Blackjack
01-03-2010, 02:03 AM
Surprise! Astonishing 2009 in the NBA (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Surprise_Astonishing_2009_in_the_NBA.html)
Mike Monroe
It is reassuring to know that even after 24-plus years covering the NBA, each season brings a new set of surprises.
The 2009 portion of the 2009-10 season certainly had its share of the unexpected:
Portland's cursed luck
Nothing has been as shocking as the serial misfortune that has befallen the Trail Blazers. Portland currently is without LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, Joel Przybilla, Nicolas Batum, Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw and point guard Steve Blake, the latest to join the unavailable list. He was hospitalized with pneumonia, on the shelf indefinitely.
The Blazers already have been granted two roster exceptions just so they can suit up the requisite eight players. Coach Nate McMillan, on crutches with a ruptured Achilles tendon, somehow has managed to keep the Trail Blazers eight games over .500, and that may be the most amazing fact of 2009 in the NBA.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich put it best. Asked about losing two of his own players recently, he pointed out Portland's misfortune and said: “The rest of us should just shut up.”
Tim Duncan, MVP?
Don't laugh. The 33-year-old Spurs power forward-center is off to an amazing start to a season he began with feigned self-doubt about his importance on a younger, more athletic roster. Well, he is averaging 19.9 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in just short of 32 minutes per game, keeping the Spurs in the championship mix. Most amazing is the fact a career 68.7 percent free-throw shooter went into Saturday's game at 78.5 percent from the line. Last time he was that accurate was 2001-02, when he shot 79.9 percent from the line, averaged a career-high 25.5 points and played 40.6 minutes a game.
Memphis has a team?
Their off-season dalliance with Allen Iverson was lunacy, but nobody expected the Grizzlies would rebound from early embarrassment to get to New Year's Day just one game under .500. It's hard to know which is more surprising: Zach Randolph, both scoring big and sharing the ball with talented young teammates, or Randolph as credible defender.
Sadly, it is also no surprise that hardly anyone in Memphis pays much attention.
Rookie review
Supposedly, the only sure thing at the 2009 NBA Draft was Oklahoma big man Blake Griffin.
Who knew the draft class would be chock full of talented guards?
Tyreke Evans will be a perennial All-Star, and if he leads the Kings into the playoffs, he is going to get at least one MVP vote. (That's a personal promise. Don't forget, we voters rank MVP candidates one through five.)
Add Brandon Jennings, DeMar DeRozan, Jonny Flynn, James Harden, Ty Lawson, Stephen Curry and Wesley Matthews in the mix, and it could be one of the best guard drafts of the past 20 years.
Dwyane Wade's ebb
Wade is going to be one of the prime free agents this summer, making noise about possibly teaming up with his pal, LeBron James. But he is shooting a career-low 43.9 percent and averaging nearly four fewer points than last season. When teammate Michael Beasley scored 14 points in the first seven minutes against the Spurs on Thursday, he got only one more shot in the next two quarters. Asked about it afterwards, Wade said the Heat had gone to “other options, as we always do.” That other option, of course, was Wade. Makes you wonder whether Wade really could share the floor with another star, Redeem Team notwithstanding.
[email protected]
Mike Monroe
It is reassuring to know that even after 24-plus years covering the NBA, each season brings a new set of surprises.
The 2009 portion of the 2009-10 season certainly had its share of the unexpected:
Portland's cursed luck
Nothing has been as shocking as the serial misfortune that has befallen the Trail Blazers. Portland currently is without LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, Joel Przybilla, Nicolas Batum, Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw and point guard Steve Blake, the latest to join the unavailable list. He was hospitalized with pneumonia, on the shelf indefinitely.
The Blazers already have been granted two roster exceptions just so they can suit up the requisite eight players. Coach Nate McMillan, on crutches with a ruptured Achilles tendon, somehow has managed to keep the Trail Blazers eight games over .500, and that may be the most amazing fact of 2009 in the NBA.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich put it best. Asked about losing two of his own players recently, he pointed out Portland's misfortune and said: “The rest of us should just shut up.”
Tim Duncan, MVP?
Don't laugh. The 33-year-old Spurs power forward-center is off to an amazing start to a season he began with feigned self-doubt about his importance on a younger, more athletic roster. Well, he is averaging 19.9 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in just short of 32 minutes per game, keeping the Spurs in the championship mix. Most amazing is the fact a career 68.7 percent free-throw shooter went into Saturday's game at 78.5 percent from the line. Last time he was that accurate was 2001-02, when he shot 79.9 percent from the line, averaged a career-high 25.5 points and played 40.6 minutes a game.
Memphis has a team?
Their off-season dalliance with Allen Iverson was lunacy, but nobody expected the Grizzlies would rebound from early embarrassment to get to New Year's Day just one game under .500. It's hard to know which is more surprising: Zach Randolph, both scoring big and sharing the ball with talented young teammates, or Randolph as credible defender.
Sadly, it is also no surprise that hardly anyone in Memphis pays much attention.
Rookie review
Supposedly, the only sure thing at the 2009 NBA Draft was Oklahoma big man Blake Griffin.
Who knew the draft class would be chock full of talented guards?
Tyreke Evans will be a perennial All-Star, and if he leads the Kings into the playoffs, he is going to get at least one MVP vote. (That's a personal promise. Don't forget, we voters rank MVP candidates one through five.)
Add Brandon Jennings, DeMar DeRozan, Jonny Flynn, James Harden, Ty Lawson, Stephen Curry and Wesley Matthews in the mix, and it could be one of the best guard drafts of the past 20 years.
Dwyane Wade's ebb
Wade is going to be one of the prime free agents this summer, making noise about possibly teaming up with his pal, LeBron James. But he is shooting a career-low 43.9 percent and averaging nearly four fewer points than last season. When teammate Michael Beasley scored 14 points in the first seven minutes against the Spurs on Thursday, he got only one more shot in the next two quarters. Asked about it afterwards, Wade said the Heat had gone to “other options, as we always do.” That other option, of course, was Wade. Makes you wonder whether Wade really could share the floor with another star, Redeem Team notwithstanding.
[email protected]