in scoring and ranking among the top three teams in the West.
"I know a lot of people outside didn’t think we could get back to this," Jason Richardson said. "But in the locker room, we all know how we can play."
Big disappointment, Western Conference: New Orleans. Two years ago, the Hornets looked like a team that was prepared to challenge the Lakers in the West for the foreseeable future. Injuries and a lack of depth knocked the team off course last year, and things fell apart this season as coach Byron Scott was fired, upsetting star guard Chris Paul. The Hornets may yet be a playoff team, but they’re not a group that can carry any championship delusions.
First quarter MVP: Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers. There are some intriguing candidates—Nash and Carmelo Anthony, as well as the usual field of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard—but ultimately, Bryant has been consistently terrific for the league’s best team. He took on a bigger scoring role for his team when Pau Gasol was out and now has the Lakers playing a better team game. He’s shown few weaknesses.
First quarter top rookie: Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee. It’s nip-and-tuck for rookie of the year, between Jennings and Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans. Momentum belongs to Evans, but since this is a first-quarter award, we’ve got to recognize Jennings’ accomplishments.
"I still need to learn consistency," Jennings said. "I have to be able to help my team every night, not just once in a while."
Offseason payoff: Vince Carter, Orlando. The Magic are still working Carter into the offense, trying to find the right balance between getting him to be aggressive and dominate, and getting him to be one of the cogs on a very talented team. But so far, things have gone well, as Orlando sits tied for the best record in the East.
"Vince is going to be fine," Howard said. "He’s been great for us, and the more he gets used to what we do, he is only going to get better."
Offseason bust: Richard Jefferson, Spurs. The slow start by San Antonio is not all Richard Jefferson’s fault, of course, but he has not been nearly as useful in the lineup as the Spurs had hoped. He was supposed to provide some insurance in case Manu Ginobili was injured, but he has struggled both when Ginobili was healthy and when he was out. His shooting has been terrible (43.4 percent), especially his 3-point shooting (33.3 percent). Even his free-throw shooting is off—he’s at a career-low 68.3 percent.
Three good stories:
1. The East race. The Magic, Celtics and Cavaliers are all on pace for at least 60 wins, and will slug it out all season. There haven’t been three 60-win teams in one conference since 1998-99.
2. The hang-tough Rockets. They aren’t going to win a championship, but the Rockets’ role players have managed to scrape above .500. There’s no Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady, but they’ve been adequately replaced by Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry.
3. Rising in OKC. They hustle. They play defense. They have better-than-expected depth. The Thunder are on the way up, and there’s a lot more to this group than Kevin Durant. They’re going to challenge for a playoff spot.
Three bad stories:
1. The Nets chase infamy. They were finally able to stop the losing streak at 18, but the Nets now have to be concerned about this number: 9-73. That’s the all-time worst record, held by the 1972-73 Sixers.
2. The Blazers’ tough luck. Portland is dealing with some especially difficult situations. Owner Paul Allen was diagnosed with lymphoma. Coach Nate McMillan blew out his Achilles. And Greg Oden’s comeback was cut short by another season-ending knee injury.
3. Warrior mentality. The Warriors dealt disgruntled guard Stephen Jackson, but in his wake is a team that has been battered by injury and still has an unhappy star Monta Ellis on board.